A motion to potentially censure and sanction qathet Regional District Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne has been postponed indefinitely.
At the February 24 regional board meeting, Electoral Area A director and board chair Patrick Brabazon introduced the motion to postpone, based, he said, on receipt of an investigation report regarding a complaint against Gisborne under the regional district’s workplace discrimination and bullying and harassment policy.
The regional board had originally scheduled the potential censure and sanction motion against Gisborne for the January 27 regional board meeting, but carried a motion that stated: that in light of the receipt of the letter from director Gisborne’s counsel dated January 25, 2022, that the board postpone consideration of this item to the regular board meeting in February in order to ensure procedural fairness to director Gisborne and provide the regional district the opportunity to consider the concerns raised by director Gisborne’s counsel in the January 25 letter.
Gisborne’s potential censure and sanction relates to a planning committee meeting on November 9, 2021. According to a resolution of censure, introduced by Brabazon on January 13, Gisborne, in contravention of the code of conduct, made inappropriate statements about the proposed Random and Douglas Bay roads neighbourhoods.
At the February 24 regional board meeting, Brabazon said during the January 27 meeting, the board agreed to postpone consideration of censure and sanction to the February meeting.
“However, I am now moving that the board postpone indefinitely the item on this agenda, based on receipt of an investigation report regarding a complaint against director Gisborne under the regional district’s workplace discrimination and bullying and harassment policy,” said Brabazon.
Gisborne asked if he was allowed to respond. He said the regional board meeting was a public meeting and the board had before it a report regarding a complaint against him.
“My understanding is, that is labour relations and is supposed to be handled in camera,” said Gisborne. “Now this has been brought before a public assembly, am I allowed to respond at a public assembly?
Brabazon said Gisborne was allowed to argue that the board should not postpone the potential censure and sanction.
“If you have a reason why we should not postpone it, this is the time to make it,” said Brabazon.
Gisborne said he was expressing concern that the motion was dealing with something from labour relations and has been brought before a public assembly.
Brabazon said it deals with a report the board has received. He said the contents of the report are not public.
Brabazon then called the vote for postponement. The board voted in favour of the postponement, with Gisborne opposed.
“We are postponing indefinitely,” said Brabazon.
Policy must be followed, says CAO
When asked at the conclusion of the meeting by the Peak whether the investigation report would be released, chief administrative officer Al Radke said the regional district has a policy that it must follow. Radke said in the future, there is the possibility that the matter will be dealt with in camera.
In an interview after the meeting, Radke said the workplace discrimination and bullying and harassment policy has been brought upon an elected official. He said the allegations in that instance are investigated by an external investigator.
“This policy is mandated by the province through the Workers Compensation Act,” said Radke. “The policy does include elected officials. When they are at the centre of a complaint, automatically it goes to an external investigator.
“Our policy states that the CAO and board chair oversee external investigations. The external investigator has concluded his process. The qRD has followed the process in accordance with the policy. The process has not finally wrapped up but the substance of that process still remains confidential.”
Radke said at this juncture, there has been no breach to interfere with the process. He said the actions of the regional board were within the purview of the policy because no substance was released.
