Baie-d’Urfé and its director general have a parting of ways

Nathalie Hadida has left her post as Baie-d'Urfé's director general. The parting of ways became official at a special council meeting Nov. 23.

“She wasn't fired and she didn't resign,” Mayor Maria Tutino said. “It was an amicable parting of ways done with mutual respect. Because it is a human-resources issue, the details are confidential. Both myself and (Hadida) have agreed to keep the terms of her departure private.”

Tutino said the subject was discussed in caucus the second week of November and the majority of councillors in attendance were in agreement. A special meeting was called Friday, Nov. 20, but not all the councillors were present. A motion to “terminate the employment of Mrs. Nathalie Hadida as of Nov. 20, 2015,” was put to a vote. The motion was defeated. Tutino then exercised her right as mayor to invoke a veto within 24 hours of a vote.

“I invoked the mayor's right to veto because the Friday vote did not reflect the majority opinion voiced in the caucus meeting,” Tutino said.

Tutino called for another caucus meeting, Monday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m. followed by another special council meeting at 9 a.m. At the special council meeting, Tutino exercised her veto and the “approval of confidential agreement” having to do with Hadida's termination was approved.

Hadida joined the town administration in 2008. She was town clerk before being named director general in April 2013.

The town has had four director generals since Baie-d'Urfé was reconstituted in the official municipal demerger on Jan. 1, 2006. The town's director general before the forced merger with Montreal was Richard White whose connection with the town hall reached back to 1984. During the town's push to extricate itself from the forced merger, White moved on and took a job with Pointe-Claire, but he returned to his post as Baie-d'Urfé's DG at Tutino's request when Baied'Urfé successfully demerged, even though he was close to retirement age. He retired as DG in 2010, but returned as interim DG in 2011 between brief tenures of two other director generals. White is now a consultant for the town.

Tutino did not want to discuss the particulars of the departures of the two, short-lived DGs.

“We are talking about people's lives and futures,” she said. “It's important that careers are not damaged. The reasons for their departures are private. And there can be many reasons. Retirement, finding a better job. Or maybe the person didn't take to the job or wasn't a good fit for the town.”

Criticism about the way the special meetings were organized has been reported in the local press, but Tutino said both meetings were announced — as per usual — at least 24 hours in advance.

Both special meetings took place during regular working hours, which is not uncommon in the case of special meetings. Both meetings were announced with postings on the town hall door and the bulletin board as well as on the town's website. To ensure the councillors were well aware of the Monday morning caucus and special meeting, Tutino said emails were sent to both private and work addresses and phone messages were left on both work and private cellphones.

It was an amicable parting of ways done with mutual respect. BAIE-D’URFÉ MAYOR MARIA TUTINO