Figures released by the council showed business and life coach Sally Angus had been paid $60,469 since 2004 for a series of training, coaching and team-building exercises within the council's library services department.
That included a review of "team effectiveness" carried out within Dunedin City Library earlier this year, at a cost of $17,595.
The spending details were released to the Otago Daily Times this week by council human resources manager Bruce Miller, after a request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
The figures were requested after claims of bullying and other staff problems within Dunedin City Library emerged last month, with one staff member telling the ODT the library had become "a toxic place to work".
Similar claims came from the council's customer services agency soon after. A former employee said problems were rife and the department's manager resigned, while denying staff problems played any part.
Council library services manager Bernie Hawke declined to say how much was being spent on the consultant at the time, while Mr Miller refused to discuss steps taken to address staffing problems, saying it was "not tattle for the main street".
This week's release of spending details came from Mr Miller in a written response to the ODT's request for more information.
However, in his response, Mr Miller refused to provide a detailed breakdown of spending on other consultants to address workplace bullying.
He also refused to answer questions about how widespread complaints of bullying and other staff problems were, or whether disciplinary action had been taken, citing the need to ensure staff privacy and protect them from "pressure or harassment".
Instead, he offered the "general observation" that bullying "is not a common allegation at the council, but in any work group relationships can be strained from time to time".
"All complaints are taken seriously and there is no single solution."
The council had procedures to address problems and comply with legislative requirements, and resolution could involve council managers, support staff or "a variety of external facilitations methods", he said.
Contacted this week and pressed for more detail, Mr Miller eventually added he was "not aware of any consultants being employed to address staff bullying" within the council.
That included within the library services department, where the business and life coach had instead carried out "an independent appraisal of team effectiveness", coaching managers and team leaders, and working on "some interpersonal communication projects", he said.
"There can be difficulties in any work group between individuals, or staff and their managers, but that doesn't mean that they are bullying.
"The use of consultants is not common at all."
He declined comment further, describing other questions about the issues consultants were addressing as "splitting hairs".
"It's really not a significant issue and I've got real work to do."
