Ahead of this year's budget talks, council has given the go-ahead for staff to start recruiting for a new position.
Tuesday, council approved creating a new corporate communications officer position.
The specific job description and salary are not available yet.
After the meeting, however, CAO Dave Landers said the person would work as part of the executive team to help with corporate messaging, issues management and strategic communications.
Right now, there is one communications role at the city.
While that job is also entitled officer, Landers said it isn’t a senior position.
“It does provide assistance and guidance to the senior management of the corporation and to council on some communications issues, monitoring social media and whatnot, but what we’re talking about is a higher-level position and one of a strategic management type of direction,” he said.
The salary, he said, will be based on what the job entails.
In the next week or so, he said staff will do an internal rating to “determine what the responsibility would equal in terms of salary.”
The move to create the position stemmed from a corporate communications update from Landers.
Within the corporation, he told council there are challenges at the strategic communication level.
“A lot of the outward-facing communications to the community, to stakeholders, and, in particular, in terms of issue management is a challenge as we don’t have dedicated staff or resources to take on issues,” he said.
Landers explained the city is often reacting to issues in the community and on social media and that it “takes some time to get back in front of the messaging or to provide some clear messaging.”
He noted Porcupine Lake, where residents have been vocal about sewage being pumped into the water, is the perfect example.
“Far too many times incorrect messaging has been out there in front of us for too long and some of that incorrect messaging becomes the perceived wisdom or truth, and it’s in fact not correct,” said Landers. “That becomes a challenge and it takes away from staff and department heads in terms of delivering on the activities and the work within their areas.”
Compared to Sault Ste. Marie or Sudbury, Landers said Timmins is lagging in its “ability to give responsive issues management information quickly and to also press our point with government and develop strategies in order to move the city forward in areas like public relations or advocacy for political issues on behalf of council.”
Mayor George Pirie pushed for the council’s support on the item.
He said the biggest shortfall is in strategic communications.
By not controlling the communications agenda, he believes it’s affected the way other communities in the north and government view the city.
“I think there’s been a couple of painful instances already that this council’s been a part of and certainly it was painful to watch past communications that involved the council and citizens within the community. We want to move so that we’re in front of the conversation, we’re in front of the communications, we’re directing the communications,” he said.
With the budget process starting in the coming weeks, Coun. Noella Rinaldo said adding a new position should be part of that.
“We ran on fiscal responsibility, some of us were very adamant about that and a new position is a big deal,” she said. “We have really tried to make sure that we don’t grow any new positions here, it’s not to say I don’t agree with it or I do agree with it, but I think it’s part of the budget process.”
When the motion on position was brought up, Coun. Andrew Marks attempted to have it deferred.
“The rationale that’s been provided, I don’t know if this position is a manager or director’s level yet. And I still don’t know about wage, I’m looking for the highlights of the core responsibilities and skills and I’m also looking about how the current communication position is reflected or complements the new strategic communications direction,” he said.
