Weddin Shire Council held an emergency extraordinary meeting on Friday October 22 at 5.20pm.
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The meeting quickly went into closed council 'to consider the items following because of their confidential nature,' Appointment of General Manager.
Though the recorded video from the meeting has not been made public at the time of publishing Weddin Shire Council did make an announcement on its Facebook page on Monday afternoon just after 3pm that General Manager Glenn Carroll had departed ways with Council.
"It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that Weddin Shire Council announces its General Manager, Mr Glenn Carroll's departure with Council on Thursday 21st October 2021," acting General Manager Jaymes Rath said.
"Glenn commenced with Council in 2000, and over the last 21 years he has been instrumental in improving the Councils operations along with delivering some of the most challenging projects Council has ever delivered to date."
Mr Rath included the following projects crediting Mr Carroll:
- Grenfell Medical Centre
- Grenfell Aquatic Centre
- Henry Lawson Oval Amenities Upgrade
- Weddin Wellness Plan
"Glenn's work is highly commendable and his departure will be noticed throughout the community," Mr Rath said.
The announcement comes after a number of months of confusion over the position with Mayor Mark Liebich making an announcement back in August that Mr Carroll had resigned.
At the time Cr Liebich announced that Corporate Services Director Michael Chalmers was to be placed as Acting General Manger.
Mr Carroll when questioned by the Grenfell Record said that he had not submitted a formal letter of offer to end his employment with Weddin at that time.
After a lot of back and forth on the matter a number of Councillors issued a letter calling for an extraordinary meeting.
In their letter the councillors asked for a number of motions from an August 5 extraordinary meeting of the council to be rescinded, for deputy mayor Paul Best be appointed as a liaison between council and the general manager and for the mayor to provide all councillors with information they believed they did not have.
The four councillors said they wished Cr Best to be council's liaison with the general manager "to address ongoing interactions, issues and negotiations regarding the general manager's employment".
An extraordinary meeting was called by Cr Liebich where the matters were discussed in closed council and the resolutions announced in open council.
In relation to Cr Best being appointed liaison with the general manager, Cr Liebich said, in Open Council: "I've reported that the council needs to get a written letter from the Minister Shelley Hancock before that will be enacted".
The council also discussed rescinding two motions from its August 5 meeting, exactly what was in the motions is not clear.
On the first motion Cr Liebich said it "has been changed, now that we offer our general manager all the requirements that we did in motion one in his resignation".
A second motion from the August 5 extra-ordinary meeting was rescinded.
Following the meeting Weddin's Director of Engineering James Rath was appointed as acting general manager, a position Mr Rath still holds.
"Again, Council cannot thank Glenn enough for his dedication, respect, enthusiasm, and motivation over the last two decades and wishes him luck in all future career endeavors," Mr Rath said.