Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Obviously, we don’t know the back story but I’m willing to bet Council showed him the door. Municipal managers salaries are way too over bloated. Good for council for showing strong leadership. The trough must end. Good luck to Derrick Bates wherever he goes.

This is the best news I have herd. Guess I’ll take my home for sale off the ,market.
No more Leafs.
Cheers

I’m not a huge fan of Mr. Bates but why would anyone want to work for this group of Councilors? I’d be out the door too if I worked there….plenty of City’s out there that have respect and appreciation for employees. PG does not.
All you folks that think we’re better off better give your head a shake. PG is already a major “no go” for anyone with any talent looking for a job within a City and that will show when the next bunch of applicants come forward.
Sad really.

Dont forget putting up with Brian Skakun and all of his Bullsh**. He should get a medal for that alone.

It will be interesting to see who gets the job next. I’m guessing they will have some connection to the group that thinks they are running this city (our esteemed Mayor and her friends).

Dear Realitycheck,

Maybe thats because the people of Prince George expect results for their tax money. PG maybe a no go for over bloated bureaucrats who are looking for a place to coast. I agree with you there. Don’t come here if thats what you are looking for.

Good for Green! She has obviously shown him the door. Glad to see the cuts are working from the top down.

What’s good for the staff should be good for the management as well. I’m not sad at all.

One of his accomplishments was left off the list….winner of the Miss-Manager of the year contest for three years running.

The best part of this is that we can get rid of this under performer without having to give him a huge severance package.

MyPG an accomplishment? More like the flavor of the month and a total waste it too has begun the long slide into obscurity, a person now has to dig on the city website to find mention of it. MyPG will soon be just a binder on the shelf beside all the other plans made but never followed up on.

Don Gowan might be giving his notice at Finning in the near future or could it be manager Marshall;)

boogy: you are about as subtle as jack ruby in your obvious bias. Leadership my _ss. Who is being lead by whom? Did you work on the campaign too?

a couple of you others: do you not see what’s going on? Yes the city is as top heavy as Dolly Parton, but there’s little doubt there is more at work here.

Too many good people dropping quick from top management positions, Dan Milburn, Bob Radloff, Mark Fercho, Grant Bains, and now City Manager Derek Bates…..this does not bode well for a City that has reached Canadian Gold Level in Progressive Excellence…..no doubt the Skakun saga together with mayor Green’s business only agenda and a bad case of council’s micro management is to blame for this unfortunate outcome, how much worst can it get! oh right the core review isn’t done yet.

Bates Leaving Post At City of P.G.
By 250 News
Friday, August 03, 2012 11:14 AM
Prince George, B.C.- City Manager Derek Bates has given notice he will not be renewing his contract when it comes due at the end of December.
Bates was hired in December of 2006, to take over the post from a retiring George Paul.
–

May I ask, who says? There is no indication in this article as to where this information came from. And, if the above has indeed happened, and Bates is leaving, was his contract nearing expiry? Did he want it renewed? Did he choose to leave or was he left with no other choice? Will there be any severance paid or any continuation of benefits?

Just wondering…

Rumour mill is working ….. starting off slowly …. should heat up shortly … good timing… the Friday before a long weekend in the summer on a nice sunny day when people have other things on their mind……

Must have got a sniff of how the review will go and show how poorly the city was managed under his direction and decided to slink out of town.

Prime example of someone who rose to a level of incompetence.

That being said….all the best in your future endevour Derek.

endeavors

I know next to nothing about the performance of the City Manager. Would any of those who have opinions on this care to explain the basis for them? Please don’t just say that we’ve got too many potholes or whatever since that doesn’t tell us whether the problem is the fault of the City Manager, the Mayor, Council, or someone else.

Bates was a decent guy and my comments are not personal but the era of bloated administrators salaries must end. Good for Council. I’m sure the story will come out at some point.

I agree that Bates did some good things but things are just not moving along. These salaries are outrageous. $200,000 I wish. Glad to see cuts at the top.

do you think the next person replacing Bates will be working for less money, or will we save money by getting all the people who worked on Shari’s campaign to give her all the advice that she needs? They have been doing that anayway.

If you want to attract a decent CEO to a large organization, publically funded or otherwise, the salary must be competitive. I believe the head of Northern Health,, Cathy Ulrich makes more money than Bates. As it reads in the article above… Bates will not be renewing his contract when it is up in December; So he is not being asked to leave but rather choosing not to stay on and I am certainly not surprised by his decision given the recent radical decisions (for better or worst) evoked by Mayor Green and council.

