Employees working for the District of Lantzville now have a better idea of what to do when reporting incidents of serious misconduct.
Lantzville councillors voted in favour of adopting a whistle blower protection policy on Monday, Oct 23. The policy provides guidelines for reporting and investigation of serious misconduct by district employees, officers and elected officials in Lantzville in the event that there no procedures already established. It also provides protection to those who report serious misconduct.
“The purpose of the policy is to give an employee who might be intimidated, who might be afraid, who might feel that there will be retaliation if he or she brings something forward,” Ronald Campbell, the district’s chief administrative officer, told councillors.
The policy also lays out clear instructions about who to report allegations of serious misconduct to and states that in the event that an elected Lantzville official wishes to file a report, he or she must report it to the mayor or the chief administrative officer.
Coun. John Coulson said he generally liked the policy but had concerns with an aspect of it involving the mayor being part of the reporting chain.
“Given that the mayor is one of seven, is that really an appropriate person to be part of that chain? Because they would have to act in some isolated capacity to deal with this,” he said.
Campbell said should a member of council report something to the mayor, it would then be up to the mayor to determine whether to inform council or the chief administrative officer.
“If the mayor feels that it should be a full council review or committee to council, that is his or her prerogative to do that,” he said.
Coun. Bob Colclough said he felt the policy was good because the reporting procedure is now clearly outlined for everyone to see.
Coun. Denise Haime said the whistle blower policy feels like another set of unnecessary rules.
“We already have a system in place,” she said. “It is one of these things where we are getting to become more and more entrenched in becoming this bigger machine, this bigger municipality.”
nicholas.pescod@nanaimobulletin.com