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Council looks for new leader

Administrator Jim Godfrey now responsible for overseeing Whistler's role in the Olympics

The hunt is on for someone to fill the municipality's top job.

After nine years at the helm of the resort municipality, Municipal Administrator Jim Godfrey is no longer steering Whistler's ship.

Instead he assumes a newly-created role at the hall where he will oversee Whistler's role in the 2010 Games.

On Tuesday council announced Godfrey's new position in the organization – Executive Director for the 2010 Games, Whistler. The job begins immediately while council puts out the search for a new administrator.

For a man who has been a municipal administrator for more than 20 years, the last nine of which have been in Whistler, the move marks a watershed moment in his career.

"I've been an administrator since the early ’80s so it's something that I've been doing for a long time," said Godfrey the day of the announcement. "But this is really a very special and unique opportunity and it'll be great for me, so I'm really quite excited about it."

But the quickness of the announcement has caught some members of the community off-guard, particularly since Godfrey's new role leaves a gaping hole at municipal hall.

"I'm surprised it was so sudden," said local businessman Bob Lorriman.

"To do it effective immediately and then dump more work load on other people, it just doesn't sound like a well-thought out, well-planned moved."

According to council this wasn't a snap decision – it has been in the works for months.

Godfrey's contract with the municipality expired last May. That was followed by a six-month extension. Since October, however, Godfrey has been working on a month to month basis.

When asked why that contract wasn't renewed last year Councillor Nick Davies said: "We were in negotiations with respect to that contract. Historically this council has not been a council that has always done things in a timely manner but we were confident that the contract would have been renewed."

But as the negotiations evolved, this new role developed.

"This wasn't a minor decision," said Councillor Gordon McKeever. "It wasn't taken lightly."

Davies admits that in a perfect world council would have filled the role of administrator before moving Godfrey to a new position but added that he does not think this is a dangerous strategy.

Mayor Hugh O'Reilly, who has worked closely with Godfrey throughout his nine years as mayor, explained that council was looking to find a way to utilize Godfrey's talents and his wealth of experience. They also recognized that the job of municipal administrator had grown increasingly more time consuming with the Olympic workload.

"We were asking too much of one individual," said O'Reilly.

The new position means Godfrey will be Whistler's point man for the Olympics.

He was the obvious choice, according to Davies, who said it was the uniqueness of the role that commended Godfrey to the job.

Godfrey will continue to fulfil his role on the board of directors of the Vancouver Organizing Committee in addition to his roles as chair of VANOC's human resources committee, member of the finance and governance committees and a board member of the 2010 LegaciesNow.

"That (Olympic) role, in and of itself, already is a full time position," said Councillor Kristi Wells. "It's really too much to ask Jim to continue (filling both roles.)"

The new contract will last until June 2010, with no extension after that date. Godfrey will report to council in the interim and then to the new administrator once that position is filled.

The City of Vancouver has created a similar position to represent their interests in the Olympics.

Councillor Caroline Lamont recognizes the community may question why Whistler needs to add another senior staff salary to the municipal budget. Godfrey's exact salary was not released but it is comparable to what he was making as administrator. According to the 2003 statements of financial information, he was earning more than $200,000 two years ago.

"I think they (the community) need to understand that the Olympics need to be done right," said Lamont.

"In reality we have just as many events (as Vancouver), we'll have just as many athletes and we'll have just the same size athletes village. I think our community needs to understand that. We're trying to be as proactive as the City of Vancouver."

John Nelson, general manager of corporate services, said the municipality has money set aside specifically for Olympic activities in the event support reserve.

"There has been funding set aside for Olympic activities over the last few years so funds are available for it (the new position)," explained Nelson.

In last year's financial plan the event support reserve had $300,000 in it.

The 2005 plan will be made public later this month but Nelson said the reserve should have $400,000 for this year.

That fact that Godfrey was chosen to represent Whistler in this role was almost a no-brainer, according to council members.

Not only has he been involved from the Olympic bid process from day one, Godfrey also helped draft many of the contracts and promises that have been made to Whistler in exchange for co-hosting the Games. He was instrumental in developing Whistler’s guiding principles, which dictate how Whistler will reap the benefits of the Games.

"There's nobody that knows the contracts and the promises made as well as Jim does," said the mayor.

Wells added that Godfrey brings continuity to negotiations, a wealth of knowledge and long established relationships with the key Olympic players.

Other members of council echoed her thoughts.

"We have a once in a lifetime opportunity with these Games," said McKeever. "It's very important that they run well but also that Whistler derives full value from this experience. And so, by putting Jim on the job, he was a natural choice in his very strong role on the Bid Corp. and now he is an integral member of VANOC.

"Jim gets to move into this very important position. We have the surety of that strength but also we can benefit from his guidance at a more arm’s length basis in the administration of the town. So we're not losing that talent."

Council is now in charge of finding a new municipal administrator. They are hoping the position is filled within the next six months.

Council may promote from within the organization but will also extend the search outwards for other worthy candidates.

O'Reilly recognizes that at this time in Whistler's history, in the lead up to the Olympic Games, the position will likely attract a high calibre of talent.

In the meantime most of Godfrey's responsibilities will move to the shoulders of the senior team at municipal hall, namely Deputy Administrator Bill Barratt and other senior staff.

Godfrey will keep working on some key responsibilities as they relate to negotiations with the province, namely the issue of the Fitzsimmons land slip, the Class 1/Class 6 tax differential and the long-awaited financial tools, until the new administrator is found.

Godfrey's first task in his new role is to prepare a comprehensive business plan that will guide Whistler's actions over the next number of years.

"It will build on the guiding principles that were earlier approved by council and will clearly articulate what our objectives are over the next five years and will outline an approach how we collectively will move forward to achieve those objectives," explained Godfrey.

Wells is hoping the plan will be delivered before November's municipal election.

Godfrey has been Whistler's administrator since November 1996, when O'Reilly was first elected as mayor. Three years into his five-year contract, he tendered his resignation to council, citing personal reasons, to take up a position as city manager for the District of West Vancouver. Loathe to let him go, council managed to convince him stay on as administrator.

O'Reilly said Godfrey’s biggest legacy as Whistler's administrator is the creation of the two vision documents which are guiding the resort's path – Whistler 2002 and the ongoing Whistler 2020 (Comprehensive Sustainability Plan).

But even without those physical legacies, the mayor said Godfrey's other huge gift to Whistler has been drawing the best out of municipal staff.

The move comes at a time when council is putting the finishing touches on a governance review, which details the roles and responsibilities of the mayor and council and the administrator and staff.

"It's really healthy for an organization to be able to pass that one to a new administrator," said Wells.

The governance review should be coming before council within the month and could prompt an overall organizational review of municipal hall in the near future.