BY KIRK STARRATT
Kings County Advertiser/Register
It would be an understatement to say there are major changes at the County of Kings office this week.
Dimitri Pojidaeff and Sharon Patriquin of HR Group Management Consultants presented recommendations from their review of the county April 13.
Following the presentation, Warden Fred Whalen said council has already taken action. As of April 12, there are no more directors and the chief administrative officer had been let go: Bill Butler, community development services; Bill McKennan, corporate services, and Richard Lloyd, engineering and public works; and CAO Brian Smith (replaced in the interim by Don Smeltzer).
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Whalen and council are a bit shocked to lose three directors and the CAO at once, but they had requested a no-holds barred review. He believes the directors and CAO gave their best, but one reason for eliminating the CAO is council’s acceptance of the recommendation to put a new management team in place.
Whalen said the county will work on improving customer service, as recommended, but doesn’t want to spend money on a new centre until a decision is made on whether or not the municipal office is moving to a proposed tri-government complex in New Minas.
“(Staff) know the organization has a poor reputation and that there is a lack of respect, trust and civility. They also know that their council is viewed as dysfunctional and portrayed as such in the local papers.” - Consultant Dimitri Pojidaeff
Pojidaeff said many of these issues are not unusual in municipalities, but the severity of the issues in Kings is not typical.
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