I attended the Council meeting Tuesday night (August 17) because I wanted to know what was going to happen with the Integrity Commissioner’s report. This, of course, has been an ongoing action, at an unknown cost with untold consequences. This all stems from the goal to muzzle a duly elected representative of the Town by enacting a Code of Conduct. This report was originally brought to Council on July 13th, but the Mayor was not able to get approved that night. Mr. Tsubouchi's report, as distributed by Councillor MacEachern, before being presented to Council, can be read here .

 

(Full disclosure alert – when I was the Chamber representative on the Economic Development Advisory Committee, based on independent legal advice,  I refused to sign that Code. It was a poorly written document with an opened ended penalty clause.)

 

The net result was that Council accepted the Integrity Commissioners recommendation, and Councilor Buck has been issued a reprimand.  

 

So, I just want to lay out the Coles Notes version of things:

 

1.       Council enacts a Code of Conduct

2.       Council spends 8 months negotiating to hire an Integrity Commissioner

3.       Said Integrity Commissioner spends 6 weeks investigating 1 complaint

4.       Said Integrity Commissioner reports back on that complaint – which dismisses the complaint as invalid.

5.       Said Integrity Commissioner is fired one or two days later

6.       Council hires a new Integrity Commissioner (apparently, “people are clamoring for this”)

7.       A Councillor files 2 complaints, which are essentially a re-file of the original complaint

8.       The Integrity Commissioner submits his report which finds the defendant in violation of the first complaint but not the second. His recommendation is that the defendant be issued a reprimand, with respect to that first complaint.

9.       The Integrity Commissioner  defines “reprimand” as the process where the defendant will have her name put on a public list, or in a document, that says, effect, she was a bad girl. 

 

So, this process (which according to the Integrity Commissioner is “cutting edge” and helps drive “open and transparent” government)  took months of time, cost thousands of dollars, wasted countless hours of Town time, used up lots of press space, and caused an incredible amount of bad blood – results in the defendant having her name posted on the I’ve Been A Bad Girl List. I am surprised that she doesn’t have to write it on the chalk board 100 times.

 

It is no wonder why the Town’s List of Accomplishments has to include the  “Rain Barrel sales event” There is obviously nothing else to take its place!

 

 

This whole “cutting edge” process has been an abject failure in leadership and accountability. Because the Code of Conduct was put in place as a reaction there was no real thought on how it would actually work or if it might actually bring some benefit to the Town. It was simply designed as 10 pound mallet to hammer in a tac. Regardless of how this might be spun, the reality is that the Code of Conduct and the process surrounding it is now invalidated. 

Mr. Tsubouchi also presumptuously stated that "there will be an orientation meeting for the new Council" on this process. I think he might want to use a pencil when he puts that in his calendar.