Town councillor Marni Fedeyko is disturbed by stories she has heard of how those confiding concerns have had them come back to haunt them.

At council tonight, she's bringing forward a notice of motion for the creation of a third-party Whistleblower Program and Policy by the town to prevent this from occurring.

She seeks a safe, confidential place for all town employees, service providers, and residents to report concerns of suspected waste, wrongdoings, and issues/allegations over which town council has authority.

"I've heard some stories or people have confided in me in their own experiences and just feeling that sometimes information that was stated to be confidential doesn't necessarily always end up remaining confidential, and it gets taken to either manager or other people in the organization," she says.

She says she's not accusing anyone of wrongdoing.

"I feel everybody should have the right and the ability to state their concerns, state their issues, and have a safe place to be able to do it. Even as councillors, there's not a lot of options for us when we have concerns."

She believes involving a third party would allow for the objective investigation and research of allegations without bias or undue influence to create a safe environment for all.

Should the motion pass, Fedeko wants a draft policy to be brought back to council for consideration by June 30, 2024.

"Honestly, I can't understand why anybody would not support a program. It's about being transparent and offering a safe place."

Tonight's extensive council agenda also includes amendments to the elected officials' remuneration and expense reimbursement policy. The amendments are largely focused on increasing transparency.

Final approval of the town's 2024-26 budget is also on the table.

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