The retirement of city clerk/solicitor Myron Gulka-Tiechko has prompted organizational changes within city hall, including revising his position and creating a new role in that department.
During the July 12 regular council meeting, city council voted unanimously to accept Gulka-Tiechko’s retirement “with regret,” revise the position of city clerk/solicitor to city solicitor/director of legislative services and enforcement, and create the position of city clerk.
Gulka-Tiechko has been employed for 13 years with the City of Moose Jaw, after starting on Sept. 2, 2008. Before that, he spent nearly nine years in the legal department at SaskPower.
These changes will include renaming the city clerk/solicitor’s department to the legislative and enforcement services department and replacing the director of legislative and enforcement services (city clerk/solicitor) with a position with the same skills, background, and experience, a council report said.
Following these changes, the new legislative and enforcement services department would focus on:
- City council/legislative agendas/business
- Bylaw enforcement
- Litigation
- Legislative compliance and operational safety
- Document management
- Agreements
- Lawsuits
“The city clerk/solicitor advises — and experience has proven — that the existing dual nature of the position makes focus on either main function extremely difficult,” the report continued. “Further, there is a need to enhance bylaw enforcement, litigation and collections of fines and tickets.”
The change in organizational structure and focus, splitting the city clerk/solicitor position into one revised position and creating a dedicated city clerk role will cost $75,000 annually in salary starting in 2022, said the report. However, with the renewed focus on enforcement and collection of parking tickets in this department, this additional cost could potentially be recovered.
There will likely be minimal or no financial effect in 2021 with these changes, the report added.
A sad departure
During the discussion, every member of council expressed his or her appreciation for Gulka-Tiechko’s work with the city and his support for them.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie was particularly thankful for the city clerk/solicitor, saying whenever he came into the office around 5:30 a.m. for interviews, Gulka-Tiechko was already there and had the coffee brewing — one of his passions, along with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Similarly, the city clerk was usually the last to leave at night.
“I know how much time and hard work and effort you put into your job … ,” Tolmie said. “You’re a very well-organized person. I commend you on that. I will always miss that.”
The mayor added that he enjoyed Gulka-Tiechko’s laugh and his mentorship over the years.
The right move
These proposed changes won’t go into effect until after the 2022 budget discussion meetings, discussions that Coun. Dawn Luhning was eager to have. She thought the city clerk’s department was important and that adding bylaw enforcement services would help the community long-term.
“I think there will be some good things that will come out of this new enforcement services in this department,” she added.
Council is moving in the right direction by changing this department, agreed Coun. Crystal Froese. There are currently two city staff who handle bylaw enforcement and lack the necessary resources to be a strong team. Moving them from planning and development to legal services makes better sense.
“We often get complaints from citizens about bylaws not being enforced or not having bylaw officers out there,” she added. “Well, we don’t have resources for it. So, we have to look at strengthening that part of our city.”
Outstanding parking tickets
Coun. Heather Eby was thrilled that council was making these changes incrementally instead of all at once. This will be a good move, she continued, since Moose Jaw has a problem with outstanding parking tickets. There is roughly $1 million “or some crazy number like that” that hasn’t been collected.
There is about $940,000 in outstanding parking tickets dating back to June 2011, as the Moose Jaw Express reported in March.
Eby hoped that these changes would have a positive effect on collections. She also wondered if the two employees would move floors to join the city clerk’s department.
These changes will ensure a focus on collecting money from parking tickets since more resources will be available, said city manager Jim Puffalt. While $940,000 is a large amount that city hall is “leaving on the table,” there is no way to deal with it without more resources.
Puffalt added that those two employees might move floors but wouldn’t confirm anything until logistics and seating arrangements are worked out.
