Norman Waterhouse clears Playford Council chief executive Sam Green over senior appointments
A law firm has cleared Playford Council’s chief executive of any wrongdoing over the appointment of a senior finance manager who recently became his partner.
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Playford Council chief executive Sam Green followed correct procedures during the appointment of senior managers, a review has found.
Mr Green ordered the review by law firm Norman Waterhouse after he publicly announced he was involved in a romantic relationship with his deputy, Grace Pelle.
Mrs Pelle, who joined the council in 2015 as a finance officer, was promoted to the $225,000-a-year position of corporate and strategy manager by Mr Green last December.
Mr Green told elected members and council staff last month that he and Mrs Pelle recently had developed a relationship, with Mrs Pelle opting to tender her resignation.
He then asked Norman Waterhouse to conduct its review of Mrs Pelle and other senior managers since he became chief executive last September.
Mr Green was appointed to the $300,000-a-year position by elected members after they sacked his predecessor, Mal Hemmerling, in December, 2018.
Lawyers from Norman Waterhouse attended a council meeting on Tuesday night to present their report, which cleared Mr Green of any wrongdoing.
Mr Green absented himself at the beginning of the presentation, which was held behind closed doors.
Deputy Mayor Marilyn Baker, who chaired the meeting while Mayor Glenn Docherty recovered from minor injuries sustained in a car accident last week, issued a statement on Wednesday.
“An independent legal review into senior executive appointments by the Chief Executive Officer, Sam Green, finds that all were transparent and proper,” she said.
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Mrs Baker said the meeting voted to acknowledge “that the process for recruiting general managers undertaken late in 2019 was robust and transparent and resulted in the appointment of the best candidates in the selection process”.
The meeting also passed a resolution “to express full confidence in the CEO and how he is managing the business of council”.
Elected members were asked to return all copies of the Norman Waterhouse report at the conclusion of the presentation.