Staff members resign

The municipality has some crucial positions to fill after its finance officer resigned last month and its public works director announced that he will leave later this month.

Don Piche, the municipality’s director of finance and administration, put in his last day on the job on Dec. 29. He left his position with the city administration to become the treasurer for the newly created municipality of Jasper, Alberta.

Piche’s departure comes at time when the city council is deep into its budget plans. The city is also struggling to find money to pay for basic infrastructure projects, such as getting the sewage treatment plant in operation and building an incinerator.

Rick Butler, chief administrative officer, said it’s key the city fill that position as soon as possible.

Butler said he expects the search may be difficult because the Nunavut government is also in the midst of recruiting finance officers.

Because of the competition, the city is embarking on a major recruitment drive to attract a new finance director.

The council voted this week to spend $20,000 to find a director. Cathy Simpson and Associates, a Calgary-based firm that helps corporations search for executives, has been awarded the contract.

Paul Fraser will also be leaving a void at the city when he resigns on Jan. 18 . Fraser, the director of public works and services, is leaving his position to become a community training officer with the GN’s Community Government department.