Less than a year in, planning and development director quits

Dionne added that Stuckenberg tendered his resignation before his first year was up, so the executive search – once again using a headhunter – will not cost the City anything.

The search isn’t limited to Stuckenberg’s former position – it’s also on to find a permanent replacement for Colin Innes. Innes left his job as the director of public works earlier this year to take a similar position in Nelson, B.C.

His position has been vacant since the beginning of July.

Dionne said it’s hard to find a certified engineer to replace Innes. They’ve recently found one to fill Scott Golding’s vacant role as manager of capital projects and planning. In the meantime, City officials will be rethinking the director job at the head of the public works department.

The mayor questions whether a certified engineer is really needed to head up the department, since the person in this job wouldn’t need to stamp plans. Dionne explained this is the reason why a certified engineer would be preferable.

“Our engineer doesn’t do that, because our big jobs are contracted out, because you want somebody else to supervise them, oversee them… And why you contract them out is we spread the risk. You know, as people know, we had risk at the water treatment plant. Who did we take action against? Our engineering firm that was to oversee it and design it. So, in some cases, it’s better to go outside and get that service that you need.”

The City filed a lawsuit in the Court of Queen’s Bench against Associated Engineering of Saskatchewan. It made the lawsuit public this past July.

With two senior-level positions open, there is a potential for the vacancies to have an effect on the budget. With planning for the 2015 general fund budget getting under way soon, the positions may not be filled in time for that part of the process.

Dionne said the thing to do is not change the budget for these positions. At the end of the year, if they are vacant for an extended period of time, there will be a positive variance – money budgeted that went unspent. That unused money would then go into the City’s fiscal stabilization fund, which the mayor acknowledged some call the “rainy day fund.” He said the vacancies really won’t affect the budget.

The City, however, is making a concerted effort to find Saskatchewan-based hires. Dionne said this is a part of what is slowing the City down when it comes to filling the two senior administration positions.

He said the City could soon announce the hiring of a new planning and development services director that is a local person.

“At the end of the day, I believe our province has the skills, I believe our community has the skills and we shouldn’t go to Ontario.”

A local hire would already know the community, Dionne said.

“I think the biggest thing that frustrates me is that when you hire somebody from outside the province, and you’re in a meeting and they say ‘well, when I was in Hamilton, Ont. we used to do it this way.’ Well, you have the population to do that. We don’t. So, sometimes it’s better off to hire local because you really want the person to know your community.”

The two director positions aren’t the only ones currently vacant within the City. As Coun. Charlene Miller noted during Monday evening’s council meeting, the public works department has been short-staffed in a number of areas.

Wes Hicks, the department’s acting director, said they are generally short in the roadways and collection and distribution.

“In both cases, we could use some more people when it comes to repairing asphalt and concrete. And we could use some more people when it comes to repairing water and sewer mains. So, we will be asking for a couple of additional bodies in both cases.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

Less than a year in, planning and development director quits

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