I’ve been hearing about Tom Timm’s impending retirement for a year, one of the names that kept popping up on the list of “people most likely to get fed up and quit after Vision and Penny Ballem took over.” Then I also heard that he’d been saying even before that he was only going to stick around til the Olympics were over.
My crack investigative team is at work on other things right now, so I won’t get to the bottom of this immediately. But in the meantime, here’s the notice going out to city hall today about his retirement. And I’d like to note what a pleasure Tom was to deal with — always available, always calm, always giving you as much information as he possible could. Even union types appreciated his level-headedness and even-handedness during the six-month strike.
It sounds like city hall is going to do an international search for a replacement. It will be interesting to see who gets the job. Former head engineer Dave Rudberg did a great job of recruiting and promoting strong people in engineering and so there are several good internal candidates.
From: Ballem, Penny
To: [Deleted]
Sent: Fri Mar 12 15:06:08 2010
Subject: retirement
Having honored his commitment to guide Engineering through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Tom Timm, our much beloved City Engineer, will be retiring at the end of March 2010.
Tom has been with the City since 1978. He has served in many roles over the years – mostly in engineering where he became an assistant city engineer in 1988, the deputy city engineer about 10 years later in 1999 and finally the city engineer and general manager of engineering in 2004. Some of you might have forgotten that he also served as the city building inspector for 2 years in the late 1990′s. Tom has led numerous initiatives throughout his many years of service, and he leaves a number of important legacies behind, including many successes during the 2010 Games. We will all miss Tom’s leadership, his wry sense of humour and his passion for the great Canadian Game.
The City will be undertaking a broad search process for Tom’s replacement. I have asked Peter Judd, Deputy City Engineer, to assume responsibility for Engineering during this process. I know you will all join me in wishing Tom the very best in his retirement. As is the custom in Engineering, there will be a raucous celebration of his departure at a time and place to be decided!
Penny Ballem
11 responses so far ↓
1 MB // Mar 12, 2010 at 4:27 pm
All the best to Mr Timm.
It would be great if they could find someone who is enlightened about the challenges the next decade will throw our way.
I’m not sure, but I think perhaps 75% of the Engineering budget for transportation is devoted to roads. (In Calgary it’s 85%). That wouldn’t be surprising since about a third of Vancouver’s entire land base consisits of public pavement. If a new Director of Engineering places a modest amount of emphasis on making Vancouver more resilient, then that budgetary priority must change.
2 Sharon // Mar 12, 2010 at 4:46 pm
In the years that I have been on the receiving end of Tom ‘doing his job’ I can say he was always professional, pragmatic, and respectful. The experience he takes with him will be very hard to replace.
Best wishes Tom. Vancouver thanks you.
3 James // Mar 12, 2010 at 11:26 pm
A modest and principled leader, a good friend, and a huge loss to the city.
4 Vancouverism // Mar 13, 2010 at 9:06 am
By your “crack investigative team” do you mean Penny and Kevin?
5 Westender // Mar 13, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Congratulations to Mr. Timm on his retirement – the city has been well-served by his knowledge and experience. I hope the translation of “an international search for a replacement” isn’t “we will be bringing someone in from the U.S. that has already selected.”
6 Higgins // Mar 13, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Initially they shortlisted Bernie Madoff for the position. Without even checking his situation. Apparently he’s taken. So now, they are looking at other stellar candidates skilled in ‘engineering’ things.
All the best Timmy!
7 Frances Bula // Mar 13, 2010 at 3:26 pm
@Vancouverism. By “crack investigative team,” I actually meant my cat, as she’s the only employee I have that I can truly count on. But excellent thought about getting Kevin and Penny to help me out. Maybe they could even type my answers for me. Watch out for uncharacteristic sentence structure and word usage in my future posts!
8 Gary L. // Mar 15, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Frances, has it been verified that Mr. Timm did indeed “retire” or did the City Manager , Dr. Bellum, fire him?
According to Ms. Bellum, the City’s Chief Electrical Inspector “retired” as well. He has since hired one of Vancouver’s most competent Lawyers.
Which raises the question, when one is “fired” from City Hall, what percentage immediately hire said Lawyers?
Any idea on the percentage?
Cheers
9 Glissando Remmy // Mar 15, 2010 at 5:54 pm
The Thought of The Day
“In my opinion, when an Ordinary Cat is caught killing another Ordinary Cat he should receive no less than Nine consecutive Death sentences.”
JUST IN
Excerpt from Virginia Daily, USA:
“City of Vancouver’s Top Engineer Executive Search, turns lethal!”
March 15th, 2010
By Leet Halljo
Who would have thought? After being invited to apply for the Top Engineer job with the City of Vancouver as a condition for his release, Marco T. Catelli, currently sitting on the death row in a USA Penitenciary had this to declare during his Virginia Supermax facility ad hoc conference:
”Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Press, Chief Warden and Public Officials in attendance,
One week ago, today, I’ve received a letter from a Head-hunting agency, offering me a loophole deal. My life being on the line, I’ve immediately stopped wanking and I’ve proceeded in an inconspicuous manner and put Beyonce’s Poster, back on the wall. That was not an easy task, believe you me.
I’ve given this offer much thought and consideration since.
I did my due diligence and during the past few days, I’ve talked over the phone a number of times with some City of Vancouver employees, very generous folks; they accepted my collect calls immediately after telling them what the reason for my calls was. I’ve also got some valuable feedback from a very nice guy named Jody. He called. Thank you.
I was encouraged to accept the position and work for the City Manager as a condition of my release. I was overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from my felon community but I am here to inform you that I have turned down the offer. I for one choose death! Thank you.
I want to thank the Search Committee for considering me instead of searching for me; a big Lotus goes to their Yoga representative for easing my payback problems and to Andrea for advising me on how to introduce the 100 mile radius diet into my daily life. Thank you.
Please, tell my family and friends that I love them; tell Premier Campbell of BC, that I would have loved to meet him in person, you know, peer to peer… tell him that he just lost my vote . As a sign of appreciation I am leaving my entire collection of Topolino comics to Mayor Gregorio”
…
Following the conference, Ms. Ballem’s answer was frank:
” I am shocked and disappointed, a total let down. I hope he gets two consecutive death sentences! ”
Mayor’s response:
“I have four words for you. To. Po. Li. No!”
Search Committee response:
“Another day another buck!”
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
10 jon // Mar 15, 2010 at 9:03 pm
For three years while I was on the Development Permit Board Advisory Panel I almost always found Mr. Tim (one of the three voting members) to be a reasonable, thoughtful, and fair. A loss for the City.
11 rebecca // Mar 18, 2010 at 6:47 am
Isn’t Peter Judd a shoo in? Isn’t it his ultimate goal at the city?
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