Boxes still have not been unpacked and he has not quite decided where to put the desk in his corner office, but new City of Powell River chief administrative officer (CAO) Russell Brewer said he cannot wait to get started.
“I’m good to go,” said Brewer.
Brewer took over the job on Wednesday, December 5. He has been transitioning with former CAO Mac Fraser and meeting directors and managers of all of the city’s departments.
Brewer, who served on Powell River city council for seven years, said he is as prepared as possible.
There are challenges the new CAO is stepping right into, but he said he does not see them as overwhelming. Hemlock Street is one, with the city recently ordered by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to remediate the loop section of the roadway.
“There's not a lot of cases where appeals have been successful,” said Brewer, adding that it is more likely the city will have to remove the road.
“I'm hopeful an appeal will be successful and we've got a good case,” he said. “But if it's not successful obviously we have to implement the remediation order as best we can and as cheaply as we can.
Also, a petition from Allan Drummond, a council candidate in the recent municipal election, went before the Supreme Court of BC on Monday, December 10. Drummond has petitioned the court to declare the recent municipal election invalid because of voter irregularities.
Brewer will also undertake strategic planning and a new CUPE agreement has to be negotiated as the contract expires at the end of December. Detailed designs of the new Townsite wastewater treatment plant need to be finalized, infrastructure must be found for building the facility and the Sustainable Official Community Plan requires revision.
As CAO, Brewer becomes, in effect, the person who runs Powell River. He said he is optimistic about taking over the job fully.
“I base that on the view of the vibe, the buzz happening in town on a number of fronts, development and tourism,” he said. “There's a lot of activity in a number of sectors that bodes well for Powell River.
