Coun. Niels Konge has been reprimanded by a special committee of council for failing to treat city employees SA国际影视传媒渋n a courteous manner.SA国际影视传媒�
Dec. 11, 2017
The censure, handed down after council adopted the 2018 city budget Monday night, marked the resolution of an ongoing dispute involving Konge, unnamed city workers and Mayor Mark Heyck that saw complaints lodged against the councillor and the mayor.
A conduct review committee comprising four Yellowknife residents and couns. Julian Morse and Linda Bussey, was struck in October to investigate the complaints and recommend potential disciplinary actions.
The committee's recommendations were delivered to council Monday and among them was a recommendation that Konge be censured by council as an SA国际影视传媒渆xpression of disapproval or condemnationSA国际影视传媒� of his actions.
The censure carries no legal or civil penalties.
The complaint against the mayor was dismissed.
A second complaint against Konge, which alleged he SA国际影视传媒渂reached the ethical principles of responsibility to society by abusing his authority,SA国际影视传媒� was also dismissed.
Konge said he is not surprised he got the censure.
He is SA国际影视传媒渟hocked,SA国际影视传媒� however, that the committee found no fault with the mayor.
Prior to the establishment of the conduct review committee, a third party was hired to investigate allegations that Konge mistreated city staff.
The mayor SA国际影视传媒渆ngaged in an investigation of me without the knowledge of any other councillors,SA国际影视传媒� Konge said Tuesday.
SA国际影视传媒淭hat is the part that I think is wrong.SA国际影视传媒�
Konge says the independent investigation prompted him to file a complaint against the mayor.
Heyck, he said, SA国际影视传媒渟pent $27,000 investigating me, and in order to defend myself, I had to spend my own money.SA国际影视传媒�
At Monday night's council meeting, Coun. Adrian Bell said he was glad the mayor was exonerated, but believes Heyck made SA国际影视传媒渁n error in judgment,SA国际影视传媒� when he pursued an independent investigation into Konge without input from council.
SA国际影视传媒淎lthough it may not have been a violation of the rules of conduct, (it) has had a negative impact on council,SA国际影视传媒� said Bell.
He said the mayor should have known that striking a conduct review committee to look into the complaints against Konge, as was done in October, was the most reasonable course of action.
Had the mayor gone this route two years ago, said Bell, SA国际影视传媒渋t would have been far less traumatic for all involved.SA国际影视传媒�
It is unclear exactly what role the mayor played in the independent investigation into Konge.
Neither the city nor the chair of a conduct review committee, lawyer Sheldon Toner, would offer details about the incidents that sparked the complaints against Konge and the mayor.
Konge has said city staff filed a number of complaints against him.
SA国际影视传媒�(They) just blast out a whole bunch of allegations and see if anything sticks,SA国际影视传媒� he told Yellowknifer in October.
Konge said one of the complaints arose from an incident at a job site in 2015.
He said a city inspector was telling his junior staff to SA国际影视传媒渃hange stuffSA国际影视传媒� and wasn't wearing the proper protective gear.
Konge said he SA国际影视传媒済ot really pissed offSA国际影视传媒� at the inspector, yelled at him, and kicked him off the work site.
Coun. Shauna Morgan believes Konge used his SA国际影视传媒減osition of power to intimidate and shameSA国际影视传媒� city staff, and that his actions amounted to an SA国际影视传媒渁buse of power.SA国际影视传媒�
Konge, she said Tuesday, SA国际影视传媒渧erbally harassed staff as part of his mission to force change at the planning and lands department.SA国际影视传媒�
She said his harassing behaviour extended beyond one particular incident.
Morgan wants to see the code of conduct revised to clarify what constitutes an abuse of power.
The committee recommended a review of the Workplace Conflict Resolution/Anti-Harassment Policy to include clear rules for reporting and investigating future complaints.
