Acting CAO, pace of change frustrate NPCA board
Greenwood, Jordan disapprove of Barrick at helm
Some members of the newly minted Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board of directors are expressing frustration at the rate of change at the beleaguered agency and the conduct of its interim chief administrative officer.
At least two board members — Niagara Falls regional Coun. Barbara Greenwood and Grimsby Mayor Jeff Jordan — told The Standard they want to replace David Barrick as acting CAO.
“It would be nice to have someone in that role we could actually have confidence in,” said Jordan, who believes NPCA is changing too slowly.
“It’s hard to investigate things and get to the bottom of some issues when you have to deal with people who are too close to those issues.”
Greenwood said Barrick should have “been gone a long time ago.”
“There are people on the board, not just myself, that feel the same way,” she said in a Wednesday interview. “He has become a distraction to tending to the work that needs to be done at the conservation authority.”
The Standard reached out to the
NPCA board Wednesday, a day after the agency called Niagara Regional Police to complain that a Facebook post pointedly critical of Barrick made by the local political group A Better Niagara was threatening.
Police said they spoke to the complainant at NPCA’s Welland office. Officers contacted A Better Niagara and determined the Facebook post did not contain any threatening or harassing language.
“It would be nice if police were using their limited resources to respond to calls that were actually worthy of their time,” said board vice-chair and Pelham regional Coun. Diana Huson.
Last week, Barrick drew the ire of several regional councillors when he presented information about the NPCA budget. Councillors, feeling Barrick evaded their questions, deferred funding the agency.
“I am frustrated,” said board member and Welland regional Coun. Pat Chiocchio.
“These things are distractions. As a board, we are working to put governance in place and hire a new CAO. There are times I ask for information, and I don’t get it. I get roadblocks. There are other times I get answers, and I am not completely sure they are the right answers.”
The current board has not seen any detailed budget information, said Huson. Barrick advised her by email he sees “no problem” releasing the 2018 budget once the financial information has been audited, she said. Huson said she did not know why the 2019 budget approved by the previous board has not been released in detail.
Board chair and West Lincoln Mayor David Byslma said Monday that budget information will be given to regional council. Asked if someone else should fill the CAO role on an interim basis, he said it was being discussed.
“Yes, it’s a thought. It’s been raised and discussed. It’s been considered. But like everything else, we have a proper process to follow,” he said.
The next day, after The Standard asked Barrick for comment, Byslma retracted his statement and said there are no plans to find a new acting CAO.
“The solution is, the solution the board is focused on, is hiring a new permanent CAO and that will solve the problem,” said Byslma.
Huson said the new board was wary about creating more change among NPCA senior staff given the agency’s recent history and knowing that more change will follow the hiring of a permanent CAO.
The Standard reported in December that leadership of NPCA was upended on Nov. 23 when then-CAO Mark Brickell fired Barrick, then the director of corporate services.
The then-NPCA board fired Brickell on Dec. 6 — an action Brickell said was unlawful. The same day, NPCA clerk Lisa McManus was named acting CAO. She reinstated Barrick before going on leave from which she has yet to return. Four days later, Barrick was named acting CAO, although neither members of the past or current NPCA board or administration will say who approved the appointment.
Barrick has not responded to interview requests.
In a Tuesday evening email to The Standard, NPCA spokeswoman Krystle Caputo said “I can assure you, as an employee privy to such information” that Barrick had not been fired. However, Caputo said she would not provide any information and did not respond to further questions.
Chair of the NPCA CAO selection committee, Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele said a call for an external candidate search firm went out Friday.
“What I would say is, if you elected us to bring change, then let us bring that change,” he said. “We have to do things properly, be it hiring or parting ways with staff, so that you don’t end up in more trouble later. So I am asking for people to have faith in us.”