Let’s Talk Ann Mitchell and Code of Conduct Complaints

By Kelly Allard

(Originally posted on Facebook March 26 2024)

King Tommy found some very interesting information which I am using for this post.(All Hail! )

Medicine Hat City Council in its infinite wisdom has seen fit to impose the harshest sanctions they possibly could on Mayor Linnsie Clark for merely questioning the City Manager (CM) in regards to bypassing a bylaw during the August 21 2023 Shitshow Showdown

There is no set time for her suspension to be lifted.

(Mayor Clark’s former job was as a lawyer with the City. It is apparent that she would know more about the Medicine Hat bylaws than any other council member sitting around the horseshoe.)

The Report to Council has not yet been released, Acting Mayor Andy McGrogan told us it needed to be redacted.

(Andy McGrogan’s last job was as Medicine Hat Police Chief.)

In 2018 Ann Mitchell, CAO of Sioux Lookout Ontario (population 5839 – source 2021 census), filed a Code of Conduct complaint against a member of the Environment Committee. He wrote letters to the editor in regards to his concerns about the serious contamination happening at the local beach using information that was supposed to remain confidential.

Photo credit: B.G. (Inner-Galactic)

Excerpts from the report

-The first letter January 31, 2018 talks about Mr. Quince’s opinion that “free speech has become lost” and “the only logical alternative, in my opinion, is to engage in open discussion and public debate on the issues at hand”. He goes onto say that there is a “lack of open community engagement, when council doesn’t share its information”. He ends the letter with “(I seem to have the town beach contamination in the back of my mind as I write this...)”

In the second letter to the editor on February 7, 2018, Michael Quince released a letter to be printed in the Sioux Lookout Bulletin that, in his opinion, raised serious concerns and read in part:

• “the Municipality’s Environment Committee expressed its concern to the Sioux Lookout Municipal Council regarding the serious contamination occurring at the community’s town beach. At the time, by not addressing the ground water/soil contamination first, (i.e.before awarding the contract to upgrade Wellington Street) it felt much like the ‘cart before the horse scenario’.

• “The Environment Committee never received a formal reply on this concern”.

• “Last summer, or there about the Municipality received funding to proceed with the proposed Waterfront Upgrades.”

The letter goes on to express Mr. Quince’s opinion about the “swath of brownish reddish mixture pock marked with small pools of a shiny, oily looking substance; the Municipal Council has spent substantial tax dollars on Design and Engineering Consultants for the proposed waterfront development without addressing the pollution first; another ‘cart before the horse’ scenario. The lack of a public meeting in October 2017 shows another disconnect between this present Municipal Council and the citizens. -

...

“Again, Mr. Quince does not feel that, in his opinion his letters were not a violation of the Code because he feels none of the information in his letters was discussed in a Closed Session of the Committee. “

He was found guilty of violating the Code of Conduct because he revealed the subject that was under discussion.

Committee member Mr Quince was suspended for 90 days.

The entire Report to Council is published online. There are NO redactions.

So what exactly did Linnsie Clark do that merits an undetermined time of suspension?

I have asked and I have not received an answer.

Why are they redacting the report?

Even if redactions are necessary, what is taking so long?

For a council that campaigned on transparency, they are being very opaque.

#ReleaseTheReport #ShowTheReceipts #NoRedactions #yxh #medicinehat #yxhcitycouncil #comtv #communitytv #thetrashpanda #kasosumh #transparency #siouxlookout #annmitchell #noredactions