MUSKOKA LAKES - Following a string of staff leaving in Muskoka Lakes, council announced another new, young staff member on Tuesday.
Jason Krynicki will be taking over the director of public works position on September 5, filling the shoes of Len Troupe, who retired in June.
“We welcome Jason to the Township of Muskoka Lakes and look forward to benefitting from his extensive experience in managing all aspects of Public Works and Capital Project Development,” said Mayor Alive Murphy in a press release, noting his services will be particularly helpful as council implements the 2012 strategic plan.
Krynicki was previously responsible for capital projects in the town of Newmarket as the manager of capital engineering and asset management.
In the past 14 years, the Georgian College and Ryerson University graduate has also served as director of administrative services and the chief administrative officer.
Krynicki is the second new hire in less than a month to fill the empty roles of the stream of senior staff who has been moving on and retiring.
In July, council welcomed Lisa McMurray to fill the newly created position of community economic development coordinator.
McMurray is currently working with Molly Ross, the new marketing economic development coordinator for Muskoka Lakes, to figure out the economic goals for the township.
At a recent committee of the whole meeting when McMurray asked about the proper protocol to address council, Coun.. Phil Harding reassured her she’s not the only one trying to figure out her role.
“It’s new for you guys in this role, this is new to council with an economic development function going on here,” said Harding, “so there’s learning all the way around.”
McMurray presented some of the township’s economic goals as promoting and informing people about economic opportunities in the township, maximizing the community centres, attracting more events to the township and informing people about the process they need to go through to have an event in Muskoka Lakes. Council has recently received several requests for their support for events at the last minute, not allowing time to follow proper protocol before the event and potentially jeopardizing the event’s ability to run this year.
One of council’s key messages to McMurray was to book councillors, and especially the mayor, to as many community events as possible to increase their presence.
“Sometimes we just don’t even know about the event, or the community doesn’t know that we are perfectly happy to go to the event,” said Muskoka Lakes Mayor Alice Murphy.
Council is in the process of hiring several more staff to replace the senior staff that has left.