With the COVID-19 pandemic expected to hit the city budget to the tune of between $7 million to $8 million, interim city manager Walter Babicz is making some major changes to the city’s operations.
And those changes come with job losses.
According to a memo sent to staff, obtained by CKPG News, the Infrastructure Services department is being eliminated and the divisions within that department are being moved as follows: Infrastructure Delivery (now named Project Delivery) and Transportation & Technical Services are being transferred to the Public Works department (now named Civic Operations).
Asset Management and the Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Divisions are being transferred to the renamed Planning, Development & Infrastructure Services department. Staffing in the Environmental Services division has been reduced and staff are being transferred to the Utilities and Development Services divisions. Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships is moving to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure department.
Bylaw Services is moving from Planning and Development to the Community Services and Public Safety department. Financial management functions that have existed in both Community Services and Public Safety and Infrastructure Services departments are now housed within the Finance department. Human Resources is being renamed Human Resources and Corporate Safety.
Several positions have been eliminated including Gina Layte Liston, Director of Public Works; Adam Homes, Director of Infrastructure Services; Barbara Oke, Manager, Environmental Services; and Paul Knudsgaard, Deputy Fire Chief. Lana Keim, Supervisor of Organizational Learning, will be leaving the city as of December 3.
This comes after the city and former city manger Kathleen Soltis parted ways earlier this year and CN Centre manager Glen Mikkelsen and Civic Centre manager Myles Tycolis were let go. The city has not replaced Dave Dyer, General Manager of Engineering and Public Works, who retired earlier this year.