Sudbury councillors ask for recommendations for social media policy

Sudbury city council will be looking into the possibility of creating a social media policy for city councillors.

During a meeting Tuesday night, councillors voted in favour of a motion asking staff to bring a report back to council, outlining recommendations for a social media policy.

"I think social media is a wonderful tool, it's absolutely great to contact, connect, share, all kinds of stuff. I just think we need guidelines to be able to help us make sure that it's positive, that it's good, you know. And that we're all playing in the same sandbox with the same rules," said Coun. René Lapierre, who brought forward the motion along with Coun. Mark Signoretti.

While comments made on social media are covered under the general code of conduct, there isn't a specific social media policy, like there is for city staff. 

Social media activity became a topic at city council earlier this fall, when Coun. Robert Kirwan was reprimanded by his colleagues following a report from the city's integrity commissioner related to social media complaints. 

The issue had to do with posts Kirwan's wife made using a fake name, in a Facebook group managed by the couple. Their Valley East group has more than 18,000 members, and was also the subject of a 2019 integrity commissioner investigation.

Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze was at Tuesday night's meeting, and said he doesn't see a particular need for a social media policy for councillors. 

"My approach is that social media is just another means of communicating," Swayze said.

"And in my opinion the code of conduct deals with communications, and I don't think a lot more is needed." 

Swayze said, however, that he would be happy to work with city staff as they prepare their report.

Kirwan himself voted in favour of the motion. Only Coun. Al Sizer voted against it.

Lapierre said his intention is for a social media policy to apply only to :what we do when we are representatives of the city," and not councillors' outside business or personal activity. Some councillors noted, however, that making that distinction isn't so simple. 

"There is never a time of the day that we're not an elected official. Whether that's engaging in our other occupation, whether that's at the grocery store to buy a quart of milk, or at the corner store to buy the newspaper for those that still do that. We don't get to flick that switch," said Coun. Fern Cormier.