Wheatland County Councillor Glenn Koester is under investigation and he has been removed from county committees he was appointed to.

This morning Wheatland County council met and discussed a notice of motion related to the investigation.

Koester outlined how the investigation being held in camera(private), as well as information related to his accuser and being removed from appointed positions effected his reputation and wellbeing.

Koester thanked everyone who showed up at the meeting. He thanked the residents of the county for their trust and for their phone calls of encouragement, letters and visits.

“I have no way to tell the ratepayers what the investigation accuses me of,” said Koester, “My name is publicly being defamed and slandered."

He choked up at one point saying, “Lois and myself have never been so emotionally drained and discouraged in our lives as on April 5.” The April 5 meeting of the county council was when it was decided Koester would be investigated and censured.

He said he was humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement.

There were a number of letters of support for Koester read into the record at the meeting, including ones from Wheatland Housing Management Board, the Village of Rockyford, and the Village of Standard.

In addition, a group of ratepayers attended the meeting in-person. One ratepayer said “Shame on you!” She called the actions of the council similar to the behaviour of teenagers.

Sharon Skibsted said the county was acting like bullies. “What if it was your name that was raised to the public?”

“How would you feel, your division asking you and you being handcuffed. What if it was your name, your family, your children coming home to you and saying why is my dad, my mom being removed from this council,” she said.

“You are acting like entitled teenagers and I am embarrassed by your actions today. Who do you think you are?” said Skibsted.

It was noted by Deputy Reeve Scott Klassen, who chaired the meeting, that the county is bound by its Code of Conduct Bylaw. He himself faced a similar process when he was investigated.

Reeve Amber Link also spoke of other times when Code of Conduct investigations took place at Wheatland County council, for example in 2015 the investigation and censure of former councillor Brenda Knight.

“The ability for councillor Koester to represent Division 6 is actually protected under the MGA (Municipal Government Act),” said Link. She said the sanction imposed by the council on Koester regarding boards in no way impacts that ability. Division 6 will still be represented," she said.

She noted that Koester originally voted for the bylaw.

“None of us can speak freely at all times, we have some matters that have to hold in confidence,” she said this is something council agrees to under the Code of Conduct and the MGA.

The motion to have the information from the in-camera investigation of the official complaint against Councillor Glenn Koester be made public, and fulfilling the council’s pledge to become more transparent and divulge the full details of the complaint and all relevant allegations was defeated.