[All] Integrity commissioners: What they can and cannot do

[Jan Liggett]

I am deleting old emails here and reread this one.
I was told today, but have not confirmed this info, that our city clerk is the integrity commissioner for Cambridge.  If powers were to be extended, this would not be a cool thing in my opinion.

Jan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Norah & Richard 
  To: all at gren.ca 
  Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 9:55 AM
  Subject: Re: [All] Integrity commissioners: What they can and cannot do


  I strongly endorse this recommendation to extend the powers of Municipal Integrity Commissioners to be able to review staff conduct when complaints arise in order to facilitate the ability to review matters and provide the opportunity for dialogue and/or mediation. Although my community of Guelph does not have an integrity officer, this could also raise awareness of the importance of this role for all of our municipalities.   Norah

  On 03/09/2010 11:58 AM, Louisette Lanteigne wrote: 
          Hi folks

          I just got off the phone with the City of Waterloo's new Integrity Commissioner Gregory Levine. He's a really nice man to speak with.

          The powers of the municipal Integrity Commissioner is to review the conduct of council members so if one behaves inappropriately there can be a measure of scrutiny to understand and resolve various issues or sanctions if need be. For example, I filed a complaint regarding a certain council member who intimidated a public speaker at a Waterloo council meeting a few months back. The Integrity Commissioner reviewed the matter and asked if I wanted to take further action to get an investigation happening. I dropped it because this person isn't running for office again but I told him I wanted to give him the heads up that issues like this have taken place in council previously.

          It is interesting to note that the Integrity Commissioner does NOT have powers to review the conduct of municipal STAFF. This is due to the fact that staff are protected by Labour Unions and that complicates how the matters are to be addressed. There could, in theory, be measures made at the COUNCIL level to allocate these extend the powers to the Integrity Commissioner to allow them to review conduct by staff but to date no municipality has done that although this is STRONGLY recommended by David McMullen, the Integrity Commissioner from Toronto as noted in the Bellamy Commission Report. 

          I suggest that GREN consider taking the position to recommend extended the powers of Municipal Integrity Commissioners to be able to review staff conduct when complaints arise in order to facilitate the ability to review matters and provide the opportunity for dialogue and/or mediation. Should the conduct warrant some form of sanction, the dialogue can than include union reps if need be. 

          If we had such a system in place, the planner at the city level who authorized work to be done in the West Side Lands, prior to the completion of the OMB mandated studies, could be reviewed and held accountable. 

          Lulu :0)
         


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