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www.pgcitizen.ca
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2014
James drops axe on City director
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
Major changes to the management structure have been made at city hall.
Gone is community services director Colleen Van Mook, whose last day of work was Thursday according to an internal city memo, with her community services department disbanded.
Van Mook’s responsibilities for recreational and cultural facilities and services have been transferred to Rob Whitwham, whose title has been changed to recreation and cultural services director from public safety and civic facilities director.
Whitwham will also have a number two as CN Centre and recreation facilities manager Andy Beesley has been promoted to one of two newly-created associate director positions. The other associate director is Gina Layte Liston, formerly the wastewater supervisor, who will answer to operations director Bill Gaal.
Corporate services director Kathleen Soltis’s load has been reduced with supply and fleet services transferred to Gaal’s operations department and procurement and risk management moved to a newly-created legal and regulatory services department headed by Walter Babicz, previously the legislative services manager. Babicz will also take over bylaw services from Whitwham while continuing to hold down the legislative services
And communications, previously under Soltis’s supervision, will be city manager Beth James’ responsibility. The updated organizational chart also has Prince George Fire Rescue Chief John Iverson
Hockey coach suspended - PAGE 9
P.G. educator to teach teachers genocide class
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
JAMES
answering directly to James rather than working through Whitwham.
The new organizational chart also shows Prince George RCMP Supt. Eric Stubbs with an indirect link to James.
Soltis remains responsible for human resources, financial planning, financial services, information technology services and asset management.
Ian Wells remains the planning and development director and continues to be responsible for building inspection, long range planning, subdivision and infra-stucture planning, real estate, sustainable projects, engineering and business licensing.
And Gaal remains in charge of utilities, transportation, parks and solid waste and transit.
The restructuring “will improve service delivery, support succession planning, and better align the functions of various departments,” city hall said in a press release issued Friday.
Current projections show that
VAN MOOK
37 per cent of all city staff, and 57 per cent of staff in leadership positions are eligible to retire within five years, city hall added.
“With this in mind, several functions have been moved, a new department has been created, and two new associate director positions have been filled internally,” the release said.
“Taking this approach supports the City’s succession management plan by providing opportunity for existing employees.”
Most members of the public will see no impact from this change, according to the press release.
“This new organizational structure will better position the City to deliver on key initiatives,” city manager Beth James said in the release.
Terms of Van Mook’s departure were not provided. She made $159,320 in 2012, according to city records.
MORE INSIDE
• Shaking up city hall - PAGE 6
A local teacher has been asked to a provincial symposium to teach about the most serious of global issues.
Duchess Park secondary school teacher Gerry Chidiac has won awards and acclaim for his custom-designed high school course entitled Cultures In Conflict. It explores the history of genocide. This April he will be a featured guest at the Holocaust and Genocide Symposium held at Shawnigan Lake School near Victoria.
“I’m going to teach other teachers to teach my course,” he said. The delegates will also include some youth leaders
CHIDIAC
from Grade 11 and 12 across the province. It is a chance to put a provincial spotlight on the course, he said.
— see COURSE, page 3
RCMP eye spring for new detachment move-in date
Citizen staff
The new Prince George RCMP detachment should be ready for occupancy sometime in the next two weeks but it will be another four to five weeks after that before the new tenants move in, according to city public safety and civic facility manager Leland Hansen.
Although the building will be have been completed from the construction point of view, Hansen said he computer, phone and security systems will then have to be installed. That work will be carried out by people working for the RCMP and it
will take the additional weeks because of security concerns, he said.
Once that stage is finished, it should take another week for Prince George RCMP officers and staff to move into their new home, Hansen said, meaning it should be up and operating by early spring.
Located between Fourth and Fifth Avenues on Victoria Street, the $38.95-million, 63,636-square-foot detachment will replace the Prince George RCMP’s current home at 10th and Brunswick. That building is 32,776 square feet in size and was built in 1972.
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