There are currently two top-level and two managerial positions the Town of Huntsville is looking to fill. The two top-level positions have historically formed part of the annual sunshine list which publishes the names and salaries of public employees making $100,000 or more.
According to Huntsville CAO Denise Corry, interviews are currently underway for the position of Director of Community Services. That position has been vacant since April. According to the 2018 sunshine list, the former director earned $120,798.05, and $272.24 in taxable benefits.
The municipality will also be looking for a Director of Corporate Services. That position became officially vacant last Tuesday, August 27, 2019. Corry said the municipality will begin advertising for that post in September. The former director also made the 2018 sunshine list with earnings of $115,834.40 and $272.24 in taxable benefits.
The municipality will also be searching for two department managers—public works and planning. Recruitment is in the works for both, said Corry. The manager of public works position has been vacant since June 2019, while the former planning manager was promoted to director of that department which leaves her former post vacant.
Corry wrote in an email to Doppler that the game plan is to “continue to search for the best candidates possible based on the needs of the community and the direction set by Council.”
Asked why she thinks recruiting new staff is so difficult here, Corry stated: “In my opinion, we are not having difficulty recruiting for these positions—we are just taking the time required to ensure we make the right decision for our organization and more importantly, for our community. For the majority of these positions we are receiving many applications which shows that people have an interest in being part of our team. This affords us the opportunity to be selective and to ensure we hire the best person to carry out the job in a way that supports the direction set by Council and the culture instilled by Administration.”
She said in the interim, staff has been working together to ensure the work which falls under the purview of the vacancies gets covered.
In some instances we have had to defer projects that are not time-sensitive in order to address the current needs. There is no question that extra hours are being put in due to workload; however, we are ensuring that we remain within the provisions of the Employment Standards Act and continually monitor the well being of staff as they are tasked with the additional workload. This is a solution that works in the interim; however, it would be impossible to keep up with this pace for long periods of time.Town of Huntsville CAO Denise Corry
Asked if there would be major savings at the end of the year due to these vacancies, Corry added: “There is no question that some savings will be realized during the vacancies; however, some funds will need to be redirected to approve overtime and acting positions.”
In terms of staff burnout, Corry said that is top of mind for her. “Having a healthy workforce is something I take very seriously and I regularly check in with staff to gauge their well-being. It is times like these when I am reminded what an amazing team we have—regardless of how stretched everyone is they are always reaching out to offer their assistance when the need arises.”
Last but not least, Doppler has learned that the position of CEO and Chief Librarian at Huntsville Public Library has also become vacant. The former CEO and chief librarian was listed on the 2018 sunshine list with annual earnings of $120,798.05 and taxable benefits of $272.24. The library board is responsible for hiring for that position as it reports to the board.
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Rob Millman says
While I realize that the Library CEO is the sole employee of the Library Board; I find it surprising that they are charged with replacing her. Any Town employee, especially one on the sunshine list, should be vetted by HR, the CAO, and Council. The Library Board Directors, IMHO, would be exceeding the terms of their liability insurance, in undertaking such a daunting task.