The Town of Innisfail's planning and operational services director has resigned.
After four and a half years of reshaping the town, Craig Teal is heading to Red Deer to become the director of Parkland Community Planning Services (PCPS), a job he held for six years before coming to Innisfail.
With PCPS, Teal will still be part of the town's planning operations, as Innisfail is a member community with the Red Deer company, which is contracted by Innisfail to undertake several planning projects each year.
Teal said he was attracted to returning to PCPS because the role will see him handling planning files exclusively for up to 17 member communities and another five or six non-member ones. In Innisfail, he was not only responsible for planning but also for all operational services.
“It (PCPS) is more focused on traditional planning, community planning exercises, which I find near and dear to my heart, and while I got to do some of that in Innisfail, I will get to do more of that back there,” said Teal, well aware that PCPS has faced challenges in recent years with membership and finances.
“They still do. Historically they did as well. Yes, they are facing challenges right now,” said Teal. “Certainly one of my challenges right now is to look at the health and I guess the longevity of the organization.”
Teal handed in his resignation on May 2. His last day as the town's planning and operational services director is on May 13.
Helen Dietz, the town's chief administrative officer, said Teal will be missed, particularly because he was the lead in many important municipal projects over the past four and a half years, including the multi-million dollar Downtown Revitalization Project, and the current infrastructure ones involving the demolition and reclamation of the sewage treatment plant and lagoons, as well as the replacement of the northeast trunk sewer line.
“I am saddened. He is moving on to planning. He likes the planning side of it. I have to accept his wishes and move to get somebody to fill the position,” said Dietz. “For me it is a difficult process. You really want a fit and Craig was a great fit in the organization and everybody worked very well together. We had a great team and he was here four and a half years, and yes, he is going to be very, very, very much missed.”
Dietz added that while finding a replacement for Teal is already underway, the town has made an agreement with PCPS to allow the departing director to help with the transition, which won't be easy due to the large and complex multi-million dollar infrastructure projects that are underway.
“We will still have a direct connection with him,” she said. “Parkland Community Planning Services has allowed me a few days that I can bring him back, so for a day a week probably for the next three or four months.
“There are some big projects,” she added. “We are starting to come up with a calendar that gives us a few days into July and August.”
Teal confirmed he's pleased to help with the transition but added he's leaving the town in a good position to move forward.
“There will be some hand-offs, some grief. But I will still be close at hand to see the fruition of the outcomes of those projects,” said Teal. “As much as I can I will be leaving notes to help people carry on and I am confident they will be able to deal with it just fine. I think they are in a good position project-wise at this point.”
Meanwhile, Teal is leaving just as the first phase of the multi-million- dollar town hall expansion is about to start, a project he and every other municipal employee has long wanted to see.
“There is the odd chance I will go for a Sunday drive and come visit,” he said with a chuckle. “Red Deer is not that far away.”
Helen Dietz, town CAO
"Craig was a great fit in the organization and everybody worked very well together. We had a great team and he was here four and a half years, and yes, he is going to be very, very, very much missed."
