Councillors considered two code of conduct complaints against Cr Vandervis in the non-public part of yesterday's full council meeting, in which they agreed there was a case to answer for each.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, in a statement afterwards, said councillors had approved the membership of a conduct committee that would assess the complaints and report back to the council.
The committee would include one independent member - Prof Stuart Anderson, of the University of Otago's faculty of law, who would act as chairman - and Crs David Benson-Pope and John Bezett.
Cr Vandervis was accused of swearing during an outburst aimed at council chief executive Dr Sue Bidrose in a Municipal Chambers hallway earlier this month.
The incident prompted a complaint from Cr Kate Wilson, who objected to the ''tone and the manner'' of Cr Vandervis' behaviour.
Mr Cull had said a second complaint relating to Cr Vandervis' behaviour was received days later.
The Otago Daily Times understands that related to an earlier incident in a council committee meeting.
Mr Cull would not comment on the details when contacted yesterday, but emphasised he had only been ''administering the process'' to date.
Cr Vandervis, in an email, claimed the committee was being stacked against him and slammed the process as ''a farce''.
Complaints against him were being accepted ''without reasons given by Mayor Cull'', but an earlier complaint by Cr Vandervis against Mr Cull had been rejected, Cr Vandervis said.
''The mayor may want to try and justify his actions to you, but has refused to give the required reasons to me.''
Cr Vandervis initially downplayed his alleged outburst at Dr Bidrose. He later apologised ''unreservedly'' to those who thought his actions were ''too loud or inappropriate''.
The council's code of conduct requires councillors to treat council staff with ''courtesy and respect'', including avoiding ''aggressive, offensive or abusive conduct towards employees''.
Cr Vandervis tried unsuccessfully to have the matters moved from the non-public to the public part of yesterday's council meeting.
Cr Vandervis' attempt to justify the change was quickly stymied by Mr Cull, who interjected to say it was not appropriate to discuss the reasons behind the request in public.
Cr Vandervis pressed on, saying those reasons ''should be discussed in public'', but Mr Cull disagreed.
''You're wrong,'' he told Cr Vandervis, saying councillors would have to consider the change in non-public and vote whether to move it into public.
Other councillors voted with Mr Cull to leave the item in non-public and only Cr Vandervis was opposed.
