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Recommended Method and Communication Channels for Addressing Concerns Raised by City <br />Employees <br />January 8, 1999 <br />Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________ <br />Department Head, the Department Head is required to advise the City <br />Administrator regarding the issue. If the employee is unsatisfied with the <br />response of the Department Head, the employee notifies the Department <br />Head that the employee wants to take the matter to the City Administrator. <br />The employee then brings the matter to the City Administrator. <br />B. On all issues where there is a prescribed policy to guide how the issue is to <br />be addressed, the City Administrator is responsible to ensure the issue is <br />properly and adequately addressed. The City Administrator is the last step <br />in the chain of command. <br />Where there is a lack of policy to guide how the concern is addressed, the <br />City Administrator brings the issue to the City Council for policy direction. <br />The Council determines the policy and directs the City Administrator to <br />address the issue in accordance with the policy. <br />"Whistle Blower" Issues <br />A method of bypassing or going beyond the chain of command is needed in the case of the following <br />types of situations involving a matter with potential significant legal, financial or other nggaUve <br />consequences for the Citv. <br />1. A situation in which an employee has taken a matter through the chain of command and <br />believes the matter has not been adequately addressed. <br />2. A situation in which the matter of concern relates specifically to a person in the chain of <br />command, and the employee believes that following the chain of command would make it <br />more difficult or impossible to properly and adequately address the concern. <br />Recommendation <br />The recommended method of either bypassing or going beyond the chain of command in relation <br />to "whistle blower" issues is that the employee take the issue to the Cit>- Attorney. The City <br />Attorney is unbiased and non-political, and will have an understanding of the potential consequences <br />related to the employee ’s concern. The City Attorney also has a direct line of communication to the <br />City Council if the issue involves the City Administrator. <br />If the matter is such that it can be properly and adequately addressed by the City Administrator, the <br />City Attorney will forward the matter to ie City Administrator for action. If the matter is such that <br />the City Administrator cannot or will not address the matter properly and adequately, the matter will <br />be forwarded directly to the City Council.