Latest City Council Code of Conduct complaint finds Councillor Cindy Jefferies accepted two corporate donations

Code of Conduct investigation complete, breach found

A Code of Conduct complaint was received by City Council in June 2023, resulting in an internal investigation. The investigation concluded that Councillor Cindy Jefferies breached Section 7.1 of City Council’s Code of Conduct Bylaw. All other alleged breaches set out in the complaint were determined to be unfounded.

The formal Code of Conduct complaint submitted by a member of the public made allegations of breach of City Council’s Code of Conduct bylaw, specifically in the areas of:

Section 4.1 (d): arrange their private affairs and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence.
Section 4.1 (a): Members shall act honestly and, in good faith, serve the welfare and interests of the Municipality as a whole.
Section 5.4: No Member shall make a statement when they know that statement is false.
Section 5.5: No Member shall make a statement with the intent to mislead Council or members of the public.
Section 7.1: Members shall uphold the law established by the Parliament of Canada and the Legislature of Alberta and the bylaws, policies and procedures adopted by Council.
Section 10.1: Members have a statutory duty to comply with the pecuniary interest provisions set out in Part 5, Division 6 of the Act and a corresponding duty to vote unless required or permitted to abstain under the Act or another enactment.

Shortly after the complaint was received by Mayor Johnston, a review committee comprised of the Mayor, Councillor Buruma and Councillor Barnstable reviewed the complaint and recommended, due to the limited scope and complexity of the complaint that Council investigate. The investigation took place during a closed Special Meeting of Council held on July 18, 2023, with all of Council present except for Councillor Jefferies who recused herself from these proceedings and Councillor Barnstable who was absent.

The allegations put forward by the complainant and associated investigative findings include:

Allegation:	Investigation Findings:	Result:
Councillor Jefferies accepted corporate donations for her campaign during the 2021 election, breaching Section 7.1.	Councillor Jefferies breached Section 7.1 of the Bylaw by accepting two corporate donations during her municipal election campaign, in violation of section 147.2(1) of the Local Authorities Election Act. The Investigation Report discloses that a full investigation into the donations was previously conducted by Elections Alberta. In January 2023, the Chief Electoral Officer concluded that Jefferies had contravened the Act, but that no penalty or reprimand would be imposed, as doing so, in this case would not serve the public interest for a number of reasons. In their Investigation Report, Council states that because the matter was adjudicated by the appropriate provincial body no further actions or sanctions would be required by Council in relation to the same donations.	Founded – breach of Section 7.1
Councillor Jefferies knowingly posted false or misleading information about the donations on Facebook, breaching Section 5.4 and Section 5.5.	This allegation was determined to be unfounded. Council was not satisfied there was evidence to show that Jefferies knowingly made statements she knew to be false or misleading.	Unfounded – no breach of Section 5.4 or Section 5.5.
As a past member of Safe Harbour Society Board of Directors, Councillor Jefferies should not have been involved in shelter conversations at Council table, breaching Section 4.1 (a), Section 4.1 (d) and Section 10.1.	All allegations related to Safe Harbour board membership were determined to be unfounded. Councillor Jefferies resigned from her position as soon as she was elected, she was never employed by Safe Harbour, nor did she or her family receive any monetary benefit from her board role. Councilors are not required to disclose past or current community service positions, nor did Jefferies past involvement on the board bias her decisions as a Councillor.	Unfounded – no breach of Section 4.1(b), Section 4.1(d) or Section 10.1.

Allegation:

Investigation Findings:

Result:

Councillor Jefferies accepted corporate donations for her campaign during the 2021 election, breaching Section 7.1.

Councillor Jefferies breached Section 7.1 of the Bylaw by accepting two corporate donations during her municipal election campaign, in violation of section 147.2(1) of the Local Authorities Election Act.

The Investigation Report discloses that a full investigation into the donations was previously conducted by Elections Alberta. In January 2023, the Chief Electoral Officer concluded that Jefferies had contravened the Act, but that no penalty or reprimand would be imposed, as doing so, in this case would not serve the public interest for a number of reasons.

In their Investigation Report, Council states that because the matter was adjudicated by the appropriate provincial body no further actions or sanctions would be required by Council in relation to the same donations.

Founded – breach of Section 7.1

Councillor Jefferies knowingly posted false or misleading information about the donations on Facebook, breaching Section 5.4 and Section 5.5.

This allegation was determined to be unfounded. Council was not satisfied there was evidence to show that Jefferies knowingly made statements she knew to be false or misleading.

Unfounded – no breach of Section 5.4 or Section 5.5.

As a past member of Safe Harbour Society Board of Directors, Councillor Jefferies should not have been involved in shelter conversations at Council table, breaching Section 4.1 (a), Section 4.1 (d) and Section 10.1.

All allegations related to Safe Harbour board membership were determined to be unfounded. Councillor Jefferies resigned from her position as soon as she was elected, she was never employed by Safe Harbour, nor did she or her family receive any monetary benefit from her board role. Councilors are not required to disclose past or current community service positions, nor did Jefferies past involvement on the board bias her decisions as a Councillor.

Unfounded – no breach of Section 4.1(b), Section 4.1(d) or Section 10.1.

