Playoffs continue Nanaimo Clippers earn spot in BCHL championship against Penticton Vees.
PAGE 29
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 26, NO. 95
Lantzville’s top bureaucrat quits after nine years
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DISTRICT STAFF send memo over tone and decorum at meetings. BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
Building blocks
Rebecca Kirk, Literacy Central Vancouver Island chief executive officer, and Ross Cameron, Junior Makerspace coordinator, polish up on their Lego building skills. Cameron, a retired teacher, will lead elementary school-age children through projects that incorporate the toy blocks to teach science, technology, engineering and math, but the program, scheduled to open in June, needs donations of Lego from the community. For the full story, please see page 10. CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
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Lantzville’s chief administrative officer has quit amid staff concerns about tone and decorum at district council meetings. Twyla Graff, CAO, handed in her resignation April 1 after nine years as the top bureaucrat for the District of Lantzville. The move also comes on the heels of a memo to council, signed by all five of the district’s managers, that highlights concerns around decorum and tone of council meetings, including ridicule and criticism of staff’s work in public and the “disrespectful nature” and delivery of comments made recently at an open forum. Graff was unable to be reached for comment and it’s unknown if the memo and her departure are connected, but councillors call the two issues unfortunate, horrifying and concerning. Two councillors are concerned about additional staff turnover. “It appears council has created unbearable working conditions for staff and the CAO appears to have resigned as a result. There’s a strong possibility that we will lose other senior staff,” said Coun. Rod Negrave, who
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has concerns about the relationships with other government agencies, business dealings with the district and costs to the district and its taxpayers as a result of staff losses and disruptions. Coun. Jennifer Millbank is also concerned about additional staff turnover and the impact in the broader community of Lantzville having a bad reputation. The business of the municipality since the election has more or less come to a halt, council is struggling to pass a budget, consensus at the council table is lacking and now there’s a staffing issue, said Millbank, who is “absolutely horrified” about the memo and Graff’s departure. “I am pretty distressed about the memo. It’s something that I’ve certainly witnessed and it’s not something I am part of,” she said. “I think council needs to take this seriously.” Coun. Graham Savage, who also worked as a consultant for a district in the past, said he has found Graff to be very professional, efficient and focused on trying to give good direction to council and while her resignation is “really unfortunate,” he doesn’t blame her. He says a negative environment has been created – beginning with some election campaigning – and considers the memo a reflection of what’s going on. See ‘MEMO’ /4
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