BY KEITH LACEY
Acknowledging the city?s senior management structure ?was a little top heavy,? Greater Sudbury Mayor David Courtemanche confirmed rumours Friday three of six general manager?s positions would be eliminated as part of a streamlined corporate structure at Tom Davies Square.
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Changing of the Guard: Catherine Matheson is the new general manager of community development; Doug Nadorozny is the general manager of growth and development; and Allan Stephen is in charge of infrastructure and emergency services. |
?This is a new team that is lean and accountable...and will follow the vision and priorities set by city council,? said Courtemanche.
City hall management veterans Doug Wuksinic (general manager of corporate services) and Don Belisle (general manager of public works) will retire effective Jan. 7, while Sandra Jonasson (director of finance/city treasurer) will remain working with the new management team until the end of April, when she will also retire.
The changes will produce annual savings of $400,000, said Courtemanche. The recommendations were made by the Berkeley Consulting Group, a management firm from Toronto.
The new structure is designed to provide strategic management, increased accountability as well as better service.
Council discussed the recommendations before Thursday?s regular city council meeting and acted on them immediately as they reflected the vision of the majority of council, said Courtemanche.
The old system was adopted by the province?s transition board as part of amalgamation in 2000. This management shakeup will provide a more
efficient and focused management structure, the mayor said.
The new management structure will focus on key areas council has designated as top priorities, with particular emphasis on economic growth and development, improving the city?s infrastructure and making Greater Sudbury a healthier community, said Courtemanche.
Instead of one chief administrative officer and six general managers, the new structure calls for Mark Mieto to stay on as CAO with three current general managers assuming expanded responsibilities.
Accepting new positions and responsibilities in the restructured management team are Catherine Matheson, Doug Nadorozny and Allan Stephen.
Matheson, former general manager of health and social services, is the new general manager of community development. Her new portfolio will
include managing leisure services, library/citizen services, social services, children?s services, housing and long-term care.
Matheson has worked for the city for 15 years. She was responsible last year for a budget of $160 million and managed a team of 400 staff.
Nadorozny, former general manager of economic development is the new general manager of growth and development. His new portofolio includes being boss of economic development, planning, building, transit and the Sudbury Airport.
Stephen, former manager of emergency services, is the new general manager of infrastructure and emergency services. He will be responsible for engineering, environmental services, transportation, emergency preparedness, fire services and emergency medical services.
Stephen, who was only hired months ago, has worked with the Department of National Defence, Transport Canada and Foreign Affairs and has experience as a college dean.
While three general managers positions have been eliminated, three new senior management positions have been created.
Caroline Hallsworth, former general manager of citizen and leisure services, is the new executive director of administrative support services.
Patrick Thomson, former director of human resources, has been named director of human resources and organizational development.
The new position of treasurer/chief financial officer will be staffed following an open competition with the new person likely to be hired by spring.
The new wage range for the general managers will be between $130,000 and $152,000, based on experience. Thomson?s wage range is between $100,000 and $118,000, while Hallsworth?s new job will pay between $109,000 and $128,000.
The city hired a consultant who studied municipal corporate pay rates across Ontario to come up with these new rates, said Mieto.
Wuksinic worked for the city for 26 years, while Belisle and Jonasson have 30 years on the job.
?I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for their devotion to this municipality...they will surely be missed.? said Mieto.
Wuksinic will be offered an exit package that ?bridges him to full pension,? but Mieto said confidentiality rules and respect for the three managers
leaving prevents him from divulging details about severance packages.
These will not be excessive exit packages, but will meet all the city?s legal obligations when people lose their jobs, said Mieto.
Mieto said he is excited about the new structure and management team and believes newly defined roles and objectives will allow staff to more easily pursue the goals identified by council as priorities.
?We now have a structure that more closely reflects the vision of council...there are clear lines of accountability...and we can now work towards a common vision,? he said.
?I?m very pleased with the new structure and I believe it offers a very exciting future.?
The new structure will not have ?any impact on services? and the goal is to ensure service levels are streamlined and improved, said Mieto.
The new structure represents priorities set by council at a planning meeting in October, calling for a greater focus on targeted economic
development, better roads and infrastructure and a healthier community, said Courtemanche.