Yup it’s called the “Corporate Exit”, this means that as soon as you feel, think or even have a little tickle of the hairs on the back of your neck, you look to exit. Typical exit strategy for those who may be in the cross hairs of ,oh…. I don’t know, maybe a Core Review? Like so many CEO’s who bailed from companies that were looking like they were going to implode, the quickest easiest way is to choose not to “renew” your contract. Well let’s see what the “core review” comes up with once this gent is out of the line of fire.

Wanna lay bets on who’s going to bail next????? Tune in next week for the continuing saga of P.G. Love it or Leave it. ( a Quinn Martin Production )

Great letter to the editor (The core of the problem) in today’s Prince George Citizen by Glen Nicholson.

Bates wouldn’t indicate that he won’t renew his contract if he hadn’t already lined up a similar better paying job here or somewhere else.

The mayor is supposed to be in charge of everything, including telling the manager what the direction of the city is and what it will be. The manager then manages accordingly.

If the city has been heading in the wrong directon or has little idea where it is going the buck stopped/stops at the top.

Does the mayor of Calgary have a twin brother who is cut from the same cloth?

Municipal salaries are outrageous. Glad to see council standing up for the taxpayer.

Gimmie – Gimmie never gets………Good for council watching the pennies.

I think mr. Bates will be paid a hefty severence package. Then a new person will get hired. Down the road, he will get a hefty severence package. So what im saying is the taxpayer of PG is paying about double what they should be paying.
City governing is very undemocratic. They seem to have a very bad reputation.
Everytime im at the airport, I see several council members flying. It seems they all want to play politics out of town. Cant we just take care of issues in our own town?
Free traveling I guesse.

He (Bates) should have been reponsible for the core review rather than farming it out. No wonder he was tossed out.

This City is in a mess. We have huge debt, we have huge infrastructure problems, we have had bad situations with the RCMP and staff. We have supported projects that will costs us millions of dollars, and we will get diddly squat for our money.

Derek was part of the **Team** along with Kinsley, Rodgers, et al, who put us in the hole.

I suspect he does not see anything but greif in the years ahead, and is getting out of Dodge before the S..t hits the fan.

I was born in Canada

I am not associated with the SPCA

The taxpayers of this city paid the man a grand every working day and we got far from full value out of that investment. Change at the top administration levels at city hall is long overdue.

sparrow, what does the SPCA have to do all this?

Barry morris, What are we missing? How does the spca figure in all this?

Palopu, you pretty well nailed it! The gent who wrote that city governing is very undemocratic stated the obvious problem as well! I wish I would have clipped and saved the grandiose visions and promises made by all candidates during the last municipal election campaign! No evidence of much of that being remembered and actually actively being pursued now.

Maybe Mr. Bates concluded that working with Shari and company would be a career wrecker and he decided to make the break..

Mayor Green’s core review is nothing more then political hay…how can you have an honest core review when you leave out perhaps two of the most resource draining departments (Police and Fire Protection)? Almost a half million dollars to be spent on an incomplete core review, goes well with a 50 thousand dollar electric car and a 70 to 100 thousand spokes person for the mayor who makes 100 thousand plus dollars and can’t speak for her self. No wonder Mr. Bates is hitting the highway, yikes I think I would!

There are obviously a few people on here who do not understand the role of a City Manager in Canada’s typical medium sized city “Council-Manager” governance system.

The link is to an article about the City Manager of the City of Victoria. It might lead to a bit more understanding of the importance, the stature, and the accountability of that position in the day to day management of a city and the responsibility of working hand in hand with City Council, on which the Mayor has but one vote.
http://www.douglasmagazine.com/headlines/16083-city-manager-among-canadas-most-powerful-women.html

“Wanna lay bets on who’s going to bail next”

Those who felt safe with the existing City Manager but will be exposed with someone who will be hired with the understanding that he/she will need to put a more effective team in place. Those who can work with such a team will stay, those who can’t, will be given early retirement.

Be prepared folks, this will cost money in the short run. Hopefully it will be effective.

Gus, from your link:

“Stephens accepted the role of Victoria city manager in July 2009. She is responsible for all city operations including fire, engineering, parks, planning, corporate services, and sustainability.”

That’s what Bates is responsible for, that is his role.

The mayor is in charge. Who hires the manager? Where does the buck stop?

I hope whoever they get next knows how to take serious action.

I wonder how much money he wanted……I guess we will find out soon enough. We never get the whole story.

No one has mentioned the pothole problem under his rule? He should get credit for that?

Wow, we got some really smart blog commentators here! You have such amazing insights into the workings of City Hall, from just a few straight forward sentences.

