City Hall Mum on Lane’s Departure
Friday, August 23, 2013 @ 10:37 AM
Prince George, B.C. – City Hall is not talking about the departure of Fire Chief John Lane.He resigned yesterday after being in the post as Chief for just over 2 years.
The City’s Communications Manager, Chris Bone says “The City does not comment on personnel matters.” She would not confirm if Lane was offered a severance package, repeating “The City does not comment on personnel matters.”
The timing of Chief Lane’s departure has raised some questions about possible links with the recent charge brought against one of the P.G. Fire Rescue firefighters. 250News can put that speculation to rest, as Chief Lane was not, part of that investigation.
Lane was named Chief in 2011, taking over from Jeff Rowland who retired. At the time, Lane told 250News he had no thoughts of retiring any time soon, saying he planned to be in the post "for a long time".
Comments
I have never understood why the city is able to hide behind “.. does not comment on personnel matters”.
This is a money, maybe a contract matter. Using their logic I am surprised we are allowed to know any figures , at all, relating to salaries of city employees.
Why is it any of your business why Lane resigned? Maybe he has a terminal illness. Maybe he has personal reasons. Why do you insist on things that aren’t a concern to the public. Seriously. Just because he worked for a city department doesn’t mean you are entitled to an answer. I’ll never understood looky loos who need answers to everything even when it doesn’t concern them. The fire dept will run fine without him, they have a replacement. That’s really all you should be concerned about in this regard.
I personally don’t care that he resigned and am not sure why it is news. Whatever!
That being said, I am human, and I do wish him the best in whatever else he decides to do :)
Agreed! Who cares, and why is this news!
The comment had to do with the severance package. I agree, anything else is of a personal nature and is private.
The money side of the severance will come out in next year’s salary report when it shows ho much he was paid in 2013. It came out with several others – IPG, Airport Authority, UNBC.
Don’t worry, most things will become known over time. In the meantime the rumour mill will be grinding away.
Just imagine if we would be told why he left ….. the rumour mill will still be grinding away because people will say the media release is hiding the truth ….
One cannot win.
I think we should note that this does not happen at Canfor or Save-On-Foods or Sears …. they are private … Lane is public. It comes with the job, pure and simple.
“slow day at the media desk?”
When it gets right down to it, it always is.
Just think of how happy the CNNs of this world are when they have a nuclear blow up, major earthquake, more than 4 firemen killed in a wildfire, hostage taking, etc. They have material for 2 days to a week.
Whenever a person works in a place of public visibility, they are also under public scrutiny. That’s too bad. I support and respect his decision to leave. His reasons are his alone. No one else needs to know why he is leaving.
If he simply retired, then he shouldn’t get a severance package and case closed.
If he gets the severance package than clearly he was shown the door and that would be a matter for the public to know… how much did it cost us to show him the door, and was it a clash of personalities or was it performance related, and hence was it worth the cost of the severance?
Who cares?
I echo stonekickers comment. Who cares?
I think that speculation makes the Internet run.. It gives all of the means to jump to all kinds of conclusions… Facts be damned, there are so many reasons people retire..but let’s focus on all the wrong reasons, makes better gossip then the good ones :)
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