After seven years at the helm of Warman’s civic administration, Bob Smith is hanging up his City Manager’s hat for good in a few weeks.
Smith’s final day on the job is March 19.
“I’m looking forward to retirement and spending a lot more time with my grandchildren,” said Smith. “My wife Leslie and I are staying in the community. Our daughter and son-in-law and their children are here and that’s one of the blessings we’ll be enjoying.
“Our oldest daughter also moved to Warman a few years ago, so there can’t get any better location for retirement.”
Smith is ending his career as a municipal administrator in the same community he began it in 37 years ago.
“I started here in Warman in 1986 as an Assistant Administrator under Courtney Skrupski,” said Smith. “Back in those days, after completing the Local Government Administration requirements at university, you had to work under a certified administrator for at least a year. It was a much smaller place in those days – maybe about 1,700 or 2,000 people; and still essentially a bedroom community.”
After working in Warman for a year and a half, Smith moved on to become the administrator in the town of Nokomis. He obtained his certification in 1990, and went on to become town administrator in Assiniboia for three years and Humboldt for four years. In 1997 he accepted the position of City Manager in Weyburn, where he served for almost 20 years.
Seven years ago, he didn’t hesitate when the opportunity to become Warman City Manager came up. His plans always included retiring here to wrap up a rewarding career.
“It was a good decision,” said Smith. “I’ve enjoyed working with the city council, the public, the staff and the department managers.”
Smith said Warman’s rapid growth has not been without challenges. Over the past seven years, the city has expanded its infrastructure substantially, including a new reservoir and water treatment plant that were partially financed by senior levels of government.
“People often have a feeling that because it’s a growing community, that revenue should be coming in,” said Smith. “And that’s true. But, at the same time, you have to ensure your infrastructure not only keeps up with the present population, but has the capacity to be able to handle longer-term growth too. You have to build for the future.”
He said changing environmental regulations designed to protect the public also add to the price tag of projects.
“So the challenge becomes one of funding, on the one hand, and explaining to taxpayers about the true cost of public services. on the other hand,” said Smith. “ The city wants to keep taxes as low as possible. User fees are one way help offset costs. Everyone wants pure, pristine, clear, treated potable water reliably delivered to their tap. But, we use it not just for drinking, but also for flushing toilets, showering, and watering our lawns. The reality is that the cost to create that pristine gallon of water is expensive.
“It’s no different when it comes to sewage systems. Environmentally you have to make sure you’re meeting all these stringent requirements to protect people’s health and protect the environment. These are important, but they also cost money.”
Smith had high praise for the civic staff, saying they work hard behind the scenes to ensure city amenities and services are functioning, often under difficult conditions.
“They keep all these operations running,” said Smith. “We often take them for granted, but public services have to be provided on a daily basis. I give full kudos to the staff; they’re very dedicated.”
Smith said one of the highlights of his year is flipping burgers, along with the Mayor and Councillors, for city staff at their annual staff appreciation barbecue.
Smith said the city staff’s dedication was very apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many civic facilities were closed or operating on reduced hours, and workers who were not laid off were redeployed to other areas.
“The pandemic was the most challenging time I’ve experienced in my career,” said Smith. “It affected our staff, but they were resilient. People were redeployed from the office to picking weeds and trimming trees. Nobody objected. They just said, ‘this is the hand we’ve been dealt,’ and they stepped up and did what needed to be done.
“They maintained the parks and the other outdoor amenities so residents could still enjoy them.”
Smith said the biggest change he’s seen over his career is the pervasive influence of social media.
“There are positives and negatives to social media,” said Smith. “On the positive side, it makes the city and its operations more transparent and accessible. Information on council meetings and agendas, city policies, recreation facilities and even storm alerts, can all be sent out to residents quickly.
“Unfortunately, some people choose not to take advantage of that, and instead choose to simply raise concerns or complain about something without every contacting the city first to correct the problem or find out the reasons behind what’s happening.”
Smith said simply putting a negative post up on social media without contacting the city does nothing to solve a problem. On the other hand, contacting city hall provides an opportunity for city staff to address concerns and provide helpful background information.
He concluded that while he’s looking forward to “a little R and R”, he’ll miss the camaraderie of the people he’s worked with over the past seven years.
“I’m going to miss the staff immensely,” he said. “But all great things come to an end at some point and this is the time for me to back away after 37 years and look at enjoying life with a bit more freedom. “