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Interim administrator bids farewell to council

Sicamous council expressed their gratitude and said their goodbyes to Doug Ruttan, who is retiring yet again from civic service.

Sicamous council expressed their gratitude and said their goodbyes to Doug Ruttan, who is retiring yet again from civic service.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, his last as interim administrator before Heidi Frank, the Village of Clinton’s Chief Administrative Officer, assumes the role on a full-time basis, Ruttan provided a brief farewell speech to mayor and council.

“When I first came here, well, first of all, I got conned into this job,” joked Ruttan. “I got here on the Wednesday night council meeting. Two days later, two senior staff members decided to book holidays and left me, basically, here by myself. And then I thought, what the hell did I do?”

Ruttan, who served as district interim administrator in the past, was brought onboard earlier this year after council terminated the district’s contract with former full-time administrator, Alan Harris.

“It was a somewhat nervous place,” commented Ruttan, who then explained how council exceeded his expectations, calling them respectful, and willing and able to make the tough decisions.

“You are individuals, you have different ideas,” said Ruttan. “However, as a council, you need to deal with the collective issues of the community and though you may not sometimes agree with the collective issue, consensus is what’s important.”

Ruttan urged council to continue to do the right thing, and  to “spend a little more time on the disadvantaged and the unfortunate.”

Mayor Darrell Trouton credited Ruttan for “stepping up to the plate beyond what I could have imagined,” providing council with respect and guidance for the past six months.

“You’re leaving Sicamous in a better place, it’s better today than when you started, and I appreciate that, and I think everybody does,” said Trouton.

Ruttan said he thinks council knows where it wants to go and, though it may not know how it’s going to get there yet, it’s moving in the right direction.

In ending his speech, Ruttan left council with one more bit of direction, advising they don’t ask him to come out of retirement yet again.

“And don’t call me in again. It ain’t going to happen,” said Ruttan.

 



Lachlan Labere

About the Author: Lachlan Labere

Editor of the Salmon Arm Observer, Shuswap Market, and Eagle Valley News. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to keep our readers informed and engaged.
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