Kate Zanon, the frequent voice of city hall staff at council meetings, is leaving Pitt Meadows.
Zanon, the city director of community services, will be taking a new position with the city of in Port Moody, and her last day in Pitt Meadows will be Friday.
Zanon could often be heard at council meetings offering staff reports on key issues such as the Golden Ears Business Park development.
“She will be very hard to replace,” said Mayor John Becker of Zanon. “It’s a loss to the organization.”
He said she worked her way up through the city hierarchy.
Zanon was hired in the summer of 2009 as the city’s economic development CEO. She has a masters degree in urban and environmental planning, and prior to coming to Pitt Meadows had worked in Arizona in city planning and economic development roles.
In Pitt Meadows she also held the titles director of corporate and business services, and director of operations and development services.
Zanon said the new job is a promotion in a larger city, and in her new position of general manager of community services she will be responsible for recreation facilities and cultural services.
Some of the highlights of her time in Pitt Meadows were developing the Parks and Recreation department and setting up the economic development corporation for the city. She has worked with three different councils.
“I really appreciated my time here, and it’s a great staff that is committed to the community, and it’s been wonderful being part of that,” she said.
Becker has lost other senior member of the city staff during his term as mayor, including CAO Kim Grout.
He said the small city has been a stepping stone for staff members, who move on to larger municipalities.
“Pitt Meadows is the Montreal Expos of the municipal world,” said Becker, referring to the former Major League team that could not afford to pay its star players as well as the New York Yankees and other teams.
He said Zanon leaving will create new opportunities for other people in the organization.
“It’s a constant process of renewal.”
Asked whether the city loses a lot of detailed knowledge about city business, such as Onni’s business park plan, he said director of engineering and operations Forest Smith and manager of community development Lisa Grant are both knowledgeable.