Village ends SAO contract
Department head steps in as interim officer
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, October 6, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Council members for the Village of Fort Simpson have terminated the employment agreement for senior administrative officer Beth Jumbo.
In Jumbo's place, councilors have temporarily appointed Mitch Gast, the village's wastewater treatment plant operator.
Both decisions were made after an in-camera special meeting, closed to media and members of the public, on Sept. 30 at 5:30 p.m. During in-camera meetings, discussions are kept secret, but any resulting motion or vote is public.
An agenda for the meeting listed one topic of conversation: an in-camera human resources matter.
Minutes of that closed meeting have not yet been approved by council. In-camera minutes usually include time stamps for when councilors entered and left the discussion, as well as a final vote count.
When asked the reason behind Jumbo's termination, Mayor Darlene Sibbeston said councilors decided to use a clause in Jumbo's employment agreement which states the agreement can be terminated without cause and without prior notice.
"That's been part of the SAO employment agreement for the past few years," Sibbeston said.
During an Oct. 3 regular meeting of council, the village agreed to begin advertising for a permanent senior administrative officer.
Sibbeston said the decision to remove Jumbo should not impact the village's upcoming budgeting sessions. Although Fort Simpson went without a finance officer for several months this summer, councilors recently hired Benjamin Koffie from Burnaby, B.C., as their new finance manager.
Budget deliberations are expected to take the place of once-monthly committee of the whole meetings, and are scheduled for Oct. 11, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.
Gast will retain his duties as wastewater treatment plant operator while acting as senior administrative officer.
Sibbeston said Gast brings a wealth of corporate experience to the temporary position, including knowledge about navigating regulatory matters such as the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.
Gast has filled in as senior administrative officer in the past when situations called for it. Sibbeston said he has been acting senior administrative officer at least six times in the past, with the terms of each position varying.
Gast estimates his longest stint as senior administrative officer was three to four months.
"He always fills in when the need is there," Sibbeston said. "He's just a very smart guy, he truly is."
Jumbo had been hired on as senior administrative officer in 2015 after serving as interim administrative officer.
That followed the termination of former senior administrative officer Dean Pickering in December 2014, which also came after an in-camera meeting.
