Raj Hundal’s remarks from last night’s meeting (and their meaning)

These are the remarks that current Park Board chair Raj Hundal made before yesterday’s Board meeting:

The Park Board chair has spoken, and the conditions surrounding outgoing Park Board GM Susan Mundick's departure are now like water under the bridge

• “As Chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation I accepted a letter of retirement from General Manager Susan Mundick.

• I’ll be looking forward to working with all of you in ensuring that the Park Board is a leader in that regard.

• Susan has been an incredible resource to both the Commissioners on the Board and to our staff.

• Susan feels that now is the right time to retire and I respect her decision.  Susan, you will be sadly missed and I speak on behalf of the Board when I say that we want to thank you for your dedication and years of service to the city, and we wish you the very best of luck in whatever retirement holds

• In the interests of securing a new General Manager for the Park Board, we will be moving to have an open recruitment and hiring process that will identify a new General Manager to work with the Park Board.

• The recruitment and hiring process will include input from senior City of Vancouver staff

• But ultimately, and I want to be very clear about this, the final decision on hiring a new General Manager will be made by the Park Board

• We will ensure that we have an active recruitment process that will attract the best person for our Park Board.   This hiring process will be open and will be based on best practices.

• In the coming days we will have much work to do to ensure that our programs for the Park Board are developed and secure.

• It’s no secret that the City is having financial difficulties, the time for sound financial management and planning for the Park Board has never been clearer.

• In addition to leading the search for a new General Manager, we must also ensure we are working with the City and ensuring that the Park Board interests are heard.

• This doesn’t mean creating an antagonistic relationship that will be detrimental to our interests with the City as some would like us to have

• it means bringing sound financial management and planning to the table to ensure that the best decisions are made for the Park Board interests.

• In the coming months, all Commissioners will have to work closely together to ensure that the changes the city is undergoing reflect well on the Park Board.

• We will be working strategically with City Council to ensure that Park Board programs are a priority.

• In my discussions with the Mayor, whom I will be speaking with on a regular basis about this, it’s clear to me that he sees the Park Board as being critical to the goals of the City as being the greenest city in the world.

• The City of Vancouver is our partner, not our adversary.

• I’ll be looking forward to working with all of you in ensuring that the Park Board is a leader in that regard. And we fill our most senior management position with the best and brightest that this Board will select.

Translation?  City Manager Penny Ballem’s letter to outgoing Park Board General Manager Susan Mundick was sent to ensure that she was not a part of making new hires in a spending freeze, and that her influence on her replacement was limited.

It was not about controlling the process with regards to the Park Board, but rather about ensuring that the decision is made JOINTLY by those in City Hall and at the Park Board who will be working with the new GM intimately (obviously not Mundick).

Ultimately, after all consultations are completed, it is the Board who will have the final say in Mundick’s replacement.

The Park Board does not consider itself as an island as some commentators like to point out.  Collaboration with City Council and by virtue of that fact, the City Manager’s office (who works to execute a vision as laid out by those elected by the people) is something that just makes practical and financial sense.

So once again, where exactly is the controversy?