Fort Resolution (Apr 26/04) - A struggling community council is getting some help from the territorial government.

Fort Resolution's Deninoo Community Council and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) minister recently signed a one-year community co-management agreement.

The arrangement came about largely because the council has experienced high turnover in senior administrative officers (SAO) over the past several years.

"There is a serious problem here," said Cecil Lafferty, the president of the Fort Resolution Metis Council.

Lafferty was SAO for 23 years up to 1996. Since then, he says there have been 11 SAOs.

The problem begins with the fact that most of the SAOs are not from Fort Resolution, he said. "They don't care. The staff takes over and controls everything."

"The council has been concerned about our ability to maintain sound financial and human resource practices without continuity in the senior administrative officer position," said Dave Pierrot the council's chair.

The council asked MACA for help to deal with the situation.

The agreement establishes a joint management committee to oversee all community-delivered programs, services and financial activities. A plan will also be developed to train a community resident to fill the SAO position currently filled by Terry McMullon.

"This is a positive step towards community empowerment for the Deninoo Community Council," said MACA Minister Henry Zoe.

If the council fails to comply with the agreement, the settlement corporation would be dissolved and the community would be run by a public administrator under the Settlement Act.

Lafferty said the GNWT has been letting the situation ride. "Finally, they had to do something."