Sarnia city council is open to considering rules that would make volunteer committee members subject to codes of conduct and integrity commissioner review.
But having volunteers subject to the integrity commissioner process could mean fewer will be willing to sign up, said Coun. Terry Burrell.
The councilor who was subject to an integrity commissioner complaint earlier this year, before winning re-election, called it “a terrible system” with no ability to defend oneself and no chance to learn the identity of one’s accusers.
“To push it onto people who volunteer to help us in the various committees that we have, I think this is wrong.”
The proposal to include rules for committees of council, subject to integrity commissioner review, is based on a Superior Court ruling that the definition of “local board” includes advisory committees, said city clerk Amy Burkhart.
The Municipal Act requires codes of conduct for local boards, as well as municipal councils, and integrity commissioners are required for codes of conduct, she said.
Making the adjustment “really becomes a compliance with the Municipal Act issue,” she said.
With Burrell and Coun. George Vandenberg opposed, council voted 7-2 at a recent special meeting for staff to prepare a draft document to expand council’s next integrity commissioner’s contract to include the development and application of a code of conduct for members of advisory committees.
Such a code would be simpler than the one that applies to elected members of councilBurkhart said.
That distinction is important, said Coun. Brian White, as board members don’t have the same “stature” and privileges as members of council.
“We are asking an awful lot of people,” he said.
“(It’s important) therefore just to recognize that as citizens who are volunteering for the committee, that they do retain a certain amount of autonomy within their ability to speak and share opinions, and to hold us as a council accountable.”
Council’s code of conduct requires members to be responsible for making honest statements, to conduct their duties and private affairs in a manner promoting public confidence, to act with decorum in accordance with the city’s procedure bylaw, and to be courteous and not distracting when others have the floor.
There were disagreements on boards last term, said Mayor Mike Bradley.
“I think one way or another they got resolved.”
Hopes are there’s a way to mediate “personality disputes on those committees” before any investigations begin, he said.
“To me, that’s really important.”
count. Anne Marie Gillis noted boards she was involved with last term operated as if bound by council’s code of conduct and she didn’t notice any issues.
count. Adam Kilner said he’s interested in seeing a draft.
“I think in other organizations this is already standard, that we hold each other into mutual account,” he said. “And I think our interpretation of how far reaching those effects are is certainly going to depend on what we receive as a draft.”
count. Dave Boushy said he’s heard people weren’t pleased with how councils behaved the last two terms amid integrity commissioner investigations.
“Saying let’s move on and ignoring didn’t work,” Boushy said, adding “if the commissioner makes a decision for us, we have to agree with them and stick with them and do exactly what he’s suggesting.”
Council last term opted not to mete out fines or admonish members found in contravention of the code, amid concerns about the political nature of the process. There were also calls for the province to amend how the system functions.
Current integrity commissioner Paul Watson’s four-year contract with the city expires in March. In his most recent update, summarizing the work he did for the city between Jan. 1 and June 30, Watson billed $8,400.
That included receiving six complaints, investigating three, providing advice to members of council, to senior management, and responding to inquiries from the public, he said in a report.
Council, at the special meeting, also approved extending appointments to most existing committees, including a Mitton Village advisory committeewhile a committee framework review continues.
A handful of committees, with fulfilled mandates in accordance with the terms established by council, were not extended and will dissolve.