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Allegations of inappropriate process over a delayed Dunedin City Council investigation into a unitary council have been rejected by Mayor Dave Cull.
At the heart of this week's incident following a blocked debate at Tuesday's council meeting was rising frustration by Cr Lee Vandervis at the stalled investigation.
Councillors voted in 2017 to support an investigation by DCC staff, but it emerged last month the project had not progressed after being given a "low priority" by council chief executive Dr Sue Bidrose.
Cr Vandervis had been expected to raise the issue at Tuesday's meeting, when Cr David Benson-Pope moved to rescind council support for the investigation, but Cr Kate Wilson used a procedural motion to force an immediate vote.
Emails made public since then have shed more light on the issue, showing Cr Vandervis repeatedly demanding to know why the investigation had been deprioritised without councillor approval.
Dr Bidrose replied, explaining the decision reflected staff workloads and the need to preserve the improving relationship with the ORC while collaborating on public transport, waterfront development and other issues.
Her decision had been presented to councillors, including Cr Vandervis, at a non-public executive leadership team/councillor meeting "to seek councillor comfort" with her decision, she wrote.
The council has previously given assurances decisions were not made at such non-public council meetings and workshops.
Cr Vandervis rejected that explanation as "not convincing to me", and later complained to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta about being "sidelined, having information denied, and generally being prevented from carrying out my representative function by senior DCC staff and by Mayor Cull".
He forwarded the email to Dr Bidrose and complained again about using such meetings to "gain approval/a decision ... or whatever weasel words are used".
That prompted Mr Cull to warn Cr Vandervis his repeated allegations were "plainly wrong" and "harassment tantamount to abuse and bullying".
Cr Vandervis has not responded to Otago Daily Times questions since then, but Mr Cull said in an interview Dr Bidrose had acted "completely" properly.
Similar accusations by Cr Vandervis had followed the signing of a deal with Lime, but those, too, had been dismissed after a legal opinion was sought, Mr Cull said.
Mr Cull also defended the process at non-public ELT/councillor meetings, insisting they were not decision-making gatherings, but to inform councillors and provide a forum for questions.
"All she was doing was letting councillors know what she was doing, and checking - as any responsive CEO would - that there was comfort."
Asked how the public could know if a publicly approved investigation was later shelved in private, Mr Cull said that was partly why Cr Benson-Pope brought his resolution to Tuesday's meeting.
"He recognised the gap - the loop wasn't closed."