Bruce Walkinshaw - Penticton Western NewsP Published: March 04, 2010 6:00 PM
Close to 17 months after taking office and just days before the release of a private-consultant’s report reviewing all city operations, Penticton council has terminated the employment of three of the city’s top managers. Gone are director of corporate services Jack Kler, director of human resources Dwayne Burdeniuk and general manager of electric utility Terry Andreychuk. None were available for comment.
“The changes,” said city CAO Dennis Back in a brief press release, “are a direct result of the core services review” conducted by Helios Group Inc., a consulting firm hired by the city. Back said that council received the review before Monday’s public council meeting at an in-camera meeting. The review recommended letting go of Kler, Burdeniuk and Andreychuk, and council voted to do just that. The review will be released today at 10 a.m. at City Hall with both Back and Mayor Dan Ashton there to answer the press’s questions, said Back. A long-standing city worker, Jack Kler was considered one of the four highest ranking managers at the city. Overseeing several key departments including finance, the SOEC and the city’s contract with Global Spectrum and the Penticton Vees Hockey Team, Kler was a fixture at city council meetings, answering council and public questions from his seat at the far right side of council’s desk.
As of Thursday neither Back nor Ashton, representing all council members, said they would discuss the individual circumstances that led to the dismissals until today’s release of the review. However, Ashton did say that the moves were part of a larger corporate and cultural change taking place at the city. “This council was elected to initiate changes that will affect the efficiency, productivity and general culture at the City of Penticton,” said Ashton. “And that is what this council has done.” Ashton said that he met with each of the three men Tuesday and that each would be compensated for the terminations of their employment as required for any long-term employee at the city. He would not discuss how much severance he expected each would receive.
Former city CAO Leo den Boer said that he was startled and shocked to hear of the firings. “Especially Jack Kler and Terry (Andreychuk),” said den Boer, who retired last year. “They are long-time employees of the city and when I worked there, I found both of them to be extremely dedicated and hard-working individuals, looking after the best interests of the taxpayers of Penticton.” He described Kler as an individual that always stated his opinions to city council, regardless of personal implications. “They were not always popular opinions but council always knew where he stood, as well as where the finances of the municipality stood,” said den Boer of the man he believed intended to retire in two years. “This sounds to me like a very shortsighted action by council.”
Former Mayor David Perry had a different reaction to that of den Boer. A current school trustee who served as mayor from 2002-05, Perry said he would not comment on the specific dismissals but rather on the general direction the city seems to be heading in. “As a citizen of Penticton, well aware that staffing increases were well beyond the norm under the past administration during (Mayor Jake) Kimberley’s period (2005-08) ... I certainly support what this council is trying to do to get the budget back in line,” said Perry. Perry said that under the previous administration the debt load at the city far exceeded what it should have been. “I certainly feel that management staff had become top-heavy and I see that this council is taking steps to try and address that,” Perry concluded. “I’m sure the core services review will point to that as well.”
Since last year, Helios has been conducting a $70,000 review studying the manner in which the city as a corporation provides services to its customers: the citizenry. In his New Year’s speech to council, Ashton called the review “one of the more important undertakings” his council has initiated. Ashton said that the review would not only identify those services that are mandated versus discretionary, but also look at the staffing resources and structure that supports the services. “When you get comfortable with the way you have done things all the way along, sometimes it is better if an outsider can come in, take a look at it and point out the other ways things can be done,” Ashton told the Penticton Western News in December. “It will give us an idea of how we can become more efficient. And it will ask: How do we become more proactive than reactive to the demands of not only the citizens of Penticton but to those who are coming here to do business? What have we got to do to be ready for the next turn in the economic cycle? “Helios’ report will look at everything we do, challenging staff and challenging (council) on how we can do things better.” Check out PentictonWesternNews.com Friday for a full report on the core services review.
No comments:
Post a Comment