Thank you.

Council, it is 1230 on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and I will call this emergency uh meeting of the Barrie City Council to order.

Council or manager, any adjustments to the agenda?

Okay.

Hearing none, a motion to approve the agenda would be in order.

So moved.

Thank you.

And moved and seconded.

Is there discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented.

Please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

I should have noted we do have a quorum in council chambers, and we have counselors Gustin and Deering joining us uh remotely.

So council, next item on the agenda is the appointment of an acting city manager.

That will be uh Brad Vail.

That will be effective at 4:30 p.m.

on July 17th, 2026.

So don't be late.

Uh a motion to approve would be in order.

So move.

Second.

It's thank you.

It's moved and seconded.

Um just a little bit beforehand.

Uh first of all, counsel, thank you for indulging me.

So to give you to give those uh who may watch this meeting or who are watching the meeting now, a little bit of background.

Um this uh the proposal to appoint uh Brad Vale as acting city manager was floated a couple months ago by the city manager after consulting with the department heads.

Um you know I I wasn't honestly I I wasn't entirely, it's not that I wasn't comfortable with it, counselor.

Let the uh record reflect that Councillor Spaulding joined us.

Um I wasn't entirely comfortable with it.

I had some due diligence that I wanted to do.

So uh working with Councillor Gustin, we we came up with a plan B.

We spoke to uh approximately a dozen individuals uh who we thought would be qualified if needed to step in as an interim city manager.

Um so we we settled on a candidate if that was the direction we wanted to take.

Uh and after the discussion came to the council, uh I realized or just before the council meeting, I realized that as much as I had faith in the department's head department heads, I had not had the ability to speak with them face to face.

And I wanted that opportunity.

So uh after the council meeting, again, thank you for indulging me today.

Uh 8:30 Wednesday morning, I met with the department heads.

We talked through the plan.

Councilor Gustin was there as well.

Uh we talked through the plan pretty thoroughly, and it became clear to me that they really wanted the opportunity to step up.

And you know, the way I manage when people want the opportunity to do more.

My biggest concern was simply I understand how busy the city manager is.

My biggest and only concern was was it reasonable on the part of the council and the part of the city to consider that the department heads could absorb those duties of the city manager and still keep the train running on time and on the tracks.

And so after speaking with them, first of all, thank you for that meeting to all of the department heads, uh, you know, and receiving that assurance and talking through some things in great detail uh and receiving the insurance that I needed that this plan would work.

Uh I decided that, or we decided as a council that we would move forward with the plan as presented.

Um you know, I I just have to say that part of my decision making process is always okay.

If I have to make a decision, I'm not quite comfortable with either one, which one is easier to walk back.

And it kind of be claimed, and I made it clear to the department heads that uh we would be paying attention, you know, as a council.

The the communication has been great under Nicholas.

I wanted that to continue.

Um so I made it clear number one that if they needed help, we're just a phone call away.

You know, we can implement a plan B.

And most importantly, I I made it clear to them just in the interest of fairness that we'd be watching.

And if we saw things coming off the rails, we could certainly implement a plan B, but we would not do that without speaking to them first.

So uh thank you, Nicholas, for presenting the plan.

Thank you, most importantly, to uh our department heads for being willing to take on the additional responsibilities.

And thanks Brad Vail for um for leaving your cell phone on after midnight, because that's what you're gonna have.

That's what you're gonna have to do.

So, counsel, I don't know if anyone has any comments that you'd like to offer you or you have any questions, yes.

So can I see that plan?

I mean the one you guys can you see the yeah.

Well, you can see the order.

I mean, who that doesn't at that meeting.

What's that?

What you guys discussed at the meeting that's there was no there was I mean I went through things like okay, who is uh going to answer the phone during the day?

In other words, when people call and normally they'd be looking for the city manager, how is that going to be handled?

Uh so what's going to happen is those calls are going to come into the clerk's office, which currently about 75% of our calls do anyway, and then they will triage the call and direct the call to the appropriate department head.

So if they're calling about an issue with uh public works, they're gonna get sent to Brian.

If it's an issue with public safety, they're gonna get sent to the chief.

Um, we so counselor, we discussed uh, you know, a lot of things.

Uh in addition to Chief Vail, who currently serves as you know as chief of police.

Um one of the questions I had is okay, so even if it's only 10 hours or or 15 hours that where your attention needs to be directed, um how is that going to impact your duties as chief of police?