Talk about troll city!

I still want to know what this has to do w/ the SPCA?

Karjai ….. you have not got the faintest clue of how much some people on here have worked with the City, have been on City committees, know the people that are being talked about, know past people who were Councillors, Mayors, City Managers, were in similar type of work, etc. etc …..

Even those who have not done a lot, and just some, or even none, are allowed to comment. That is what this site is about.

The City governance and operations is as close as we can get to watching our dollars at work to give us the best quality of services in return. If people do not even know who are the key players and what their responsibilities and accountabilities are, we are in a sad state. We cannot get this close to watching our provincial dollars spent and most certainly not watching our federal dollars spent.

Do not take the interest away! Encourage the interest, discuss various viewpoints, provide opposing views ….. and the City will benefit from it.

So, now, what can you bring to the table that has some meaning? What you brought so far has little value!!!

The person with the pen name of barrymorris has not posted on here before under that name as far as I can tell. I really do not understand what he/she was trying to get at.

Perhaps if he/she feels strongly enough about it, a clarification will be forthcoming.

“opinionated on August 4 2012 1:48 PM

I still want to know what this has to do w/ the SPCA?”

Opinionated, look at the post: “barrymorris on August 3 2012 9:46 PM

@ Lonesome Sparrow. Why are you always so mean and nasty?

I once asked Derek what he thought about you and your work at the SPCA. He said nice things. You really should be kinder.”

——————————————

Lonesome sparrow replied with the explanation of never having worked for the SPCA!

——————————————

That’s how the SPCA was dragged into it!

So this morris person thinks sparrow works for spca. Sparrow doesn’t seem to be a mean poster at all. I think Morris is way way off.

Derek Bates is a very nice man.

The question is not who are lonesome sparrow, opinionated and gus ….. All of those pen names are relatively well known here in the virtual blog world as are the real people using the pen names in the world outside the internet in at least two of the cases.

Their opinions are well known and will withstand any scrutiny by anyone outside this virtual blog world.

The question is who is “barrymorris”. That pen name is unknown here, this seemingly being the first post on this site. It comes blasting into a thread with accusations and obvious hate-filled diatribe that have nothing to do with the topic.

I think many of us understand that you are displaying the classic characteristics of a cyber bully, a user of the internet and related technologies in an attempt to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner.

Prince George …. thanks for the try …. I think the question is more why rather than how …. :-)

In barrymorris’ opinion I am a mean SOB and he is entitled to his. As the saying goes opinions are like aholes…everybody has one:)

He was wrong about my country of origin, whether I post under two names, maybe he is 0 for 3.

The total taxes I have paid as a homeowner over the last 25+ years would not cover Derek’s salary for 3 months. When thinking about in those terms I do not think it is too much to ask to have someone competent in the position.

Derek Bates might be the nicest guy in the world, but that does not mean he is doing a good job as city manager. I think that he has done a poor job and I have been consistent in calling for change in the top administration levels starting with the city manager.

If it was not such a nice day out I could list chapter and verse for you barry but feel it would be a wasted effort.

Gus:”Prince George …. thanks for the try …. I think the question is more why rather than how …. :-)”

Sure. I think it’s both! HOW did the SPCA get into the discussion? BM brought it up first. Then, Lonesome explains not being involved with it. That should have been the end of it. As for the WHY? Perhaps it’s the heat or the water, or both! Somebody is stirring the pot for whatever reasons…no real informational value as far a the Bates story goes.

——————————————

Back to the comments about good and bad managing, past and present.

The third California city has declared bankruptcy. Inability to pay huge pension benefits and salaries of its employees, mainly staff, fire and police protection. A brand new 212 million dollar library is sitting empty because there is NO money to staff and run it!

Reason why I bring this up? These cities have highly paid city managers too! Just the two services of fire protection and policing are eating up more than 69% of all San Jose taxes – these are the same two items excluded from OUR core review!

It’s easy to get an uneasy feeling!

If the purpose for allowing comments is to take shots at someone, not knowing who they are and making accusations that are not true, then we will remove your right.
Commenting is a privilege on 250, not a right.
As for people such as Barry Morris registering with a view to trying to post material to their advantage.
Remember, when you register your IP number is exposed. You may be able to hide from the general public, but others have the ability to look at your motives.
If you feel so positive about an issue then one would think putting your real name forward would be easy.

Ben Meisner.

I think that barrymorris was tying to bait Lonesome Sparrow into revealing his/her real name and occupation, by posting what they thought to be his/her occupation and place of birth.Then he tried to bait both loneome sparrow and gus into revealing there names in later posts,by saying lonesme sparrow also posted as opinionated and gus real name was (Joe).How about it barrymorris,have I figured out what your posts are really about?

