The District of Squamish has revamped how it structures its top administrative staff.
The move is supposed to streamline how it does business, get more staff on the ground in key departments and save money.
“It’s a work in progress because it’s ever-changing,” Mayor Patricia Heintzman told The Squamish Chief in a phone interview.
According to the district news release, some of the changes include: the alignment of recreation and culture under one division while connecting the facilities and real estate departments more directly to those municipal buildings; a change of division name to community planning and infrastructure to better reflect department goals; the appointment of a chief financial officer and increased technical financial support staff to reduce a top-heavy finance team; and a new senior director of human resources and public safety to align these departments under a leader with extensive leadership and public safety experience.
The process of reviewing was one of the goals to be completed in the first year of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Linda Glenday’s tenure at the position.
“I’m very excited to present the updated structure as this builds upon the incredible team we have here at the District and plays to individuals’ strengths,” Glenday said in the news release.
“At the same time, the change in alignments of departments will further serve to increase the opportunities for synergy and continued improvement at all levels of the organization.”
The District of Squamish departments will be aligned under the following senior staff: Glenday, chief administrative officer; Robin Arthurs, general manager of corporate services, recreation and culture; Gary Buxton, general manager of community planning and infrastructure; Christine Mathews, chief financial officer; and Jeff Sim, senior director of human resources and public safety.
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said the move is in line with a trend in recent years toward streamlining senior management, which has seen the district go from five general manager positions and a deputy CAO two years ago down to two general managers and no deputy position to the CAO. The changes should reduce hierarchy, reduce risks and liabilities in departments like human resources and finance that had been left vulnerable due to staff attrition and save about $50,000.
“We’re still under budget, which is what we tasked the CAO to do,” Heintzman said.
The mayor explained that, for example, in finance, the district lost one person to retirement and another to a job in the city, leaving the local government vulnerable, especially when it can be hard to find a replacement.
“In a community our size, it’s hard to staff up really quickly,” Heintzman said.
She also pointed out the importance of a strong human resources department, which she said goes well beyond how to hire the staff to include broader concerns such as morale and training for the workforce.
Heintzman added that the streamlining process will help the district deliver on council’s strategic plan and that it will result in continual improvement and innovation within local government.
For more information on the District of Squamish’s ongoing activities and council decisions visit their website at www.squamish.ca.
