Westlock chief administrative officer Darrell Garceau is leaving the town for a second time.
Garceau submitted his resignation on May 31, said mayor Bruce Lennon and his last day will be June 21. Garceau was unable to be reached for comment.
Garceau is in his second term as town manager, having returned to Westlock on July 2, 2008 following a year-and-a-half hiatus. He had also been town manager from September 2002 until July 2006 before leaving for a post in Chase, B.C. In between Garceau’s terms as CAO, Norm McInnis served in that role.
This time, Garceau is once again returning to British Columbia, Lennon said.
“He’s taken another position in Williams Lake, B.C.,” Lennon said.
It’s been an eventful second term for Garceau and the town, Lennon said, with the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre project being the most significant event during that time.
“That was a bit of an issue in terms of the amount of work and time and things that go into such a big building,” he said.
Factoring in the scope of the entire project and the issues surrounding county involvement and Balon Contracting entering receivership, Lennon said he thinks the project took its toll on Garceau.
All told, Lennon said he feels Garceau has been a boon to Westlock in his two tours of duty in the town.
However, he added it might be a good thing for Westlock to bring in a new CAO, explaining new blood and new ideas are never a bad thing.
Looking at the timing of Garceau’s departure, Lennon said the town has not been put in a tough position — the budget has been completed and there are no major projects in the offing.
Plus, with an administrative staff that has a lot of experience, he said the town is in good hands in the short term.
“We’re anticipating for the interim we can keep things going,” he said.
However, Lennon said the town won’t take its time finding a new CAO, and may in fact hire one on an interim basis to come in two to three days a week, “just to keep the ship upright.”
The hunt for a permanent CAO will start soon, despite challenges having already been foreseen.
“In Alberta, in our experience, it’s been very difficult to get a CAO,” Lennon said. “They’re in demand, especially somebody with experience. If we could hire someone tomorrow, we would.”
