It now appears the mayor's office in Sarnia City Hall will likely stay where it is.
City council is being asked Monday to designate political, public and staff-only areas after previous plans were determined to be unworkable.
Council had decided at its October 24 meeting to temporarily move the mayor's office to the transit building while a more appropriate location was prepared at city hall.
Senior management is now recommending establishment of a political wing that would include the mayor's office and councillor meeting room in their current locations.
The public, including all council members, would be restricted to lobby areas on the first, second and third floors and in the basement, and to washrooms, meeting rooms, the council chambers and the political wing. The remaining areas would be deemed staff work space, accessible only with a key card.
Mayor Mike Bradley says he has yet to leave city hall and is still working from the mayor's office on the days he's allowed.
"We've had legal advice that said that the resolutions passed would not stand up, if it ended up in court," says Bradley. "I think what has occurred is that city council, city staff have been informed that legally they have no way under the municipal act to ask me not to be in the building."
Implementing the measures is estimated to cost $74,000 plus HST, with $60,000 of it being spent on card access and door upgrades.
Installation of doors with a card access reader at all entrances and exits to staff work areas was first recommended by the city's joint health and safety committee following an incident in September 2012.
An individual wandered into a staff area, sat down at a desk and proceeded to make troubling and inappropriate comments. The person then left city hall but was later collected by Sarnia police at another business on Christina St.
According to staff, no action was taken at the time because the former city manager was concerned the recommendations appeared to portray a "fortress mentality" and determined additional precautions and changes to city hall should be done on a non-invasive incremental approach.
Monday's report also includes information on two recent incidents of unrestricted public access, causing an unsafe workplace. One this past summer prompted staff's decision to secure the building outside normal working hours and the other occurred October 28 during a rally in support of Bradley.
Council has imposed various sanctions against the mayor after a third-party workplace investigation report, released October 7, found he bullied and harassed four senior staff members, including city manager Margaret Misek-Evans.
Bradley was also docked three months pay over the summer after the integrity commissioner found he had breached council's code of conduct.
