Local hires versus qualified hires
Enterprise council debates staffing priorities
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 9, 2013
ENTERPRISE
In most communities, the revelation that a large amount of funding has become available from the GNWT would prompt celebration rather than disagreement.
Not necessarily at the Hamlet of Enterprise.
During their meeting on Dec. 2, councillors were told the community would be getting $78,000 in the first year of a five-year contribution agreement - from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2018 - with the Department of Health and Social Services.
Funding for the following four years has yet to be determined.
Council voted to accept the contribution agreement.
However, an intense debate then began involving two distinct priorities for hiring a person to head the new community wellness program, which would be supported by the new funding and other sources.
The program will also support two other positions, one full time and one part time.
One view was that the new program is a chance to increase employment for community residents by, for one thing, limiting the scope of advertising to only Enterprise for a person to lead the initiative.
"Is there any way that we can guarantee that this job goes locally?" asked Coun. Al Flamand, who also suggested a training budget could be created to make sure an Enterprise resident could get the job.
Flamand said Enterprise needs to keep its youth in the community.
"We have an opportunity here to use the job for five years and pay them a decent wage," he said. "We've got to do whatever the hell it takes."
Others emphasized the importance of qualifications.
"I really feel we need a qualified person in that position," said Coun. Jim Dives of the individual who would be hired to lead the community wellness program, noting a less-qualified person could be hired as a trainee in one of the other positions and might eventually take over the program.
Dives also noted the hamlet's hiring policy does not say to hire locally, but to hire the most qualified person.
"Our hiring policy states that all things being equal the local person has preference," he said.
Terry Testart, the senior administrative officer for the hamlet, had his own questions about the debate.
"It's very hard on this administration to have council approve policies and then use resolutions of council to override policy. I don't understand that," Testart said. "Because if you're saying that you would waive the HR (human resources) policy and advertise locally in this situation on such an important program, we don't know anymore as an administration whether we should follow policies, or if we should ignore policies and take every decision to council. I make this recommendation: if council does not want to follow policy, they pass a resolution to cancel policies of council."
Councillors decided that a job description would be prepared for the position and the decision will be made by the new council after the Dec. 9 hamlet election.
