Calgary's planning lead resigns after six weeks, citing personal reasons
Just over a month after starting in the role, the City of Calgary's new general manager of planning and development services has resigned.
The city confirmed Tuesday that Tim Keane has departed from the position due to family and personal circumstances.
“Tim's resignation was unanticipated and unexpected,” the city said. “We were looking forward to working with him and leveraging his expertise in city planning and development.
“Respecting Tim's privacy, we will not be sharing any further details. We do wish him and his family well. The well-being of our employees and their families is essential in our common purpose of making life better every day.”
A native of the Southern United States, Keane took the helm of the city's planning and development services department in mid-april. He previously served in similar roles dating back to the 1990s with various municipalities in the United States, including Boise, Idaho; Atlanta; and Charleston, S.C.
The city announced Keane's hiring Feb. 15, touting his ability to develop “innovative and creative approaches” to planning, municipal development and housing.
At a media availability on April 19, Keane told reporters that after visiting Calgary for the first time in 2023, he was attracted by the scope of work undertaken by the municipal government, the size of the city, and the growth pressures it was experiencing.
“I think Calgary is a fascinating city just as an urban place and the landscape around it,” he said. “I was drawn to it for that reason, just the quality of the place.
“The second reason I was interested in this was the organization itself, for a couple of reasons. I have worked for a lot of cities and I know a lot about cities. I found the quality of this organization to be quite high.”
In his brief time with the city, Keane oversaw the record-setting 16-day public hearing on blanket rezoning that began April 22 and ultimately wrapped up May 15, with council voting in support of the proposal.
Keane delivered administration's “what we heard” report on May 9, recapping the results of the public hearing.
Debra Hamilton will step in as the acting general manager of Planning and Development Services, according to the city's statement, adding that the city's plans to fill Keane's role will be forthcoming.