Calgary city councillor Dan McLean has issued an apology to Calgarians, roughly a day after that reprimand was approved by his fellow city councillors.
McLean received the sanctions Tuesday after a behind-closed-doors session with councillors during Tuesday’s Regular Meeting of Council. That was to review Integrity Commissioner Ellen-Ann O’Donnell’s findings after a complaint was filed against the Ward 13 councillor.
The complaint involved McLean’s attendance at a golf tournament during a public hearing meeting just before Calgary city council’s summer break in July. It cited improper procedure for councillors who are attending meetings remotely.
Calgary city councillors approved sanctions against Coun. McLean, which included an apology to Calgarians within 30 days, and accepting responsibility for his actions.
On Wednesday evening, McLean posted his apology to X (formerly Twitter).
“I am writing to express my sincere apologies for my remote attendance during the July 25th, 2023 Public Hearing Meeting of Council,” McLean wrote.
“It was unfortunate that I found myself committed to an industry golf tournament that overlapped with this Council Meeting.”
McLean reiterated in the posted letter that he decided to attend the city council meeting remotely, along with other councillors. According to the minutes (and video recording) of that meeting, only Couns. McLean and Sonya Sharp were marked absent for roll call for the start of the July 26 continuation of the July 25, 2023 public hearing meeting in question.
It should be noted that Couns. Richard Pootmans, Evan Spencer, Jasmine Mian, Terry Wong, Courtney Walcott, Kourtney Penner and Peter Demong attended that meeting in person. The others recorded as present during roll call were participating remotely.
Roll call for the continuation began at 18:57:22 of the video, and by 19:48, Coun. Sharp was attending in person.
In the video of the meeting, starting at 20:38:28, a vote on the first item after the continuation called for McLean’s vote, twice, before Mayor Gondek said to mark him absent.
‘Unacceptable’: McLean
McLean said in the letter that he very rarely participates in council meetings remotely, believing they should be in-person at city hall for the meetings.
He said he would make every effort possible to be in council chambers for council and committee meeting and “I would respectfully ask that the rest of council make this same commitment.”
After Tuesday’s meeting, Coun. McLean said he felt targeted and that the reprimand was political in nature.
“I think this was kind of personal, and I think it was political – and I think it’s a double standard,” he said after his sanctions were approved by council 14-1.
While McLean has stated that others were at the same golf tournament, tuned into the public hearing meeting, he said he won’t name anyone.
“I’m not here again to throw anybody under the bus but it seems like they don’t mind throwing me under the bus whenever possible,” he said.
The apology, and the mention of other councillors, didn’t sit well with some councillors. Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian reposted McLean’s apology with a response of her own.
Mian and McLean have battled before, as she chastised him at last year’s budget deliberations for posting misinformation to social media.
Still, McLean wrote that he accepted responsibility for his actions.
“I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I sincerely apologize for any offence, inconvenience, or disruptions that my actions have caused.”
