The recent District of Squamish annual report depicts a joyful environment where council and staff “work collaboratively and respectfully to achieve success.” In reality, Central Command on Second Avenue is starting to look more like a hornets’ nest of competing agendas and egos.
Over the past six years, four different chief administrative officers have been in charge at muni hall. Kim Anema resigned in May 2009. His successor Kevin Ramsay bailed out three years later. Now Ramsay’s replacement Corien Becker is gone and Linda Glenday has taken over on an interim basis.
Historically, the district has experienced a high turnover of administrative staff at various levels in what amounts to a catch-and-release employee hiring program. In January 2010 Ramsay applauded “three superstars” who had been added to the management team at the time: operations manager Bob Smith, fire chief Tom Easterbrook and manager of engineering Brian Barnett.
In short order, two of those stellar hires were no longer on the district’s payroll. Easterbrook resigned in 2011. Barnett was gone by 2012. That same year Cameron Chalmers, the general manager of community services, also departed.
A few weeks ago, not long before Corien Becker cleaned out her desk last week, the newest version of council’s Strategic Plan was being showcased. It laid out a series of ambitious goals, among which the following stand out: “Pertinent information on municipal operations is readily available for the public to review,” residents will have “easier and faster access to the information they need” and there will be “increased trust in Squamish local government.”
A similar array of sugared confections emerges from the recently published DOS Service Plan. It claims “the district prioritizes information sharing with the media.” It supports “the passion, excitement, and empowerment” of staff and encourages “a culture of leadership development” throughout the organization.
The circumstances surrounding Corien Becker’s exit challenge those rosy declarations. Instead of timely information, we got this classic example of muni-speak: “Council has decided to move in a new strategic direction and is in the process of mutually concluding Corien Becker’s employment with the district.”
In 2012, the district’s communications manager praised the incoming CAO for her progressive leadership style and openness to innovation. So what happened to that skill set over three years at the helm of the good ship Squamish?
When members of council were contacted for clarification, they invoked the code of omertà, the Cosa Nostra’s policy of secrecy. The mayor said she couldn’t “speak to specific HR issues.” According to one councillor, the district’s lawyers are involved, so silence is golden. In other words, the divorce appears to be less than amicable.
Stay tuned to see who gets voted off the island next in the district’s version of Survivor but don’t expect any semblance of disclosure about the process.
