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This issue is being faced by resort villages with <100 residents but we are sending this information to all of our members. |
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HERE'S WHAT OUR SMALL RVs ARE DEALING WITH: |
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IMPICATION OF AMENDMENTS TO BILL 194:
Background:
The events summarized in the column on the right have caused significant concern for a number of our member communities and, as a result, for our PARCS Board. Our Board’s initial concern focused on whether a significant number of villages with fewer than 100 residents would be competing to recruit a replacement administrator from a severely depleted candidate pool. We also wondered about the impact on the lives of our non-certified administrators who had made career decisions based on recently-discarded rules.
Survey Consultation
On October 18, 2020 PARCS sent a survey via Constant Contact to 26 resort villages and 77 regular villages, all with fewer than 100 residents. Although only the resort villages were PARCS members - with the support of Municipalities of Saskatchewan, we also sought the input of the regular villages - realizing that we would likely all be impacted by the resulting changes to the pool of available candidates to fill vacancies created by administrators departing as a result of the new rules.
The survey closed Nov. 2, 2020. As a result of the survey input and individual consultations with many administrators affected, the PARCS Board has offered the two suggestions on the following pages to the Minister, SUMA, SARM and UMAAS .
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EVENTS FROM THIS PAST SUMMER
On July 3, 2020, Bill 194 was passed amending the Municipalities Act, the Northern Municipalities Act, and the Cities Act, such that, by January 1, 2021, all municipal administrators must be certified.
Prior to this amendment, municipalities with a population fewer than 100 were exempt from the requirement that their administrators be certified.
On August 12, 2020, 124 email letters went out from your Ministry’s Manager of Sector Relations to 124 small municipalities (25 resort villages and 99 other small municipalities, all of which had, by most recent census, permanent populations of fewer than 100 persons), informing them of the legislative changes.
On August 17, 2020 follow-up emails from the Board of Examiners offered three opportunities to non-compliant administrators:
1) Current administrators who have completed the LGA program or equivalent and worked for at least one year, may apply for an office inspection leading to a Standard Certificate.
2) Current administrators without the required education can apply for a Conditional Certificated prior to completing the LGA program with mentoring and ultimately applying for the Standard Certificate.
3) Administrators could agree to an 18 month period of continued employment prior to retirement on June 30, 2022.
PARCS was not notified by the Ministry regarding these upcoming changes, but instead learned about them from our member municipalities.
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SUGGESTION #1 – PARCS suggests that the timeline for all three opportunities outlined in the Board of Examiner’s Aug. 17 memo be each extended by one additional year.
The 4-month deadline for implementing these changes could not have come at a more challenging time. Not only were Boards managing their elections (resort village elections this summer, other municipal elections this November), but they were faced with the challenges posed by Covid-19 (moving offices to home, holding board meetings virtually, setting new guidelines/bylaws regarding safety from Covid-19), not a good time for considering how to cope with important changes to their administrator’s employment status. As we continue to work through the Covid-19 restrictions into 2021, it only makes sense that we allow more time for dialogue and planning about this issue.
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SUGGESTION #2 – In addition to the 3 options already offered by the Board of Examiners, PARCS suggest that those administrators who wish to finish their careers in their current positions (and whose Boards are in agreement) but who are not yet ready to retire, be offered the opportunity to earn a TEMPORARY END-OF-CAREER CERTIFICATE.
PARCS suggests the following option in lieu of 5 university classes (offered only to those administrators who began working under the understanding that they would NOT need a certificate in a small municipality) could be for the province to offer a series of 5 virtual workshops on important topics whereby, for example, every workshop might count in lieu of an LGA course.
The discussions built into these webinars would be tailored to experienced administrators seeking to extend their qualifications until they retire.
Perhaps one virtual workshop could be offered every year, beginning with 2021, for 5 years.
It is further suggested that mentoring or office inspections will not be easily facilitated while COVID restrictions continue into 2021 and mentoring could be either waived or reduced for these end-of-career experienced administrators working on their END-OF-CAREER CERTIFICATE.
These experienced administrators who are currently being forced either to retire or to take the 5 LGA classes (with mentoring) are feeling that they have been treated very unfairly (note individual quotes from survey returns).à
PARCS points out that these administrators who have been working for small municipalities have been working under the understanding that they would not be required to become certified. Meanwhile, they have acquired valuable experience which should be acknowledged in offering them a once-only opportunity for a special certificate.
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Survey Comments from Administrators affected:
#8 – After 31 years, I am being forced to retire. I believe that the Board of Examiners should pay a severance package to all administrators who are forced to retire. My contract says that I must retire at age 65. By accepting option 3, I will be 2.5 years away from retirement. I am also told that I will need to train the new administrator who has a certificate.
#12 – I have held this position for 8 years and am within 4 years of retiring. There should be a 5-year transition period.
#16 – Council must accept our resignations by June 30, 2022. This is not what Council wants to do. I cannot receive a severance package if I resign. The province should pay a severance package. Our village is in good shape, in compliance, never had revenue sharing withheld. So what’s the problem?
#17 – I am 60, worked 31 years but had no intention of retiring early. I have been doing 3 jobs that each pay into the same pension plan. I cannot take out my pension if I am still working the other 2 jobs.
#21 – I have been in my current position for 5 years and feel that my knowledge acquired during early mentoring make me qualified for the work I do.
#27 – I have had this job for 14 years. I am 56 years of age and have no desire to start on the classes.
#30 – With 18 years at this position, I believe certain exceptions should be made. I don’t feel that I can retire at this time – so I am being forced to take the training.
#31 – I have resigned and I fear this community will not find a replacement who has a certificate.
#35 – I am given no choice. I have nearly 20 years of experience. I do not believe the courses will have much to offer me. Yes there should be standards for all administrators, but consideration for experience should have been weighed into this matter.
#39 - I believe that they should have given Council more time to find a qualified administrator. It will be hard to find an Admin for part-time work and small communities may find it difficult to afford the cost of a qualified person. Also, I feel we do a very good job with what we need to know for under 100 residents.
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In conclusion, the PARCS Board wishes it known that:
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PARCS does indeed support, in principle, the goal that ultimately each municipal administrator should be certified.
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PARCS hopes the province will take some additional time to step-back, allowing more opportunity for achieving the goal that all of our municipal administrators become certified while also offering more flexible ways of so doing
As of today, there are 12 vacancies for administrators posted on the UMAAS website. The PARCS Board feels that by lengthening the time frame and by implementing a once-only end-of-career certificate, current non-certified administrators will be able to complete their current contracts with the dignity they deserve, while the province has time to prepare for their exit. Let’s plan for an orderly transition to having all of our administrators certified and avoid a deluge of vacancies.
PARCS calls on Minister McMorris to act quickly, calling on the Ministry of Government Relations staff to add these suggestions to their implementation plan.
PARCS calls on the Municipalities of Saskatchewan, SARM, and UMAAS to collaborate with the Ministry of Government Relations in adding this additional time plus this additional end-of-career-certificate to the Ministry’s plan to have all administrators certified.
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TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE CLICK ON THE PARCS LOGO AT THE NEWSLETTER'S TOP. |
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