Fort Liard (Oct 15/04) - While the Acho Dene Koe band office has changed locations to avoid a conflict with business, the band's top elected official continues to play a dual role.

In May, Beaver Enterprises president Jim Duntra was removed from the board of directors by Acho Dene Koe band council.

Band Councillor Guy Berreault was inserted as president and Chief Floyd Bertrand was installed as vice-president. This remains a point of contention for some people in the community.

When he was elected, Bertrand said he would act as president of Beaver Enterprises for a six-month period. He and band council eventually selected Steve Kotchea as Beaver president in 2003.

According to Duntra and former board member Jimmy Deneron, when Kotchea failed to show up for some board meetings, the directors chose Duntra to step in as president in January. Four months later, Duntra was fired.

Bertrand explained that the board was supposed to act in the best interest of the band members and shareholders.

"But a lot of the board members weren't taking direction from the shareholders, being chief and council," he said. "We felt they were just doing things on their own."

Duntra said he was never provided with a reason for his dismissal. He acknowledged that he and the board made some difficult decisions to cut jobs while he was president, but he said it was necessary because the company was losing money.

Like Duntra, Deneron said spending was out of control. He said budget decisions were being made by management without the board being informed.

Chief or vice-president

Duntra contended that it's not prudent for the chief and a councillor to be on the board because if Beaver Enterprises were to be sued, the band could thereby be implicated.

Deneron, who resigned from the board in August, agreed that it's unwise for chief to be a board member because other directors are aware that he wears two hats.

"When you come to a meeting and you're sitting across from him, is he the chief or is he the vice-president?" Deneron asked.

He maintained that the board should have some independence from the band council, but said council was having too much influence.

Duntra said he remains concerned about the state of the Beaver Enterprises, which recently lost another CEO. Public meetings should be held to keep band members apprised of the company's status, he suggested.

"If they have communication with us, maybe we can support it and help them build it up again," said Duntra, who had also served as Beaver's president from 2001-2002.

Despite his critics, Bertrand said that over the past four months, "things are getting back on track," at Beaver Enterprises. He wouldn't say if or when he and Berreault would step aside.

"I'm not thinking of how long it's going to be," said Bertrand. "I'm just filling in where I could and focusing on chief issues."