By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Greater Dandenong councillor has challenged being unilaterally stood down from attending Dandenong Market board meetings.
Cr Maria Sampey has flagged a notice of motion at a 24 August council meeting for her to be reinstated as a non-voting councillor representative at market board meetings.
She had been stood down from the July meeting over “a page and three quarters” of “vexatious, unfounded” complaints by employees from the council-owned market dating back to 2014, she said.
The issue was debated ‘in camera’ at the 10 August City of Greater Dandenong meeting. However, in an apparent oversight, the discussions were publicly livestreamed on the council’s website.
Cr Sampey said the “vague” complaints included addressing a market employee as “she”, and asking another “who are you?”
In the first case, she had a “mental blank” and forgot the employee’s name.
In the second, she had asked the complainant’s name because she hadn’t been introduced.
“I was just taken off the board for no reason,“ Cr Sampey said.
“They’re all vexatious allegations and it just needs to stop. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
“I think (a market employee) needs to apologise to me … she should have introduced me.”
On 27 July, Cr Sampey’s fate was sealed in a letter signed by immediate-past mayor Youhorn Chea, in place of mayor Jim Memeti who has a conflict of interest due to owning a stall at the market.
She says her removal should have instead been decided by a resolution of all 11 councillors.
In the letter, Cr Chea stated he’d been briefed by Mr Bennie on two market employees’ complaints about Cr Sampey’s alleged “disrespectful behaviour”.
“I believe it is inappropriate for you to attend (the 28 July Dandenong Market board meeting) in the capacity of Councillor Representative,” the letter stated.
“I stress that this will be only whilst the matters remain unresolved and is not intended to be ongoing or for an unlimited period of time.
“I would strongly encourage you to rethink your position of not providing a response to the complainants and that all parties work to resolve any outstanding matters quickly and amicably.”
The alternative councillor representative Cr Tim Dark attended the 28 July board meeting instead.
In her 24 August motion, Cr Sampey said that despite writing an apology and agreeing to “enter into mediation in good faith”, she is still being prevented from attending the market meetings.
Under the market’s articles of association, “the Board, in my opinion, does not have the right to stop me from attending,” she stated.
Cr Matthew Kirwan said a message should be sent to the market’s board that “it’s our market and it’s answerable to us”.
“I have seen no valid reason why Cr Sampey should not be able to attend board meetings.
“Cr Sampey has apologised, she’s agreed to enter into mediation – she’s behaving in a reasonable manner to the complaints raised to her.
“There’s no reason for not to fulfill the role she’s elected to do.”
Ms Sampey had long attended board meetings as a non-voting councillor representative since 2013. The role is as an observer, not as a director.
Greater Dandenong Council and Dandenong Market declined to comment.
