Councillor complaints, code of conduct back on Regional Council agenda
Posted Mar 16, 2018 04:23:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Complaints against Councillors under the municipality’s code of conduct will be back on the agenda during the next meeting of Halifax Regional Council.
Council complaints filed under Administrative Order 52, the code used to govern the behaviour of Councillors, are back on Tuesday’s agenda during the in-camera or confidential portion of the meeting.
During its Feb. 27 meeting, Council dealt with dozens of complaints against councillors behind closed doors, mostly dealing with an incident in which Hammonds Plains Councillor Matt Whitman re-tweeted an ‘ethno-nationalist’ group on Twitter, drawing online condemnation from Councillors Waye Mason and Shawn Cleary.
After that private session, Whitman, who had said the majority of the reported 66 complaints were about him, was found in breach of the code of conduct and subsequently censured. He further refused to apologize and was removed from all committees except for committee of the whole, budget committee and community council.
Mason and Cleary had complaints against them dismissed while Mason posted an apology online for his interaction with Whitman on social media.
Because the agenda item is on the confidential portion on Tuesday, it’s not known if more complaints are being dealt with or if it's a follow-up on previous complaints.
Similarly, Councillor Tony Mancini will bring forward a motion for council during Tuesday’s meeting calling for an annual review of the code of conduct.
In his motion, Mancini writes because of a “few high-profile incidents involving the conduct of elected officials,” it might be time for council to consider an annual review or reminder of Administrative Order 52.
“Participating in an annual review can help build a spirit of co-operation and confidence in Council’s integrity, demonstrates commitment to maintaining an ethical workplace culture and can increase trust in Council’s business practices and in government processes overall,” Mancini writes.
If approved without changes, staff would compile a report on improving Councillor’s familiarity with the code and present a recommendation to Council.
Staff recommends no action on garbage disposals
Council will debate a staff recommendation during Tuesday’s meeting that calls for no action on the use or installation of garbage disposals in the municipality.
A decade ago, in 2008, council asked for a staff report on the possibility of prohibiting the installation of disposals or ‘garburators’ in new homes, as concerns were raised about the amount of organic waste in the wastewater system.
The information report went to the Halifax Water board in 2010, who performed their own national scan of regulations and found no significant impact from the devices on the wastewater collection or treatment systems.
The issue didn’t come up again until a 2016 review by Council and Tuesday will possibly see the file officially closed for good, as if the recommendation is approved, council would take no action on the issue.
‘CeaseFire’ program
During its meeting Tuesday, Council will also debate looking at how portions of the anti-violence program ‘CeaseFire’ can be integrated into its current anti-violence programs targeting youth.
The program, which saw its federal funding end at the end of 2017 and will see its provincial funding end at the end of March, attempts to mediate those it considers high-risk for violence and was created in response to a rash of shootings in the region in 2011.
Staff have recommended council not fund the program, noting that despite anecdotal evidence of success, there's not enough empirical data.
If Tuesday’s recommendation is approved by council, staff would further look at if parts of the CeaseFire program can be adapted into existing youth programming in HRM and see if any external funding sources exist to support similar programs.
No yolk: Councillor wants urban chickens for egg laying
Councillor David Hendsbee will bring forward a motion at Tuesday’s meeting to study allowing chickens in all residential areas for egg-laying purposes.
Hensbee’s motion proposes studying possible amendments to HRM’s planning strategy to allow egg-laying hens and chickens for “personal household food supply.”
If approved, staff would study the issue and bring a recommendation to council.
