Editors note – This story has been updated to reflect City Council’s statement that Neustaeter will be granted indemnity. Those details can be found here.
Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and Councillor Katie Neustaeter have recused themselves from a special closed meeting of council that is taking place Tuesday, June 20.
While its not clear what the meeting is about, it was called to discuss “litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality” and “the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
“How did we get here on this special council meeting? What was the procedure to get here?” Hamer-Jackson asked ahead of the closed meeting.
“Mr. Mayor, Through the Community Charter, the deputy mayor, myself, is the one that called and requested a special closed meeting,” Councillor Mike O’Reilly, the Deputy Mayor for June, responded.
“Who gave you the deputy mayor duties?” the mayor asked.
“It’s already been scheduled that I’m the deputy mayor,” O’Reilly said, to which Hamer-Jackson asked whether staff or legal counsel advised that O’Reilly chair the special meeting as he’s “always been available.”
“Mr. Mayor it was advised and I believe you were advised twice in writing and once verbally that you would be in conflict of interest on the matter that has been called for,” O’Reilly said. “And under the Community Charter, the deputy mayor has the opportunity to call a special closed meeting without a seconder if the mayor is not able to participate in the meeting.”
Tuesday’s meeting was called after Hamer-Jackson sued Neustaeter for defamation and libel. Neustaeter told RadioNL last week that she “looks forward to defending herself” and that her lawyer will be filing a response.
None of the allegations contained in the libel and defamation suit have been proven in court.
Hamer-Jackson has said he will be paying his own legal bills, with City Council also announcing Tuesday that Neustaeter will be indemnified, i.e. taxpayers will pick up her legal bills unless she wins, in which the the Mayor could be on the hook and not the taxpayer.
The special council meeting also comes after Radio NL reported that Hamer-Jackson has been the subject of a months-long investigation into alleged workplace bullying and harassment brought forward by city staff.
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) has also opened a file looking into whether the mayor breached privacy regulations when he took personnel documents home.
O’Reilly told RadioNL yesterday that both the workplace investigation and the alleged privacy breaches were unrelated to the lawsuit filed by the mayor.
“So this meeting is about personal agendas?” Hamer-Jackson added Tuesday.
“Mr. Mayor I’m not going to speak about what the matters of the meeting are as that is in closed and we’re not allowed to speak about that but I have been advised that you’ve been told,” O’Reilly said.
“Well I’ve been told a lot of things,” the mayor interjected.
“Mr. Mayor I’m speaking. You’ve been advised twice via email as to what the matters of the closed meeting are and once verbally so you are more than well aware. But we are not able to speak about it at this time around this table,” O’Reilly concluded.