HOLYOKE — The Ordinance Committee amended Ethics Ordinance 2-69 to make amendments to the Ethics and Compliance hotline that the City Council approved during its meeting on Nov. 19.
In September, Holyoke’s Personnel Director Kelly Curran, asked the Finance Committee for $5,069.13 to contract with Navex, a Charlotte, NC-private company that provides businesses with hotline services centered on whistleblowers, complaints from employees for personnel or human services departments to investigate.
Curran said, “It was recommended during one of our meetings that there be a confidential complaint line. There was a feeling that some staff may not feel comfortable saying who they are while making a claim, whether sexual harassment or other such cases.”
The money to pay for the service by Navex comes from an unused account that the city Auditor Tanya Wdowiak said could be used for contract services.
At-Large City Councilor Kevin Jourdain said he has been advocating for a long time for a way for municipal workers to submit complaints on wrong-doing for everything from stealing money to sexual harassment.
“I am thrilled that we’re doing this,” he said, “an organization of our size needs to have the ability to have, third-party reporting of compliance issues.”
The proposal to fund the contract was approved unanimously by committee members.
The hotline will be overseen by a professional, reliable and independent hotline services provider for the purpose of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in our city government.
The goal of the program is to foster a strong “see something, say something” culture in Holyoke government.
Jourdain said Holyoke shall take extensive efforts to spread the awareness of the hotline for use by everyone including but not limited to employees, managers, vendors, elected officials, regulators and the public.
He said, “We’re going to take really kind of an affirmative role to kind of get the word out about the new compliance hotline. The council with the mayor’s support recently adopted the ethics and compliance hotline so that it’s creating a culture or see something, say something.”
Jourdain said the hotline with be advertised on Holyoke’s website, make it known in the different departments and potentially put up flyers.
Amendments included that the hotline would provide various options for communicating information and ensure confidentiality, anonymity and protection from retaliation.
Jourdain discussed the hotline and amendments further and said, “Just for emphasis, putting on how we’re going to do our reasonable best to protect the confidentiality of reporters and protect people who do make reports from retaliation. If you have concerned citizens, concerned other employees, they can report their concerns and that this is basically the enabling ordinance that says we’re going to do what we’re already doing just a couple months ago.”
It is recommended that the Personnel Director and City Auditor are in charge of working with the hotline vendor to manage the hotline for all messages, incidents or complaints related to all city operations and departments except the school department.
School Department messages, incidents or complaints shall be managed by superintendent of schools or their designee.
The hotline vendor will produce an annual report every January of the messages, incidents or complaints of the prior calendar year to provide a statistical analysis by department in a way that reasonably balances confidentiality and the public’s right to know.
This annual report will be published and provided to the City Council, mayor and published on the city website for public review.
The City Council may from time to time conduct meetings with the hotline vendor and/or key city officials to review data and overall improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the program.