So uh thank you, Chief, for having the uh deputy chief there, and deputy chief gave me assurances that he was willing to step up as well.

He understood that there would be times when the chief would be unavailable or pulled away, and he is absolutely willing to pick up that slack.

Does the interim manager uh Chief Vail, does he reside here at certain times, or does he reside in the city?

No, no, continues at the end of the year.

Chief Vail Chief Vale lives uh outside of the city.

No, no, I mean where does he have a will he take an office up here part time or no?

I mean he could.

The the manager's office if he wants to hold a meeting.

I I doubt we didn't get into those those specifics, counselor, but so I'm gonna wing it here and and anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

If uh acting as city manager, the acting city manager needs to host host a meeting, I suspect he would do that here in City Hall.

He would not bring them down to public safety, that creates a whole host of other issues.

And I may, if I can speak a little briefly.

So we had a a test run with this system for about three weeks when I was in Australia earlier this year, and uh while I was not here, I heard from a lot of people um who work in this building and along my hall that Chief Vale was making rounds frequently.

He's in this building several times a day on uh regular business anyway for meetings.

Um so um, you know, I I I know that people were happy.

I heard from people who were pleased that when I was away, he was making rounds around the building, so similar to the way I do.

Um and and I would imagine that that's something that'll continue.

That was my next question.

Thank you.

I was gonna say the last night I answered.

And listen, it it's going to be a little different.

And like I said, um what's it and any reservation I have is is not with the ability or dedication of the department heads.

I want to make that crystal clear.

The only reservation that still lingers is this is an incredibly difficult job.

It's an incredibly busy job.

And is it wise to put more responsibilities on folks who are already working hard?

They have assured me.

That's why I wanted to sit with them and look them in the eyes and say, You sure you got this and you sure you want this?

And you know, we have uh arguably people could argue with me, but as I look at the department heads that we currently have in the city, whether it's the treasurer's office, it's God like trying to strike me the lightning or something.

Whether it's the treasurer's office, the clerk's office, you know, any of our department heads, uh you know, I've been doing this a long time.

I have served as mayor for a long time.

And arguably we have probably the best leadership team here in City Hall that I've ever seen.

And when folks want the opportunity to step up and want the opportunity to do something for their city, you know, i I give it to them.

I just want to public announce that I have no disrespect for Chief Vail.

My concern also is he has a big job now.

And then now having to fill another large one.

But with what you're saying with our department heads, if it's all 100% accurate that they are 100% behind him, then I don't have any problem with it.

Yeah.

And like I said, it it went a long way.

I I hadn't thought of it, quite frankly.

And Chief Vail thought of it and had Deputy Chief Eastman there.

So that you know, when I talked about those concerns, Deputy Chief Eastman was quick to step up and say, I understand and I understand that I'm going to have to contribute to.

I'm going to have to work a little harder too.

And we've talked about that.

And that happens anyway.

You know, if the chief is on vacation or the chief is in training or whatever.

He said, look, that happens anyway, so I'm prepared to do that.

I've worked with Deputy Chief Eastman in the past, and I respect them totally so.

Absolutely.

So you know, and and just to touch on the time frame a little bit, uh, Councillor Gus and jump in and and correct me if I'm wrong.

Uh Councilor Gustin anticipates that uh that this that her committee will have the city council in a position to make an offer, hopefully, but it if things continue as they're going, mid-September, Councilor.

Mid-September, I feel very confident about.

I think we could even be there earlier in September.

Yeah.

So you know, so that could go two ways.

I I have a lot of confidence in the ability of the committee to put us in a position to tender an offer on September 15th or thereabouts.

Um, we don't know who the candidates are yet.

So we could have we could very well have a candidate, the perfect candidate who says, uh, look, I can't start until after January 1.

Now we're all come down on that.

Is I would uh I would choose perfect over convenient any day of the week.

So if we had a candidate that couldn't start until January 1st, we may very well have to revisit this decision.

But as I explained to the department heads, they will be a part of it.

Uh so you know, not nothing is set in stone.

I like I said before, I appreciate the I appreciate how the department heads want to step up and how they want to see this city run.

And I I have faith in them.

So I will be uh supporting uh the motion.

And anyone else have anything else to offer.

Okay.

Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

And those opposed, the motion carries.

And uh motion to adjourn would be thank you.

And a second, all those in favor, we are adjourned.

Too late, we are adjourned.