Troy Shantz Mayor Mike Bradley’s access to City Hall was restricted to protect the safety of municipal employees, councillors say. Bradley tried to enter City Hall on Saturday, Oct.
Troy Shantz
Mayor Mike Bradley’s access to City Hall was restricted to protect the safety of municipal employees, councillors say.
Bradley tried to enter City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 8 with a visiting teacher from Norway and several citizens with the intent of signing a guest book, but his access card failed twice.
Being locked out of his own office was embarrassing, Bradley said.
“To restrict the publicly elected mayor’s access to City Hall is demeaning and does not serve the public interest. It shows a total lack of understanding of the demands on the mayor’s office and suggests the mayor should be just another civil servant with a set schedule,” added Bradley, who is well known for conducting civic business outside regular office hours.
Councillors say the decision to lock the doors was made during an Oct. 6 closed-door meeting. One day later council released a workplace investigation report that found Bradley had harassed and bullied four senior municipal managers.
“The mayor has been found in total breach of the workplace harassment policy of the City of Sarnia, and as a result of that council is obliged to provide a safe workplace for the workers,” said Coun. Anne Marie Gillis.
“Because he’s been found to have breached those, he cannot be there when they are there, certainly after hours.”
Gillis said Bradley is now only able to enter the building between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
A lawyer was instructed to inform Bradley his access card was restricted but failed to notify him of the change by Saturday.
“I couldn’t be at the meeting on Thursday, but common courtesy says you would’ve released a resolution after the meeting saying this is what we did,” Bradley said.
“It really disappointed me that they made that decision, and not inform me, and I found out in an embarrassing way.”
The workplace investigation report from lawyer Lauren Bernardi said Bradley breached the city’s own workplace harassment policy and the Occupational Health and Safety Act by repeatedly bullying four senior staff: current city manager Margaret Misek-Evans, former planning director Jane Cooper, former city clerk Nancy Wright-Laking and former parks and recreation director Beth Gignac.
Bernardi looked into more than 70 allegations and referred documents, emails and interviews with witnesses.
A report from the city’s integrity commissioner earlier this year came to a similar conclusion about the mayor’s treatment regarding two of the four complainants, prompting council to dock his pay for three months.
“People love Mayor Bradley for the things that he’s done well, and I do too,” said Coun. Matt Mitro.
“However, I know that that same person who’s done all of those good things has also done some serious, bad things. They have consequences.”
Mitro noted there has been a community backlash toward council about its handling of the affair.
“I am not happy to have to do this at all. I would much rather be engaged in the business of the city – which is very serious. And we are trying to stay focused on the things that matter.”
Council is expected to discuss additional penalties against the mayor at its Oct. 24 meeting.
