The District of Sechelt (DOS) has released an 80-page organizational and management review conducted earlier this year, which calls for some big changes at the District.
The review by Perivale & Taylor was commissioned by the current council to seek out organizational improvements that would help the DOS better serve the public and better manage public assets.
The review found an overall absence of strategic approaches at the District, with the executive summary pointing out that “many practices had become ad hoc and lacked consistency and rationale.”
Much blame was placed in the review on the previous council’s “private enterprise app-roach to conducting municipal business.”
“One consequence was the departure of over 60 per cent of staff over a three-year period; this high turnover impacted the operation, administration, and management in the District,” the review said.
The review suggested coordinated strategic approaches, communication and employee support would go a long way to fixing issues at the DOS, as would a new structure that eliminates one senior position and seeks to find permanent employees for the remaining senior slots.
The new proposed structure eliminates the superintendent of parks and public works position, which is currently held by John Mercer; the director of corporate services position, formally held by Margi Nicholas; and the human resources advisor position, held by Susan Sagman.
Nicholas was fired from the DOS on July 22, while Mercer has agreed to work with the DOS until mid-October, when his position will be phased out.
“I would like to acknowledge my appreciation of John’s personal response to a difficult situation and commitment to the work of the District at this time,” Sechelt Mayor Bruce Milne said.
Although Sagman’s position will be gone under the new structure, she will continue to work with the DOS in another capacity, Milne said.
The new structure will see four main departments being headed by a new chief administrative officer, new director of corporate and financial services, new director of planning and development and new director of engineering and operations.
Currently none of those positions is held by permanent staff, but the DOS has set up a personnel committee to seek out qualified people to hire.
Changes as a result of the review are expected to take place over the next 18 to 24 months, according to consultants, and the first step will be to hire a temporary strategic change management advisor to assist in the process.
Once that manager is found, senior staff will be hired to help implement the recommended changes.
Milne said that council hopes “that the most important changes made will be to the culture of the organization – how and why we do things and the attitude and character we bring to our work.
“Public governments have a unique role in our society, a role that ensures that Canada is among the most desirable places to live on the planet,” he added. “We can ensure through our work that Sechelt is among the best places to live in Canada.”
The entire organizational and management review is available on the DOS website at www.sechelt.ca.
