The Manning River Times has received correspondence and comment on social media about the process surrounding the resignation of MidCoast Council’s general manager Glenn Handford.
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A recurring theme is that council should have met and formally accepted the general manager’s resignation.
Pattie Hogan attended the January 16 meeting as an interested ratepayer, “to see the Local Government rules applied to the process of the general manager’s resignation,” she said in a letter to the Times. “Unfortunately this is not happening, it may well be the timing of the resignation but it has become a fiasco and embarrassment to this council.”
The Manning River Times sought council comment on the process and has been advised by MidCoast Council of the following.
General manager’s resignation
The general manager has resigned in accordance with Clause 10.3.2 of his contract by providing four weeks written notice to council. The effective date of resignation is February 2, 2018. This means council still has a general manager until February 2 and the general manager is Glenn Handford.
Under the terms of the general manager’s contract with council there is no requirement for the resignation to be reported to council and there is no legislative requirement for a formal resolution to accept the resignation. Mr Handford is simply terminating the contract in accordance with the terms of his employment.
The mayor has delegated authority to approve any leave for the general manager. The mayor and general manager discussed the handover arrangements and it was agreed that the general manager would continue to work through his period of notice to ensure a smooth transition.
Council will have to appoint an acting general manager to cover the period until the appointment of the new general manager. This can occur when council meets on January 24.
The task of recruiting a new general manager will be guided by the Office of Local Government Director General's Guidelines for the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers. The process for this is set out in the report to MidCoast Council published in the business paper for the January 16, 2018 meeting which was adjourned and will now be considered on January 24, 2018.
It is expected practice in the public and private sector that when a general manager resigns there is a handover period.
Extraordinary council meeting on January 16
A request to hold an extraordinary meeting of council was lodged by two councillors. Once this request is received the mayor must call a meeting within 14 days. This is why the meeting on January 16 was called. Once a meeting is called there is no provision in the Local Government Act or the regulations for a council meeting to be abandoned or cancelled. The meeting must be opened and then adjourned if a quorum is not present within half an hour.
The two councillors requesting the meeting were Kathryn Bell and Peter Epov.
Mrs Hogan said the behaviour of the public in the gallery on January 16 was “exemplary.
“It was very quiet during the short address by the mayor and then meeting was suspended for 30 minutes.
“During this time people were in conversation about that the meeting, the discussion being the public being notified that it was not going ahead.
“Two members of the public stood up at the end of the meeting and voiced their displeasure of the non-attendance of councillors,” Mrs Hogan said.
