Town Of Lunenburg Declines Questions About New Senior Policy Role, Says Hiring Practices And Salary Bands Are Confidential

(Town of Lunenburg Town Hall. Photo: Jesse Ward)

The Town of Lunenburg has declined to answer questions from The Lunenburg Barnacle about a senior policy role that was publicized by the Town for the first time on May 25, the day before the position’s application deadline.

Applications for the Town’s new role of “Senior Heritage and Policy Advisor” closed on Sunday, May 26. The Town has declined to answer questions about when this significant position was opened, how it was advertised, or what the salary band is for the role, saying this information is “confidential.”

Senior Heritage and Policy Advisor role is responsible for managing Old Town Lunenburg World Heritage Site

The successful applicant, described on the Town’s website, will be responsible for managing and evaluating the Old Town Lunenburg World Heritage Site along with other heritage and economic development responsibilities.

The role description says the successful applicant will become “a key Town management team member” and receive a “competitive salary commensurate with experience” in addition to a “comprehensive benefits package including defined contribution Pension Plan.”

Role first publicized by Town, only indirectly, 31 hours before posting closed

The role was published with a closing date of May 26 at 4 p.m.

On May 25, at 9 a.m., the Town of Lunenburg published an advertisement on its social media feeds with the copy: “We have a couple of vacant positions to fill for Public Works and Community Development. Check them out at this link”, and a link to the Town’s “Employment Opportunities” page, which featured the Senior Heritage and Policy Advisor opening that was to expire in 31 hours.

(The post on Facebook. Source: Town of Lunenburg, Facebook)

Role’s advertising ignores recommendation in Lunenburg County Accessibility Plan to advertise postings on different platforms

The role was never promoted or advertised on the Town website’s “News” section. While the posting was still active on May 26, The Barnacle confirmed it was not advertised on the Town’s LinkedIn Page, on Indeed.ca, or on the Government of Canada Job Bank. We could not find the role published anywhere but the Town website’s “Employment Opportunities” page.

Through the Lunenburg County Accessibility Advisory Committee, The Town of Lunenburg has adopted the Lunenburg County Accessibility Plan, which advises publishing job postings across different platforms:

4.1 Job Opportunities –Improve opportunities for people with disabilities to gain employment at the municipality by ensuring job postings clearly state they are open to people with disabilities, accommodations may be available in the workplace, and/or advertise job postings across different platforms.

Town declines to answer questions about role, says information on employee searches and employees is confidential

On May 26, The Barnacle emailed questions about the role to Michael Best, Communications Manager with the Town of Lunenburg.

We asked these questions:

• On what date was the Senior Heritage And Policy Advisor position published to the Town’s “Employment Opportunities” page? (https://townoflunenburg.ca/employment-opportunities.html)
  
• This position was first publicised by the Town on social media on the morning of Saturday, May 25. The position had a deadline to apply on the afternoon of Sunday, May 26. The position was actually not explicitly promoted at all, it was promoted in posts saying “We have a couple of vacant positions to fill for Public Works and Community Development”. Why was only one day’s notice given through the Town’s social media channels for promoting this position?
  
• Other than the Town’s “Employment Opportunities” page, where was this position advertised?
  
• If this position was exclusively advertised on the Town’s Employment Opportunities page, why?
  
• Has the Town already engaged in recruiting/proactively seeking any specific candidate or candidate(s) for this role, in advance of or alongside publishing the advertisement on the Employment Opportunities page?
  
• What is the salary band for this position?

Hilary Grant, Interim CAO with the Town of Lunenburg, responded via email on Best’s behalf on May 29.

“I will not be commenting on employee searches or employees. I treat this information confidentially. All our hiring and recruitment follows Nova Scotia procedures and guidelines,” wrote Grant.

Grant assumed the role of Interim CAO on May 11 following the resignation of prior CAO Jamie Doyle, who announced his intended departure in March. Doyle was in the role for less than two years, having assumed the role in July 2022.

Grant was previously the Director of Community Development, a role she was in for less than one year before becoming interim CAO. She was previously Senior Planner/Heritage Officer.

See the posting for yourself below in the attached PDF.