Dear editor,
I wholeheartedly agreed with the concerns letter-writer Judy Stewart recently raised about our Town CAO, Mike Derricott, taking a second job – a breach of his employment contract.
As Ms. Stewart pointed out, “Council’s decision to deem this ‘OK’ was not properly made.”
The latter needs to be clarified. According to the Cochrane Eagle's report (“Town of Cochrane CAO addresses controversy regarding second job” on June 30, 2023, some kind of meeting took place with council where Derricott “shared the intentions of his side business” and where in response, there was supposedly a wink and a nod from council.
That's hardly a formal motion, supposedly allowing the CAO to hold two positions at once, and it raises a lot of questions. When did this meeting between council and the CAO take place? As there is no record of an open Town council meeting where this matter was discussed, one presumes that such a meeting took place during an in-camera Session, which is closed to the public.
According to the Town’s Procedural Bylaw, “When a meeting is closed to the public pursuant to this section, no resolution…may be passed at the meeting.”
This would support Ms. Stewart’s assertion that “Council’s decision to deem this 'OK' was not properly made.”
The Town’s Code of Conduct states “the establishment of a code of conduct for members of council is consistent with the principles of transparent and accountable government.” I see little evidence of transparency in the way this matter was handled.
Ron Voss
Cochrane
