Administration at the District of Sicamous is undergoing significant change, starting with the termination of Chief Administrative Officer Alan Harris and the retirement of deputy manager Mary Geall.
A news release Monday from the district states that after careful consideration, council decided to terminate the district’s contract with Harris, and wishes him “every success in future endeavours.”
Harris has served as district CAO since July 2008.
The release also announces Geall’s decision to retire.
“Mary has been a dedicated employee of the Sicamous Water Board and, subsequently, the District of Sicamous for over 26 years,” says the release. “Mary’s knowledge and administrative skills will be missed and council wishes her a very happy retirement.”
Harris was unavailable for comment. Geall said she didn’t wish to provide comment, but confirmed she has opted to retire.
Financial services director Ruth Walper is currently serving as interim administrator.
Asked about the precarious position the new council now finds itself in without Harris and Geall, Mayor Darrell Trouton says there will be challenges ahead, but assures he is up to the task.
“I’ve dealt with large projects, this is kind of what I do for a living,” said Trouton. “Not at the municipal level, but in the public sector. This is not unusual for me to take on something like this. You challenge and you test yourself, that’s part of growing and so, for me, personally, it’s not as challenging.”
Trouton couldn’t comment on council’s reasons for terminating the district’s contract with Harris, but said he is not concerned about legal repercussions, noting there are clauses in the contract that allow the action.
Trouton says the district is already advertising the position of an interim administrator, and that council has agreed to undertake an assessment of district operations.
“What we want to do is have an outside assessment/evaluation done, and there are professionals within the industry that do that,” said Trouton. “They come in and they assess what we need, how much personnel we need? And then, at that point in time, what type of person do we need? What should the salary be based on? Can we afford it? Do we need it? All of those questions. It gives the council and the community an understanding that everybody should be held accountable.”
The district underwent a corporate review in 2008, after which former administrator Karen Williams retired.
Asked if Harris’ termination might be perceived as a response to the stalling of his own affordable housing development at the district level, Trouton said no, explaining he had no intention during his recent mayoral campaign to have the administrator removed.
“I was hoping that I’d come in and people would like to move forward in different ways and in a positive manner, but that’s part of the assessment process,” says Trouton.
Former mayor and mayoral candidate Malcolm MacLeod says he was upset when he heard the news about Harris and Geall, and expects the district will pay for council’s actions.
“The financial implications of it I would imagine will be a minimum of $300,000,” says MacLeod, stating Harris was let go without just cause. “There is going to be a cost and it will be very substantial.”
MacLeod argues Harris was an asset to the community, noting it was Harris and Geall who were responsible for the district recently receiving one of the largest infrastructure grants in the province.
“He had a responsibility to protect the community and do his job, and that’s what he did,” said MacLeod. “He was very lenient in other ways, letting the community do events and that sort of thing that possibly could have jeopardized the community. Personally, I found Alan to be very helpful to the community of Sicamous. And before that, he had worked for the District of Sicamous several years ago, and at that point he did a great job.”
Coun. Fred Busch, who has served with administrator Harris longer than anyone else on the current council, is also not happy with the termination.
“It was not my choice to do it and I found that Alan was a very bright person who had a lot of new ideas and I think would certainly have served this council well if he had remained as the CAO,” says Busch, noting the current interim administrator will already be stretched with having to complete the district budget.
“So yeah, I think council is certainly going to have to make some decisions on what direction they’re going to take,” said Busch.
Trouton says the hiring process for an interim administrator has already begun and that applications have been received.
“We’ve got resumes coming in, flooding in and people are available as of next week, beginning of February, so we’ll assess all of that,” said Trouton.
