SASKATOON — The RM of Corman Park has developed a “public code of conduct” policy that sets clear expectations for appropriate behaviour by members of the public when they interact with either municipal staff or councillors, with penalties for violating this policy ranging from warning letters to prohibiting attendance at RM-owned properties.
Policy GA-O11 was presented at the administration committee meeting on June 10, where committee members voted unanimously to recommend to council that they approve the new public code of conduct, which was done at the June 24 council meeting.
As explained by Corman Park Manager of Human Resources James Burkell, the policy is intended to promote respectful, responsible and ethical behaviour among members of the public during interactions with council and staff.
“It’s online, it’s on the phone, it’s in person – it’s any type of engagement where an individual has an interaction with council or staff,” noted Burkell.
He said the policy aligns with best practices observed in other municipalities and has also undergone a legal review to ensure it complies with Saskatchewan laws.
The policy prohibits behaviours such as disrespectful or demeaning comments made towards RM staff and councillors, as well as offences like possessing a weapon or prohibited substance while on RM property or trying to sell private goods or services on RM properties.
It also prohibits the public from making false statements, submitting falsified documents to the RM, submitting inquiries or requests for service that are frivolous or vexatious in nature, or knowingly violating the privacy of RM staff/councillors.
As mentioned above, the policy spells out a number of potential punishments for those who contravene the policy, though there are three levels of response for first-time offences and multiple offenders. For instance, a Level 1 response (the mildest) is listed in the policy as prompting a written letter of warning or a notice of restrictions lasting up to 30 days.
A Level 2 response, which comes after receiving a Level 1 response over the previous 12 months, may be a written letter of warning or restrictions lasting up to 90 days.
Division 8 Councillor Wendy Trask asked if the RM had a similar policy in the past. Burkell confirmed they did not, though they did have an internal code of conduct in place.
He noted the definition of harassment under the Occupational Health and Safety Act is “very much subjective” to the target of said harassment, which is why the policy has a mechanism in place for reviewing Level 2 or 3 responses.
“It’s not just, ‘Oh, I didn’t like that conversation.’ Was there intent behind it? What was it?” he said.
While this policy does align with what other municipalities have done, that isn’t always the case. For instance, Burkell noted that another municipality that had implemented a public code of conduct also included fines for violations, but their legal counsel recommended against going down that path.
“It was one of the pieces...that had been past practice in another RM, but it may not have been the practice that suited our needs the best from a legal perspective.”
A comprehensive communications strategy will be implemented to inform council, staff and the public about the new policy, including physical signage at RM facilities and regular updates on the policy’s implementation via the municipal website, social media and newsletters.
