SYS Supervisor Statement: Part 2 of an update on the work to be done during the remaining supervisory mandate:

Note: This is a long statement

Dear SYSRC Residents:

This is part 2 of two statements.  This statement concentrates on the work remaining as it pertains to the next council’s…e.g. sharing of information, reporting and orientation.  These topics were merely mentioned in yesterday’s statement but there is much more detail today.

As mentioned yesterday, nothing is cast in stone.

Here is the continuation of yesterday’s list:

• Final Report and recommendations to Council:
  • A final report will be written and presented to council
  • It will be shared with all of you a few days after the election
  • I have not yet framed the report so this could change but generally, the report will have:
    • A Table of Content
    • An Executive Summary
    • A report on the work accomplished during the mandate
    • Supervisor’s view on what the priorities of the new council should be, what they should consider important, how they should function and what should be their guiding values
    • A listing of the issues they should be aware of as they start their mandate. There could likely be recommendations on each item but that is not assured yet. Some examples so far:
      • Communications challenges due to poor internet access and recommendations to council on effective communications
      • Thoughts on transparency
      • Advocacy for better cellular service
      • Advocacy for better road maintenance service
      • Advocacy on the Fire Exit Roads issue if not solved
      • Options on going forward on the SYSRC owned plot of land
      • Options on the new office location for November
      • Recommendations on interim council chambers for May to November
      • Recommendations on a strategic plan
      • Recommendations on the Rural Plan
      • Recommendations on the Gas Tax Account and a Capital Plan
      • Report on Fire Smart
      • By laws adopted during the supervision mandate
      • By laws recommended to the new council
      • Procedures and policies adopted during the supervision mandate
      • Procedures and policies recommended to the new council
      • Proposed Human Resources Structure going forward
      • Advising that recruitment efforts begin immediately for the new permanent clerk/administrator position
      • Recruitment process for the permanent position—e.g. draft of job ad and milestones with dates
      • MOU’s signed during mandate
      • Lessons learned by the supervisor
      • Net cost of supervision
      • Supervisor’s analysis of the situation that led to the need to eventually appoint a supervisor
      • Reports received during supervision
      • ???
    • Briefing binder for the new council containing applicable legislation and regulations, by-laws, issues requiring immediate discussion, RTIPPA, important contacts, flow of the first few weeks of their mandate (and maybe more)
    • Swearing in and delivering or directing the training of the new council and staff:
      • An interim Clerk/Administrator will be hired (as was reported in the December update and in part 1 yesterday)
      • That position will take on the administrative duties of the Supervisor and will prepare for the arrival of the next council
      • Preparation will include organizing and delivering the swearing in of the council and organizing the first meeting or series of meetings
      • As well, the interim position will be responsible for the administrative duties of SYSRC until the end of his/her term in July
      • The training of the new council and staff will have three components:
        • A component on procedures, by laws, code of conduct, etc. Basically, the mechanism of a council operation
        • A component of the total municipal governance landscape and its effect on operations and conduct of council business
        • A component on respectful work environment, conflict resolution and teamwork
      • A statement to all of you on my thoughts on the transparency challenges for the next council going forward

This is it for now and if anything changes you will know. There could be more items in the final report.

There is a lot of work to do as you can see but it should help the next council hit the ground running and be in the best position to serve you and to succeed…which is what I want. I am sure you want the same thing.

Don Ferguson
Supervisor SYSRC