A Chief Administrative Officer or CAO is the senior Staff member in a local government and is the key person between the local government (muncipal council or regional district board) and muncipal staff/workers. The CAO is the primary advisor to local governments, providing both business, legal and procedural advice to Council or Regional District Boards', whenever the need arises. I'd like to point out that we have some very good CAO's here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. Those CAO's include Byron Johnson as City Manager for Quesnel and Janis Bell who works as CAO for the Cariboo Regional District. We have a decent CAO in Brian Carruthers, here in Williams Lake. My experience is that these CAO's when directly asked a question by the public are only too pleased to assist
Most times, contact between Staff and the public does not involve the CAO unless it is the result of an appeal of a lower staff member's decision or where discussions, between the public and local government staff, requires the expertise of the CAO. Most CAO's do not get involved in a direct way whenever the public writes or emails local government members (Mayors, Councillors and Electoral Area Directors and Regional District Chairs)
This past Sunday, I wrote to Mayor and Council - City of Williams Lake regarding a concern I had on communicating out on the Mackenzie Avenue Rehab Project and also the financial request of Scout Island. See that blog post here
However, prior to last night's (Tuesday, Aug 24) Council meeting, Brian Carruthers (City of WL CAO) met me in front of the entrance doors to Williams Lake City Hall and expressed his opinion, in public, that he was offended, with regard to the email I sent to Williams Lake Mayor & Council for the following reasons:
1) It was "over the line"
2) It was unrealistic for City Staff to man the CRD-City of WL Joint EOC last week and plan for the possible evacuation of the City and continue to report on progress on the Mackenzie Avenue Project, given Staff were manning the Joint EOC, some on holidays and City engineering Staff were all tied up with planning for the possible evacuation of the City, if that possible eventuality had to be implemented
While I don't take issue if Mr. Carruthers does not agree with emails or letters that I may send to the City of WL Mayor & Councillors', if he felt obliged to raise concerns with me, with regard to emails/letters that I or anyone else has sent to Mayor and Council, he should have heeded the example of his predecessor, Alberto DeFeo and did the following:
1) Approached myself or any one else and ask that we/they meet in private in regard to a letter or email that I or someone else may have recently sent to Mayor and Council
2) Review the email/letter in private between the CAO and the email/letter writer
This allows for the frank conversation between the CAO and the email/letter writer in private and doesn't cause public embarrasement for either the CAO or the email/letter writer
CAO's, as a general rule, need to be cautious, like other City Staff, around their relationship with the public, lest the public, as a whole, complain to Council, who may have to take up the matter with City Staff who would then review their conduct, in a closed Council meeting, and that review may not be helpful for the staff member's morale.
This is one reason why local government usually, but not always, have both Staff and members of Council go through "Customer Service Training", to ensure Staff see that their political bosses are going through the same training they are and also to remind City Staff & Members of the Local Government that the public gets treated with the absolute respect they deserve - after all, it is the public that pays the bills...
4 comments:
You deserve little respect with the amount of aggressive repugnant attacks you pervey against those who work hard to keep this city running. You dont deserve respect because you are simply a tax payer, you earn respect by working with the community in a positive way and when you find a fault try and find positive things you can make from these issues.
So from this, i derrive that you are a petty little man, so go sit in your one bedroom unibomber style apartment and plot more reasons why people should care in the slightest what you have to say. You are the reason people in power stop listening to people who need the City's help.
Steve, you are a complete hypocrite.
You delight in publically attacking anyone, or anything, you perceive does not live up to your standards, yet when you are called out publically (when you were clearly in the wrong) you cry like a little baby and say it should be done behind closed doors!
Good on Mr. Carruthers for his comments to you. He was much nicer than I would have been in his shoes. I am however a little sad he wasted his time on a complete hypocrite with so little grasp on reality.
My sentiments exactly, you do nothing more than embarass yourself from your little pathetic soapbox everytime you whine piss and moan in the way that you do.
No wonder there is clearly no place for you in legitimate politics except for observing. Any politician worth their salt would do best to distance themselves from you if they want to keep their credibility.
Thanks all for your comments...
However, I would respectfully point out that the email I sent to Mayor & Council on communicating out on Mackenzie Avenue & the recent manning of the CRD-City of WL Joint EOC was not forwarded or copied to City Staff. Also - I had hoped that maybe City Council would have let me know first before City Staff that they would unhappy with my email
Also - I still believe that sufficient resources exists (between City Staff & Members of Williams Lake Council) to report out on these projects, after all, Council has made it clear that the Mackenzie Ave Rehab Project was an important project to the community.
Finally - it is not hypocrisy here because I personally practice what I preach. I chair/co-chair 2 local Planning Committees here in the Cariboo (City of WL & CRD) and when I have a concern about how someone is conducting themselves at a meeting, I arrange to discuss it in private (email/phone call) and discuss the issue there and not in public where anyone can here it
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