Meeting documents

In speaking to this agenda item the Leader of the Council remarked that she had needed two versions of her announcement ready for tonight depending on the decision taken by the Council earlier that evening.

Ms Wood then publically announced the decision taken by the Council earlier that evening regarding the Chief Executive role. With the establishment of the new Buckinghamshire Council fast moving its way towards 1^st April 2020, the role of Wycombe District Council Chief Executive had already and would continue to diminish over the final months. The Council had therefore agreed to make that role redundant and that at her request, Chief Executive, Karen Satterford was to leave the Council on 31^st July.

We would still have a strong leadership team in place to continue to deliver all of Wycombe services whilst we still existed and to ensure a smooth transfer to the new unitary. John East the interim Corporate Director would take on the role to steer the Council through until next March. He would be ably supported by the Council’s excellent Heads of Service who had many years’ experience and skills. The Leader was confident that the Council’s dedicated staff would continue to deliver their best for this Council, and residents through to March 2020 and hopefully beyond.

Karen had played a significant role in establishing the framework of the implementation team for the new unitary. Now that this was in place, with the interim Chief Executive in the lead role, and the Chief Executive for the new Council due to be appointed soon, her role was diminishing significantly, and this Council had agreed to her request to be allowed to leave early.  What was happening here was mirroring what had happened in Dorset as they progressed to Unitary.  This would of course provide a saving to this Council in allowing her early departure.

Turning to Karen, the Leader paid tribute to her work with this Council.  There would be time before she went to say proper goodbyes and embarrass her fully, but for now the Leader outlined that Karen had given over 13 years’ service to this Council and over 40 years in local government, with 18 of those as a Chief Executive. This Council had achieved so much over this time with Karen at the helm. Wycombe District Council was a well-run, highly respected and envied Council especially in local government circles, with its achievements and its innovative and challenging work. Wycombe was financially sound, with no borrowing, good reserves and had kept its Council tax down, only raising it a couple of times in the last 8 years. We had a history of regenerating our District and our town with far too many successes to list at that point without being there all evening.

This hadn’t happened by chance. Whilst members made the decisions, someone had to ensure that those decisions happened. Karen had led and steered this Council to its position during her time here, with her inclusive, inspiring and motivational leadership. Guiding Members to do the best for the District with sound advice and wise counsel, Karen was well respected by all who know her and her passion for Wycombe was never in doubt. She was always on the side of the staff, the Members and the Council and her wisdom and foresight were invaluable.  The Leader could not thank her enough for the support and advice she had given her as Leader during her term and was sure that went for all the other Leaders and Members she had worked with.

On behalf of this Council the Leader wished to publically put on record her thanks to Karen for her years of excellent service to this Council and to wish her all the best for the future and whatever she chose to do next.

What Members probably did not know if even at this stage of her career, was that she had that evening once again put Wycombe District Council first before her own personal wishes. As that this evening was actually Karen’s birthday, and Councillor Ms Wood was sure Karen would far rather be celebrating elsewhere than at this Council meeting!

As a slight recompense for being here, the Leader then presented Karen with a bouquet as a small token from all for her birthday!

In response Karen thanked Councillor Ms Wood for her kind words. Karen emphasised that she had come into Local Government 40 years ago as she had wanted to improve people’s lives. Her first job had been at Haringey in London where she had seen at first hand the terrible living conditions of some residents.

Karen remarked that she had come to live in High Wycombe well before she had come to work here. Moving here whilst employed as a director at Wokingham Council, never for 5 minutes had she dreamt of becoming Wycombe’s Chief Executive.

When employed by Wycombe not only did she live here but she actually found herself to be living in the then Leader’s ward!

It had been an honour and a privilege to work with 4 excellent Leaders. Karen was immensely proud of the staff, many behind the scenes that Members did not necessarily see that often.

Wycombe District Council was in fact like a family; with a culture of respect between Members, between staff and between the two.

Wycombe had built a national reputation for:

·         regeneration;

·         financial prudence;

·         extensive development projects;

·         no borrowing (which often amazed other authorities); and

·         one of the lowest council taxes in the country.

Some statistics to note from the 13 ½ years were:

·         nearly a million visitors to the Council’s Sports & Leisure centres last year;

·         since 2011 recycling rates of 53%;

·         though always too many, one of the lowest temporary accommodation levels nationally;

·         planning exceeding all government targets;

·         350,000 website sessions in the 1^st 3 months of the year;

·         145,000 phone calls dealt with last year;

·         staff sickness was consistently low; and

·         25 elections in 18 years as a Chief Executive and Returning Officer.

Karen remarked that not only was she proud to have been Chief Executive at Wycombe, but proud to have been the 1^st female Chief Executive. Unfortunately she was to be the last Chief Executive too. She was proud of her recruitment and promotion of women and ethnic minorities to management posts here at Wycombe.

Karen remarked that there would be time for more relaxed goodbyes at a later informal event.