Clancy as city CAO ‘brilliant,’ says McWilliams
City council approves restructuring of City Hall bureaucrats
City councillors approved a plan Monday to promote city treasurer Sandra Clancy to CAO on May 1, part of a larger restructuring plan for Peterborough’s top bureaucrats.
Clancy is expected to take the job over from Allan Seabrooke, who will be appointed to one of three newly created commissioner jobs at City Hall.
The idea is to merge the five city departments that report to the city CAO into three, and put a commissioner in charge of each of those three departments (instead of a director).
“I think this move is a brilliant move,” said Coun. Dan McWilliams.
The idea of allowing city staff to be promoted at City Hall is going to boost morale without costing the city much money, he said.
He also said he thinks Clancy will do a good job.
“You’re going to see some great things happen under the leadership of Ms. Clancy,” McWilliams said.
Seabrooke is expected to take the new job of commissioner of community services. The current director of community services, Ken Doherty, is retiring in June.
The restructuring is timed to deal with a wave of senior staff retirements, the report states, and also with city growth.
The commissioners would earn more money than directors currently make, states a new staff report, as would the CAO.
Top salary for a director at the moment is $154,652.
Seabrooke was on the Sunshine List for 2017; he earned a salary of $178,436.58 salary, plus $15,335.04 in taxable benefits.
Although the report doesn’t say exactly how much of a raise is proposed for each job, it says the elimination of two directors is expected to generate enough money to cover those increases.
Coun. Keith Riel said it didn’t sit well with him that the report didn’t outline the salaries of those who will get a raise.
“I don’t see any costs here,” he said.
Seabrooke wasn’t at the meeting Monday, so public works director Wayne Jackson responded to councillors’
questions.
Jackson reiterated any cost associated with the restructuring would be covered by the removal of two director jobs.
“You can rest assured the 2018 budget won’t be impacted by this,” he said.
Coun. Diane Therrien – who did not vote in favour of the restructuring — had concerns.
“To me, there’s nothing here on mentorship or succession planning – it looks like a band-aid solution…. How will this structure address any of that?” she asked.
Jackson said it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision; directors have been talking about this for several months.
He said the city has trouble
‘‘ With this new structure, and the suggested increase in compensation, we think it will go a ways to help us recruit’ WAYNE JACKSON deputy city CAO
hiring qualified managers because the city doesn’t pay enough – meaning directors are having to take on extra work that would otherwise be done by managers.
“With this new structure, and the suggested increase in compensation, we think it will go a ways to help us recruit,” Jackson said.
Coun. Henry Clarke said he thinks it’s about time the city update its staff structure.
“Peterborough today isn’t the Peterborough of my parents,” he said.
Coun. Dave Haacke also liked the idea, saying that developers get frustrated when they are shunted back and forth between various departments at City Hall.
Merged departments will help that, Haacke said. “This truly is the future for us.”
Here are some of the other staff changes, in accordance with the restructuring:
Wayne Jackson, the city’s director of public works, will be appointed to the new position of commissioner of infrastructure and planning services.
Patricia Lester, the city solicitor, will be appointed to the new position of commissioner of corporate and legislative services.
Richard Freymond, the city’s deputy treasurer, will be appointed treasurer (with Clancy’s promotion to CAO).
Darren Hancock, the city’s chief accountant, will be appointed deputy treasurer.