The Chairman of the City’s Human Resource Management Committee on Mon-day sought to have council approve a timeline for the advertisement of several vacancies including Town Clerk and City Treasurer.
“These acting appointments should not still be on our agenda. At the last meeting of the committee it was agreed that they should be advertised. This [Statutory] meeting therefore can decide the committee should consider the content of the advertisement and bring it to council. I would like that to be decided and put in the minutes so that the next time we meet we don’t have to discuss whether we should or we should not,” councillor Oscar Clarke who chairs the committee announced.
The issue of the vacant positions in the City Administration was brought to the fore after several councillors expressed concerns over the functioning of the City’s Engineer’s Department while its head Colvern Venture proceeds on 70 days’ vacation leave.
Councillor Heston Boswick noted that he could not support Venture proceeding on leave until after various infrastructure projects are completed in the 15 constituencies.
“We find it difficult to get answers about projects in the absence of the substantive head so I’m concerned with the projects now beginning,” he explained.
Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore in turn noted that the absence of a substantive Deputy Engineer since the resignation of Ron Eastman almost a year ago has compounded the issue.
“Deputy City Engineer, Town Clerk and Treasurer these are three vacant position in this council which are critical and we must address this issue, maybe not at this meeting but at one shortly,” he said.
Clarke in response called for a directive to be given and a timeline set but his request did not result in a motion and the way forward remains unclear.
The City administration was officially informed of the vacancy in the position of Town Clerk in January and had been expected to advertise for Royston King’s replacement since then.
Chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Mortimer Mingo had indicated that while the LGC will appoint the new Town Clerk it is expected that the full council will select and recommend the candidate.
“They have to advertise and then their Human Resource Committee will make a shortlist and conduct interviews. Following these interviews they will make a selection which full council will ratify and send to us for an appointment,” Mingo had explained.
At the January 28 Statutory Meeting, acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe read to Council a letter sent to King which indicated that he failed to respond to the charge proffered against him either in writing or orally.
Further according to the LGC, King did not “deny the charge of gross misconduct led against him” and therefore had been terminated with immediate effect.
King was dismissed via letter, dated Wednesday, January 23rd.
Disciplinary action against King, a forensic audit and a criminal investigation are three of the 31 recommendations made by retired Justice Cecil Kennard, who conducted a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the financial affairs of City Hall.
As part of his findings, Kennard had charged King with gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, and conspiracy, among other things. The report, submitted on November 30th last year, specifically identified as questionable the manner in which King leased lands and awarded contracts.
Additionally City Treasurer Ron McCalman whom the CoI recommended proceed on early retirement due to illness submitted a request to Council for same. McCal-man had been absent from duty since February 2018 and Kennard noted that to be absent from such an important position is clearly undesirable.
