No Freedom of Information at Medicine Hat City Hall, They've Clammed Up!
FOIPP Request Update
First of all, Community TV /The Trash Panda wants to implore everyone to
BE KIND TO THE CITY WORKERS!!!!
They’re between a rock and hard place. The employees bear the brunt of senior administration’s frustrations, they’re also bearing the brunt of the anger from the public. The employees do not make policy, they’re doomed to follow the instructions of administration who are doomed to follow the instructions of the City Manager aka Queen Ann Mitchell.
Let the employees know that you have their backs!
Be kind to the Council Members. Feel free to attack their actions, please do not attack them personally.
It’s okay to say - You did a stupid thing
It’s NOT okay to say - You’re stupid for doing that stupid thing.
On May 2 Community TV /The Trash Panda received a copy of this letter by e-mail. They’re actually applying to be allowed to Disregard our FOIPP requests calling them
“repetitious or systematic” and
”frivolous or vexatious”
They go on to say that
“Because the request campaign by the applicant has little bearing in content by any declared public interest or cause, the substance of the requests and information produced is necessarily of
“little weight and importance”.
I have to disagree. Mayor Linnsie Clark has been trying to get this information for months. City Manager Ann Mitchell has blocked her every way from Sunday, appearing to use members of council to back her up.
Timeline
Feb 20 2024 Tuesday - Mayor Clark tried to get the following put on the March 4 agenda.
1. For each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023:
a. the number of City employees paid or reimbursed for living expenses;
b. for each employee (by job title or position) paid or reimbursed for living expenses:
i the duration for which they were paid or reimbursed for living expenses;
ii the itemized living expenses for which they were paid or reimbursed;
iii the amounts they were paid or reimbursed for living expenses on an itemized basis;
iv. the employee’s position type (i.e., permanent part time, permanent full time, temporary, etc.).
c. the total amount of living expenses paid out or reimbursed.
2. For each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023:
a. the basic terms of all severance agreements, including the precise sums, the date of the severance agreements, and the job title or position of the individual severed. For your reference, please see County of Vermilion River #24 (Re), Order F2007-025 (oipc.ab.ca).
3. A detailed accounting of all funds reallocated by the City Manager in 2023, pursuant to Section 20 of the Administrative Organization Bylaw, Bylaw No. 4662, or otherwise.
$565,000 is listed for FFD FM 2023 City Hall Security, Space & Furnishings, Fixtures and Equipment Upgrades - what was spent on
Security (which equipment, staff, and specific room in City Hall)
Space (which specific room at City Hall)
Furnishings (what furnishings were purchased and specific room in City Hall)
Fixtures (which fixtures and specific room in City Hall)
equipment upgrades (which equipment and specific room in City Hall)
4. Staff turnover statistics for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, by month.
5. The City Manager’s 2023 itemized expenses and P-Card statements.
6. Each Managing Director’s 2023 itemized expenses and P-Card statements.
March 4 2024 Monday Not on the agenda
March 18 2024 Monday Not on the agenda
April 8 2024 Monday On the agenda but Council ran out the clock, postponed until the April 22 meeting.
April 8, 2024 City of Medicine Hat Council Meeting
4:25:35 Mayor Clark says info is available to the public under FOIPP
4:31:35 CM MItchell says the information falls under the purview of the City Manager’s office which is why it was not being brought forward.
April 15 2024 Monday Community TV/ The Trash Panda files a FOIPP request for the above information, Tom also files a FOIPP for his personal information.
April 18 2024 Thursday Community TV/ The Trash Panda receives an acknowledgment of the requests, numbered 30 and 31. Tom calls Legislative Coordinator Lovejoy Sibanda of the City Clerk’s office to ask about how much it would cost to get the FOIPP. Sibanda told Tom that they would provide an estimate, that it would be billed at $27/hr.
April 22 2024 Monday On the agenda but delayed again so Council members had time to read the documents provided by Mayor Clark. (Mayor Clark did provide the documents mere minutes before the start of the meeting.)
April 23 2024 Tuesday Community TV/ The Trash Panda sent a followup e-mail asking when the estimate for the cost of the FOIPP would be ready. We wanted to be sure we had the necessary funds to pay for it. Legislative Coordinator Lovejoy Sibanda responded 30 minutes later and said
“I will get back to you as soon as the estimate Is ready.”
April 29 2024 Monday Community TV/ The Trash Panda again sent a followup e-mail asking about when the estimate would be ready. No reply
April 30 2024 Tuesday Still no reply. Medicine Hat City Clerk Larry Randle creates the Authorization to Disregard letter to Community TV/ The Trash Panda
May 1 2024 Wednesday Still no reply
May 2 2024 Thursday Authorization to Disregard Letter e-mailed to Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Community TV/ The Trash Panda is cc’d. Check out the “evidence” they added to the letter to make us look like we are conspiring to shut down the City.
Once again Community TV /The Trash Panda asks that you
BE KIND TO THE CITY WORKERS!!!!
Let the employees know that you have their backs!
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