Glenn Koester had his day in Court, but it appears there may be more.
The Mail reported in its March 14 edition that Wheatland Councillor Koester has successfully appealed sanctions put upon him by Wheatland County.
The Mail reported he was first accused of Code of Conduct Violations in March of 2022. An independent investigation was completed. He was sanctioned and asked to provide a written apology to the Wheatland County Council; he was also removed from all previously appointed boards and committees.
He launched a Judicial Review Application, and it ruled in his favour.
“The Court ruled that no reasonable body would have found that Councillor Koester had breached the Code of Conduct, and the process used by Council in passing the sanctions was not transparent, intelligible, or justified. The Court also found breaches of procedural fairness, including reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of Council,” states a post on the Getz Collins and Associates social media, which represented Koester. On Friday, March 15, Wheatland County issued a press release indicating it would be appealing the decision.
“With great respect to the Court, Wheatland County and its legal counsel have concerns with this decision after careful review of the findings,” states the release. “It is the responsibility of Council to protect the integrity of county governance in order to best serve our community and the public interest. We do so through a commitment to transparency and by upholding the principles of fairness and accountability.”
“Therefore, on March 15, 2024, council approved a motion to appeal the court’s decision in the matter of Koester v Wheatland County, 2024 by a vote of 4-2. We believe an appeal is the most appropriate step to bring this matter to a fair conclusion for all parties, including the residents of Wheatland County whom we serve.”
