Niagara-on-the-Lake council has approved a temporary solution to an upcoming vacancy of the top staff position at town hall.
On Friday, a special council meeting was held to take a vote on filling the municipality’s chief administrative officer role — resulting in the local government naming Bruce Zvaniga interim CAO.
This comes after the Dec. 4 announcement that the current CAO, Marnie Cluckie, is leaving to pursue an employment opportunity elsewhere. She will become city manager with the City of Hamilton on Jan. 14.
Zvaniga, a Niagara-on-the-Lake resident, will take over the interim position on Jan. 1.
Coun. Gary Burroughs doesn’t agree with the process followed to appoint an interim CAO, he said in open session on Friday, adding his displeasure is “not about the individual,” and that he has no reason to believe Zvaniga is not qualified to take the lead role at town hall.
In an interview Saturday, Burroughs elaborated on his comments, telling The Local he’s been involved in five CAO searches during his 25-year political career, which spans time as lord mayor, a regional councillor and regional chair, as well as a Niagara-on-the-Lake councillor.
Three out of those five hirings, issues arose because the process set out for searches was not followed, he said. He notes the problems that followed the hiring of Carmen D’Angelo as regional CAO, and the detailed ombudsman report that took two years to complete, with 16 recommendations to avoid it happening again — recommendations the region adopted, but NOTL did not.
It’s his opinion that Zvaniga should have been one of multiple individuals for councillors to consider.
“I thought there would be a few suggestions brought to council and discussed,” said Burroughs, adding he needed to keep his comments limited and could not talk about matters brought up in closed session.
In a news release from the town, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa said he is “optimistic about the recruitment process” for CAO and finding a suitable candidate to serve the community.
Zvaniga will not be applying for the permanent position, said Zalepa.
“Until this candidate is hired, Bruce’s significant abilities and experience make him more than well-equipped to handle the responsibilities of the interim CAO,” said the lord mayor.
Talking with The Local Sunday, Zalepa said “the process we followed is very common,” and that he consulted with members of council about options before Friday’s meeting.
He was aiming to bring three choices to council. “I managed to bring two who I thought were strong candidates,” said Zalepa.
“At the end of the day, council ultimately makes the decision,” he added, noting it’s important to have the continuity that will be provided by Zvaniga starting Jan. 1.
The town news release says Zvaniga has 40 years of experience leading municipal government services and critical infrastructure projects for various municipalities.
His executive leadership “spans multiple municipalities,” where he has overseen transformative projects such as the consolidated Niagara Transit Commission, South Niagara Falls Wastewater Systems, Hurontario Light Rail Transit, Burlington’s Prosperity Corridor, and Toronto’s Waterfront Revitalization, said the news release.
Zvaniga is a licensed professional engineer and has held significant roles in transportation organizations, including serving as the vice-chair of Intelligent Transportation Systems Canada.
The process for the recruitment of a permanent CAO is beginning shortly, and council is “committed to finding the best candidate for the role,” said the town news release.
Cluckie is not the only staffer to depart from the town recently.
Rome D’Angelo, director of operations, has resigned and recruitment efforts to replace him will begin in the New Year, said Zalepa.
Senior heritage planner Denise Horne left her position Nov. 17.