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TOPIC:
Municipal Complaint Handling Policy
POLICY NUMBER: 1
DATE APPROVED: April 21, 2015 (#2015-054)
DATE REVISED:
Title
1. This Policy may be cited as the "Municipal Complaint Handling Policy" of the Municipality of the
County of Antigonish.
Preamble
2. This policy is intended to enable the Municipality to promptly and effectively address program
and service delivery concerns raised by members of the public. The policy will assist the
Municipality in providing excellent service to the public, and contribute to continuous
improvement of operations. The Municipality strives to reduce customer dissatisfaction by:
Providing a timely and accurate response to complaints; and,
Using complaints as an opportunity to improve program and service delivery issues.
Interpretation
3. In this policy:
a. "Complainant" means the individual filing the complaint with the Municipality;
b. "Complaint" means an issue or concern raised with a municipal program, service, or
operation that is not resolved at the time of the incident and for which the complainant
submits their concerns to the Municipality in accordance with this policy;
c. "Council" means the Council of the Municipality of the County of Antigonish;
d. "Designated Officer" means the Municipal Clerk/Treasurer of the Municipality;
e. "Employee" means the employee of the Municipality;
f. "Municipality" means the Municipality of the County of Antigonish;
g. "Ombudsman" means the Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman;
h. "Warden" mans the Warden of the Municipality.
Scope
4. This policy is not meant to address:
a. Complaints about non-municipal services;
b. Issues already addressed by legislation, or an existing Municipal by-law, policy or
procedure;
c. A decision of Council or a decision of a committee of Council; or,
d. Internal employee complaints
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MUNICIPAL COMPLAINT HANDLING POLICY
Designated Officer
5. A Designated Officer may delegate the authority to investigate a complaint to another
employee, where s/he deems appropriate.
6. A Designated Officer may not delegate the authority to investigate a complaint to an employee
who is or may be named in the complaint.
7. If a complaint is made against the Designated Officer, the Warden shall consult with the
Municipal Solicitor and;
a. shall consult with Council; and,
b. may refer the matter to the Ombudsman.
Frontline Resolution
8. It is the responsibility of the complainant to attempt to resolve concerns by dealing with
employee(s) directly involved with the issue where appropriate.
9. It is the responsibility of all employees to attempt to resolve issues or concerns before they
become complaints, and identify opportunities to improve municipal services.
Filing a Complaint
10. Where frontline resolution cannot be achieved, complaints should be submitted to the
Designated Officer and include:
a. The name, phone number, e-mail address, and mailing address of the individual
submitting the complaint.
b. The nature of the complaint including the:
i. Background leading to the issue(s);
ii. Date(s), time(s), and location(s) of any incident(s); and,
iii. Name(s) of any employee(s) previously contacted regarding the issue(s); and,
c. Any action(s) being requested of the Municipality.
11. Complaints shall be submitted on the form provided in Schedule A.
Receipt and Acknowledgement
12. The Designated Officer shall acknowledge in writing that the complaint has been received
within five (5) business days of receipt of the complaint.
Investigation
13. The Designated Officer shall review the issues identified by the complainant and in doing so
may:
a. Review relevant municipal and provincial legislation;
b. Review the Municipality's relevant policies and procedures;
c. Review any existing file documents;
d. Interview employees or member of the public involved in the issue;
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MUNICIPAL COMPLAINT HANDLING POLICY
e. Identify actions that may be taken to address the complaint or improve municipal
operations; or,
f. Take other actions the Designated Officer deems expedient to resolving the matter.
14. The Designated Officer shall maintain a file of the complaint in compliance with the
Municipality's records management policy.
15. The Designated Officer may, at their discretion, notify Council of an open complaint
investigation for information purposes.
Decision
16. Within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of a complaint, the Designated Officer shall provide a
response in writing to the complainant. The response shall include:
a. Whether the complaint was substantiated,
b. If the complaint is not substantiated, the Designated Officer shall provide reason(s) for
their decision; and,
c. Any actions the Municipality has or will take as a result of the complaint.
17. If the Designated Officer is unable to provide a response within thirty (30) calendar days, they
shall notify the complainant of the delay and provide an estimate of when a response will be
provided.
18. Decisions made by the Designated Officer may not be appealed to Municipal Council.
Complaints Regarding Staff/Services Contracted by Municipality
19. Complaints regarding staff members that are employed by a service provider contracted by the
Municipality shall be subject to the policies of that service provider and not that of the
Municipality.
20. Complaints regarding services provided by a service provider contracted by the Municipality
shall be handled in accordance with this policy, and may also be subject to any complaints
policies and procedures employed by that service provider.
General
21. Forms of correspondence and notices here above may be amended and adapted as appropriate.
22. Copies of all correspondence and notices shall be retained in the complaint file.
23. Where appropriate, copies of correspondence shall be placed in the personnel file of the subject
of the complaint.
24. Communications with a complainant shall not provide details of disciplinary measures imposed
on any employee.
25. All notes and correspondence shall be dated and identified by author.
26. The Designated Officer or their delegate shall make dated records of any communications and
attempted contacts with complainants
Schedule A - Complaint Form
Thank-you for taking the time to explain your concern. We will provide a response to your concern
within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving your complaint. If you have any questions about the process,
please contact the Municipal Clerk/Treasurer at 902-863-1117
Your Name:
Phone Numbers
Home:
Work:
Cell:
E-mail
Address:
Mailing
Address:
What is your complaint? Please include relevant date(s), time(s), location, and background
information, including municipal employees you have contacted regarding this matter. Additional
space is available on the back of this form. Additional information, such as relevant photographs,
can be attached to this form.
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How could the situation be improved?
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Schedule A - Complaint Form
Thank-you for taking the time to explain your concern. We will provide a response to your concern
within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving your complaint. If you have any questions about the process,
please contact the Municipal Clerk/Treasurer at 902-863-1117
Additional information:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Office Use Only:
Received by:
Date:
Forwarded to:
Date:
Acknowledgement Letter
Sent Date: ____________________________
Staff Name: __________________________
Additional Correspondence
Sent Date: _____________________________
Staff Name: ____________________________
Reason: _______________________________
Action Taken:
Final Response Letter
Sent Date:
Staff Name: