Staff resignations being replaced by council
Just two of the 55 Invercargill City Council staff who have resigned in the last eight months are not being replaced, chief executive Clare Hadley says.
Exactly 100 staff members at the council have resigned in the last 16 months, including 55 since Hadley was hired as chief executive eight months ago.
‘‘There were only about two of those 55 positions that we haven’t either already replaced or we are endeavouring to replace,’’ she said.
One of the positions not being replaced was a customer services role, with a review showing the council could allocate the work differently and reduce the staff number by one.
The second was the environmental health and compliance manager’s role, formerly held by John Youngson.
Youngson was one of four managers to have resigned since Hadley began as chief.
Hadley said when someone in a key position resigned she paused and asked whether that job was needed instead of automatically replacing them.
The finance director’s role, formerly held by Dean Johnston, was being filled temporarily by Dave Foster – who the council had hired as a consultant – because it was a critical role, Hadley said. Foster had a depth of experience in local government financial management that the council was benefiting from, she said.
Hadley said she would place the human resources manager’s role, formerly held by Rachel Reece who also resigned, on hold. Hadley would instead recruit for a new position of health and safety manager.
‘‘We really need to up our game in leadership in the health and safety area.
‘‘And because I have been charged [by city councillors] with making $500,000 operational savings I need to manage my budget appropriately and can’t employ both at once.’’
She would employ another human resources manager when her budget allowed.
Also, the city centre co-ordinator role would be replaced, as would a recently vacated records management role, but after a review
A former long-term staff member this week said consultants, used to provide expert advice, were being hired by the council ‘‘left, right and centre’’ since Hadley arrived.
Hadley said the council had been using consultants for a ‘‘long time’’.
Consultants she had personally engaged in the last eight months, which was outside of the council’s ‘‘business as usual’’, were Foster, Bruce Robertson, Greg Carlyon of the Catalyst Group and Third Bearing Limited.
Those consultants were used for work which included the interim finance director’s role, a review of council reserves, a review of the building department, advising the risk and assurance committee, to improve the presentation of financial information for governance purposes and for advice on the best regulatory approach to major inner city projects including the ILT Hotel application and the HWCP city centre redevelopment application.
‘‘I acknowledge these consultants have a financial cost but believe the value they have provided to the organisation and the city means it is a wise investment,’’ Hadley said.