I think that barrymorris is a good friend of lyle :)

BTW I even like Derek Bates.He’s a heck of a nice ma. I also think Lonesome Sparrow to be a resonable poster with good thoughts. Prince George is also a good fair poster.Heck I even like Palopu and when I see him on the street I smile and say hello. Cheetos is another one that I really enjoy. Many of these posters are real PG folks with good intentions just trying to make PG a btter place. Ya know what else? I happen to love PG even with bullies like barrymorris and lyle.
Peace everyone and enjoy this summer day.

Gus,

What I have to offer has little value? I’m not the one maligning the character of a man from the cover of anonymity.

Lots of the folks on here are taking pot shots and suggesting that the man was fired and rightfully so at that. I doubt very much these characters know this man at all, or what happened and what prompted this move by him.

Aside from that, I don’t find anything of value in these comments. It’s just gossip near as I can tell. A bunch of old hens pecking in the poop. Nothing more.

I think it’s sad really.

Karjai

In your original post, as I saw it, you offered nothing but the suggestion that the commentators on here were all stupid and had no insight into the workings of City Hall. That is the assumption which I responded to.

In my response I suggest that those who comment on here have a whole spectrum of background. Some have a considerable understanding and knowledge of the workings of City Hall and its many players both from personal contact as well as common observation of public actions or inactions over many years. Others simply observe what is going on in this community from the point of view of services delivered and the quality of that service related to the value received for the money paid.

Anyone who takes on a public role, especially a paid role such as Councillors, Mayors, City Managers and other senior City management position, is subject to public scrutiny. It goes with the territory. That is true for City, Regional, Provincial and Federal governments as well as other public bodies such as School Districts, Health Authorities, Universities and Colleges, and any associated government operated corporations.

Locally, we have seen that with the past manager of the airport, a past president of the University, three past managers of the local economic development office (I know, some people’s memories are short or they were not close enough to the events to care) several past provincial premiers, the present premier of BC, virtually all prime ministers, several MPs and MLAs as well ……. I may have left out a few.

As they say, if you cannot stand the heat of public office, whether an elected one or an appointed one, then please remove yourself or get on with doing your job.

This has nothing to do with the personality of the individual. It just happens that for those who are at the head or near the head of the pack and at whose desk the buck stops along the way in such a fashion that what they do with that buck become visible, are also subject to public scrutiny and comment.

So protest as much as you will, but as I said in my previous post, public comment is a characteristic of an open government.

As far as anonymity goes, I do not think that anyone is hiding behind anonymity. I, for one, am known to many of those who I make comments about and I suggest there are others as well. The level of “hiding” varies.

That aside, what I liken the comments to, on the various internet sites which provide an opportunity for comments, is the opening of the suggestion boxes and surveys not only to the bureaucrat or surveyor who normally gets to see that information, privately examine it, and then present some sort of summary to the great unwashed, but to those who actually care enough to take the time to makes suggestions and answer surveys in the hope that their thought matter and that the good service will be rewarded and continue and the poor service will be adjusted and improved.

I know, it is a very utopian and naive notion, isn’t it?

As far as whether Derek Bates decided life was too short and he needed to take a more relaxing or demanding job, or whether he was encouraged to leave, or whether there are elements of constructive dismissals involved, who knows.

As with all the others we have seen come and go, most of us will never find out unless one is close to the individuals involved. Even then, one will typically encounter several versions from different viewpoints and the reality is often somewhere in between.

Will this be good or bad for the City of Prince George?

THAT is yet to be seen.

Now the governance side of the City is in the hot seat.

Will they do the right thing?

Do they know how to do the right thing?

I doubt any of them have ever been in this situation – having to decide what to do with a public operation which has an operating and capital budget in the $200million/year range and the person they have relied on has for all intents and purposes left the building.

A bit more than good luck is needed for this as far as I am concerned.

Oh, and Karjai, have we talked about the general mood of the City Hall workplace over the past year or even more yet?

That is not a factor to be taken too lightly and simply dismissed. As we all know, a down in the dumps workplace is not a productive workplace ………

I am not sure who is doing the cheerleading these days, but I think they could use some help in that department. There are a few Councillors who I suspect have the capability of doing that, but I do not think that is enough to cut it.

“Posted by: gus on August 5 2012 3:11 PM”

Great post, if there were a *post of the month* competition, this one would have a chance of taking first prize!

Well, the month just began, so let’s see some more great entries!