Changes ahead, as council works through summer break
Official council meetings are on summer hiatus, but closed-door meetings have continued, with work clearly going on behind the scenes. It was announced today that former Building Inspector Dave Butler has been reinstated to the position of Lions Bay Building Inspector and Approving Officer, according to the July 28 Village Update.
There have also been rumblings that council is getting closer to hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), who would be the fourth person to hold the position this year, but this has not been confirmed. The Watershed has contacted provincial advisor Randy Diehl for comment.
As reported by The Watershed back in February, Butler resigned his position earlier this year after 26 years of service. His subsequent offer to return at the time was declined. But now, with the potential for a new CAO before the end of the summer, a full complement of councillors, and a dearth of fully qualified replacements, the appetite for Butler's return has clearly strengthened. After the news dropped today, Butler said he was happy to help get the Village "back on track and moving forward."
This could bode well for home renovations and construction in the village this summer, which have almost completely ground to a halt.
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A difficult situation and a difficult decision for Council who have acted in the best interests of the Village (avoiding potential litigation) and in the bests interests of the many residents frustrated by their inability to move their projects forward. Once everything is caught up, the next challenge will be a realistic transition plan for Dave Butler to be able to step back knowing that the village will be well served.
This doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve had great conversations with Dave, but this seems too political
heres another perspective
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lionsbayvillage.ca/permalink/673857274117871/
Initially, I was glad to see Dave back, because he had been helpful on my building projects...but was unaware of the circumstances and now it appears far more complex than the one-line "Butler back in." I hope the watershed can give the full picture of how and why Dave Butler came back.
This is a most positive development! The residents of Lions Bay will undoubtedly benefit by having Dave Butler back on the scene complete with his knowledge and experience. The mayor must be very pleased to know that things are at last starting to run smoothly in the Village.
Such good news!