A security officer at city hall will now patrol council meetings following a brief disturbance at city council’s meeting on Sept. 26.
A commissionaire popped in and out of Tuesday’s council meeting and also stayed for a portion of meeting.
Security was reviewed after a man who was angry about his taxes disrupted council’s meeting before leaving an envelope near one of the councillors and walking out of the chamber followed by city manager Craig Curtis and Coun. Buck Buchanan.
Curtis said there has been no increase in security staff.
“We asked the security from downstairs to patrol here from time to time,” Curtis said on Tuesday.
He said every year security adjustments are made and a security plan that looks at city facilities will be part of capital budget discussions.
Mayor Tara Veer said corporate security measures were in place before Sept. 26 and were put to use at that meeting.
“Of course there are some areas where we can further enhance (security) and having the commissionaires present in council chambers was one of them,” Veer said.
Buchanan said the incident on Sept. 26 made some folks a little bit uncomfortable.
He said he was surprised by the man’s outburst that occurred behind councillors and near the door, but he’s heard grumblings from people on their way out of council chambers in the past.
“In public hearings there are people who are happy and people who are not happy,” Buchanan said.
“For me personally, the configuration of the room is wrong and has been. I don’t like people coming in behind me, but that’s an old habit,” said the retired RCMP officer.
He said the city does have a security department to address safety issues for all city staff.
“It isn’t just this facility. There are other city facilities. People that are accepting money and dealing with the public are putting up with all kinds of stuff all over the place. People are yelling at them, screaming at them. We’ve had snowplow drivers that have been punched.”
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