Having accepted that Councillor Jefferies contravened Section 7.1 of City Council’s Code of Conduct Bylaw by accepting corporate funds for her campaign, Council determined no sanctions were in order given the matter had already been fully addressed by Elections Alberta.

“Moving forward, we want to make a point of cautioning all candidates, past and future, to make sure they understand all municipal, provincial and federal laws when it comes to campaigns, and being an elected member of our Council,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “City Council implemented the Code of Conduct Bylaw in 2019 to ensure good governance that is in the best interest of the organization and our community. Through our Code of Conduct Bylaw, expectations are outlined for how we conduct ourselves as we carry out our duties and responsibilities.”

This is the first time since the Code of Conduct Bylaw was adopted that City Council has appointed itself to investigate a complaint, which is allowed under the bylaw. Since the investigation was conducted internally, there were no costs associated with this complaint.

For more information on this Code of Conduct investigation, and for general information about the bylaw, please visit www.reddeer.ca/CouncilConduct. The Investigation Report will be posted to the website later this week once FOIP redactions have been made.

Related Topics:#CityCouncilCodeOfConduct #CorporateCampaignDonations #CouncillorCindyJefferies feature

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City holding Garage Sale to clear Kinex Arena ahead of demolition

Published on May 8, 2024

City of Red Deer

Puck boards, appliances, score boards and more up for grabs in advance of Kinex Arena demolition

After years of memories made at the Kinex Arena, the community will have one last chance to say goodbye to the facility during a garage sale this Saturday, and maybe even take home a piece of its history. The Kinex Arena, which has provided thousands of Red Deerians a place to enjoy sports and recreation events since 1967, will be demolished this summer.

“It’s bittersweet for our team and our community, saying goodbye to such a prominent recreation facility in our community; but it has reached the end of its lifespan,” said Curtis Martinek, Facilities & Asset Management Superintendent. “Demolition will begin later this summer and be completed by August. Prior to any actual demo, all hazardous materials need to be removed and disposed of safely and in accordance with all regulations”.

The land on which the facility currently sits will become additional green space in Barret Park. The Parking lot will remain for users of this park as well as overflow for large events at Servus Arena and the Pidherney’s Centre.

Some of the larger items from the arena such as rink glass, boards and dehumidifiers were sold to other communities throughout Alberta to be repurposed. The remaining items will be available at the garage sale this weekend; some of the items for sale include display cabinets, score clocks, shelving units, puck board, hockey nets, appliances and chairs.

Event: Kinex Arena Garage Sale

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Kinex Arena, 4725 A – 43 Street

All funds generated through the garage sale will go back into Recreation’s general revenue account.

A Facebook Event has been set up to share information and images about this weekend’s garage sale. For more information on the demolition, please visit reddeer.ca/Kinex.

FAQ’s

What will happen with the land where the Kinex Arena is located?

The footprint of the facility will become additional green space in Barret Park. The Parking lot will remain for users of this park as well as overflow for large events at Servus Arena and the Pidherney Centre.

What items will be sold at the garage sale on May 11?

The following is a list of some of the items available to purchase at the garage sale. Pricing for the items will be available at the event. A Facebook event has been created where we will share images of items in advance of the event.

Puck board
Hockey nets
Appliances such as a fridge, stoves, heaters, furnace
Chairs
Display cabinets and shelving units
Commercial waste disposal containers
Paper towel dispensers
Rolltop doors

What form of payment will be accepted at the garage sale?

During the May 11 garage sale at the Kinex Arena, cash is the only form of payment that will be accepted.

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Rebate programs launch again in Red Deer

Published on May 3, 2024

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Red Deer residents who purchase and install a rain barrel, drought-tolerant plants, permeable mulch or a low-flow toilet may qualify for a rebate on their City utility bill.

Alberta is experiencing drought in many parts of the province due to a below average snowpack in winter 2022-23, these rebate programs help Red Deerians conserve water usage in their homes and on their property at a time when water conservation is top of mind for many. The province is currently in water shortage management stage 4 (out of 5) and multiple water management areas are impacted by water shortage.

Participants in the programs could see a reduction in water usage in their homes as well as time and money as yards and gardens require less watering and fertilizer.

Specific details vary per rebate, but each program is open to Red Deer residents who have a City of Red Deer utility account.

Plant and Mulch Rebates are open for qualifying residents who purchase and install qualifying plants and/or permeable mulch in 2024. There is one rebate available for 50% of the cost of plants up to $50 and one rebate available for 50% of the cost of mulch up to $50.

The Rain Barrel Rebate program is open for residents who purchase and install a new rain barrel in 2024. The rebate is for 50% of the cost of the rain barrel up to $50. To encourage residents to participate in the program, this rebate has been expanded for 2024. Participants who received one rain barrel rebate in past years are welcome to apply for one additional rebate. Maximum of two rebates per utility account for the lifetime of that utility account.

A Toilet Rebate is available for residents who replace a high-flow toilet with a low-flow model. Two $25 rebates are available per utility account. People who have participated in this program in previous years are not eligible to receive another rebate.

These rebate programs support the water-related goals in The City’s Environmental Master Plan by reducing Red Deerians water use and increasing water conservation efforts. More information on how you can conserve water can be found at reddeer.ca/drought.