NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 29 2013
The 11th Council of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay today released a report outlining key recommendations aimed at streamlining town operations. The JW Consulting Associates Report, commissioned during the summer of 2012, also looks at operational structures, staffing requirements and reporting protocols.
“Our Council is serious about improving future hiring practices, handling current human resources challenges professionally, and building healthy relationships with both the management team and the unionized staff at the municipality,” says His Worship The Mayor Jamie Snook. “While we are not bound to implement any or all of the recommendations contained in this report, it is an important resource that will help guide us as we strive to build a better future for our community. Our main objective as a Council is to put the interests of residents first and foremost.”
The report also details impacts of the Muskrat Falls project on the community and town operations.
“The effects of Muskrat Falls will reverberate throughout all of Newfoundland and Labrador, but nowhere will feel the direct impact of this project like the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay,” reads the report. “All levels of government need to be prepared for the impact of this project and the increased demands for programs and services. All facets of the town’s operations, programs, and services will feel the pressures of increased demands almost immediately, and having the proper systems and staffing levels in place will be essential to alleviate some of these pressures.”
The report is being released in advance of the Council’s second public meeting, scheduled for today at 5 p.m. Council has established six new standing committees with terms of references aimed at ensuring the town’s operations are managed effectively and efficiently. The committees are as follows:
1. Community Services and Recreation
2. Development, Planning and Public Engagement
3. Environmental
4. Enforcement
5. Finance, Administration and Policy
6. Municipal Services