Sitting out

Council, interim CAO, nip micromanagement plot in the bud

When County council severed ties with former Chief Administrative Officer Merlin Dewing, one of their sticking points was an inability to access staff.

The former CAO argued it was his job to act as the middleman between staff and council, taking direction from the elected body to bring back to staff, and bringing information from staff back to council.

For some councillors, this was not acceptable. So two months after interim CAO James Hepburn stepped into the role, Ameliasburgh councillor Dianne O’Brien brought forward a motion to change the way things were done.

She wants more direct access to staff. She complains that councillors often ask questions at meetings, but the CAO or commissioners don’t have answers at their fingertips, delaying decision-making.

O’Brien felt that by having relevant staff members attend council meetings, those questions could be answered immediately, making meetings more efficient.

She had a second point: staff, she felt, doesn’t know councillors. There is no connection.

“I really believe in giving staff an opportunity to put a face to council, and it gives council an opportunity to understand exactly where staff is coming from,” O’Brien said at a committee of council on Thursday. “In my opinion, we need to rebuild communication. It’s missing, and it’s painful to the taxpayer.”

Hepburn warned against the motion. Staff time was already stretched thin, and by spending hours in council meetings designed for councillors, they would be wasting valuable time. He was also concerned that an obligation to attend meetings where councillors are making decisions can be confusing to staff.

“People will be confused. They won’t know what their priorities are,” Hepburn said. “If there’s a requirement for technical expertise or specialized knowledge, we should do that at the discretion of commissioners and myself, but not to hear a report. If we don’t have the knowledge in the room, then we’ll get it as quickly as we can. I think council should think long and hard before they vote on this motion.”

Hepburn spoke on the issue in a way that was uncharacteristically emphatic and stern. Even after the issue was pressed, he continued to warn against it. His concerns were echoed around the chamber.

Councillor Treat Hull said that if approved, the motion would lead to a slippery slope of bypassing management.

“I will not support the motion, even with amendments. Because either it’s at the discretion of the CAO or it’s not,” said Hull.

Councillor Hull reminded council that it was Dewing’s management style they disagreed with, and that Hepburn had not been in the position long enough to justify altering the arrangement between council and senior management. “I think we need to let the [interim] CAO demonstrate how he proposes to manage interaction with council before we straitjacket things.”

Although there was some support for the motion from councillors Nyman, Maynard and Pennell, it became clear to O’Brien that the motion not receive enough support. She conceded, and withdrew.