Coun. McLean faces sanctions for tuning in to assembly from golf course

Article content material

Tuning in to a council assembly whereas using shotgun on a golf cart final summer time has earned a Calgary metropolis councillor a slap on the wrist.

After a personal debate amongst councillors over an integrity commissioner’s investigation, Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean was issued with sanctions on Tuesday, one in every of which is to write down a letter of apology to Calgarians inside 30 days.

Article content material

Article content material

The town’s integrity commissioner’s report, posted to the town’s web site Tuesday night, acknowledged a criticism was submitted on July 27 alleging McLean attended a public listening to remotely the day earlier than whereas collaborating within the Shane Properties Golf Event on the Heritage Level Golf Course.

The complainant, who was additionally a participant of the July 26 public listening to, alleged a video appeared on McLean’s Microsoft Groups feed in the course of the assembly that confirmed two individuals on a transferring golf cart, one in every of whom was sporting a golf glove.

The complainant argued McLean violated council’s Code of Conduct bylaw and accused the councillor of showing distracted in the course of the assembly, as he didn’t reply to roll name and didn’t vote on a movement.

“The complainant alleged his conduct was not in one of the best pursuits of the town and confirmed disrespect for his duties and duties as an elected official,” acknowledged the report, penned by the town’s integrity commissioner, Ellen-Anne O’Donnell.

‘Not in one of the best pursuits of the town’

In her findings, O’Donnell wrote that she didn’t settle for McLean’s submission that attending the golf match was within the realm of conducting metropolis enterprise.

Article content material

Article content material

“For my part, Councillor McLean’s participation in a golf match throughout a council assembly, was, on the stability of possibilities, not in one of the best pursuits of the town, because it had the potential to undermine public confidence in metropolis governance,” she wrote.

Councillors debated the report behind closed doorways Tuesday earlier than returning to council chambers to vote publicly on releasing it.

Additionally they voted for McLean to “settle for accountability for his actions and problem a letter of apology to Calgarians inside 30 days.” Couns. McLean and Sean Chu have been the one two members who voted in opposition to the movement.

‘I feel it is a double commonplace’

After the assembly, McLean advised reporters his vote was in protest, however mentioned he intends to abide by the requirement of the sanctions.

Whereas he didn’t deny he had tuned in to the assembly from a golf match, McLean claimed he wasn’t the one councillor who was there on the time and mentioned he feels he’s been singled out for being outspoken and important of different members of council.

The July 26 assembly was a continuation of a public listening to that had gone late the night time earlier than. Initially, there had been nothing on council’s calendar that day, so McLean mentioned he attended the golf match, as did different councillors who have been invited.

Article content material

“I used to be at an business occasion that went lengthy, so took the final little bit of a public listening to assembly on my cellphone,” he mentioned.

He claimed he stopped enjoying golf when the assembly began at 1 p.m. and refuted the report’s discovering that he was distracted in the course of the assembly.

O’Donnell acknowledged in her report that McLean clocked in to the assembly seven minutes late, lacking roll name in consequence. He claimed the tardiness in signing into the assembly was as a result of technical points and poor cellphone reception.

McLean speculated the sanctions in opposition to him might be a distraction from different scandals at metropolis corridor.

“I’m not saying it’s proper and I gained’t try this once more, however I feel it is a double commonplace,” he mentioned. “I feel it’s political. I’m very crucial generally of the mayor and council’s criticisms and that is possibly a well timed distraction.”

Article content material

‘He wasn’t essentially absolutely engaged within the dialogue’

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot mentioned the incident might be an indication that it’s time for council to renew in-person conferences — a situation that has been non-compulsory for the reason that onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He mentioned the crux of the problem was that by being at a golf course and on a transferring golf cart, McLean didn’t have his undivided consideration dedicated to the general public listening to.

“I feel there are a number of situations of members of council collaborating in council conferences working remotely, not essentially from an workplace setting,” Chabot mentioned.

“I don’t suppose he’s unsuitable essentially, however so far as undivided consideration … he wasn’t essentially absolutely engaged within the dialogue.”

This isn’t McLean’s first time being accused of a council code of conduct violation, as he was additionally the topic of a single investigation relating to pictures that confirmed him not sporting a masks at a restaurant in December 2021, when provincial necessary masking orders have been nonetheless in impact in public locations.

Article content material