TUESDAY AUGUST 5, 2013
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
www.pqbnews.com
BCYCNA
Silver 2013 General Excellence
BAMBOOZLED IN COOMBS
GENERALS FEELING OPTIMISTIC
A unique shop in a unique location is featured
Local junior hockey team excited about new season with camp two weeks away
A21
A29
QUALICUM BEACH
Severance totals $371K Town pays big after departure of CAO and corporate admin staffer LISSA ALEXANDER reporter@pqbnews.com
It cost the Town of Qualicum Beach more than $370,000 to sever ties with two senior staff members in the past 10 months. The NEWS obtained the data through a Freedom of Information request. CAO Mark Brown retired last October at the age of 53 after 33 years of employment with the municipality. He was paid $133,250 in severance pay, $37,351 in accrued vacation and $68,184 in accrued leave, otherwise known as sick leave. Trudy Coates was the corporate administrator for the town for seven years. In March of this year, it was announced she would be leaving her position as a result of restructuring and downsizing of the management team as the town said it was trying to reduce costs. Coates was paid $98,695 in severance, $11,344 in accrued vacation and $22,688 in accrued leave (sick pay) in accordance with Town policy. Mayor Teunis Westbroek reacted to the news by e-mail on Thursday. “Do I think the numbers you have cited are high and are they of concern to me? In a word, yes to both questions,” the mayor wrote. “However, you must also be aware that the town is bound by legal and contractual obligations, including existing policies and bylaws. We have to make payments in accordance with those legal obligations.” Westbroek also added that council deliberately delayed replacing the CAO to help balance most of those costs. New CAO Daniel Sailland starts his job in the first week of September. The Qualicum Beach Residents Association QBRA) declined to comment on the appropriateness of the payments but suggested that the information obtained by The NEWS begs more questions than it answers. “What were the reasons for the sudden departure of the town’s two most senior employees? Also, what are the total costs resulting from their dismissal, including the executive search service retained by the town to assist with the recruitment of Mr. Brown’s replacement?” read the e-mail statement from Bill Adkins, on behalf of the QBRA board. See SENIOR STAFF, page A7
CANDACE WU PHOTO
CAR SHOW WINNER: Grai Beal took home first prize for his 1966 GTO Pontiac at the Blast From the Past Show and Shine hosted last Saturday at the Coombs Fair Grounds. See our Facebook page — www.facebook.com/PQBNews — for more photos from the car show.
WOODSHIELD EXTERIOR LATEX SOLID STAIN
1395 W. Island Highway, Parksville
250-752-5565
Monday-Friday 7- 6, Saturday 8 - 6, Sunday & Holidays 9 - 5 Locally Owned & Operated
SALE $26.97 Reg. $31.99
3.4Litres • SKU: 1868553, 679, 688, 697, 788 (On Sale August 5 th - 10 th 2014)
Come in and r speak to Jim ou e ar Home Hardw Paint Expert