Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz

At strategy and policy committee, elected member expenses and resources policy issues were discussed.

Mayor Stuart Crosby referred to the mayoral credit cards and the hysteria generated around council credit cards through the media during the recent election campaigns around the country. In Tauranga's case he said it probably cost more to respond to than what was on it. The discussion took a long time, probably more than the item deserved as a lot of Tauranga elected member expenses are already available on the council website.

The price of beer
One elected member was concerned about ratepayers funding beer in the councillor's fridge. Another said it was not unusual and in his business he funded a staff beer fridge. Over the years this has rarely been abused in my experience – and the relaxed discussion after some meetings is quite productive. Henceforth, by agreement, elected members who want a beer will fund it themselves.

Meeting the costs
The discussion included reserved parking for elected members and only one elected member thought it should not be available. With a busy schedule sometimes requiring comings and goings, most elected members considered this a practical part of the position. Elected member car mileage allowance has been chopped for the first 30km of each trip by decree of the Remuneration Authority which sets elected members remuneration. A communications allowance of $500 designed to help subsidise modern requirements of an elected member's function will be paid.
Apparently there have been examples of elected members ‘flogging' expenses around the country. In Tauranga there have been isolated incidents over the years – not in recent councils – of individual members being guilty. But nothing ever came of their transgressions and these people eventually went away. And in the scheme of things it was all trivial and minor, but it was interesting come election time how they promoted themselves as virtuous candidates.

Representative value
Elected member remuneration was discussed at full council later in the day and the recommendation of the divvy up of the pool set by the Remuneration Authority is Deputy Mayor (David Stewart) $83,564. Major committee chair (Bill Faulkner) $80,564 and councillors (Larry Baldock, Murray Guy, Rick Curach, Catherine Stewart, Bill Grainger, Tony Christiansen, Terry Molloy and Wayne Moultrie) $73,564.
Contrary to popular media myth, elected members don't vote their own salaries. They only vote on how the amount decided by the Remuneration Authority is to be distributed.
Those on planning hearings get paid an hourly rate in addition and Wayne Moultrie will chair this committee. Mayor Stuart Crosby's stipend is paid separate to the salary pool and is $121,940 after deduction for private use of the mayoral car. This recommendation now goes back to the Remuneration Authority for their approval. It is a unanimous decision. The Remuneration Authority historically in their deliberations on recommending the salary pool amount has already excluded a 25 per cent deduction for the ‘pubic good' of an elected members function.

Roading review
There was a presentation and discussion with NZTA (formerly Transit) on the upgrade of 15th Avenue. The Fraser Street/15th Ave intersection is a major bottleneck as you know and the upgrade is a forerunner to the Hairini to 15th Ave upgrade plus Welcome Bay tunnel. Route options for the Turret Road section are still to be decided and open days will be run early next year.
It's planned (weather permitting) to close Fraser Street from 14th Ave to 16th Ave from Wednesday, January 12, 2011 for nine days. This saves 21 days of extra disruption by speeding up the works. 15th Ave will remain open.

Movement at Blake Park
In other business at full council temporary liquor-free zones are set around Blake Park for Blues, Brews and BBQs, even on January, 15 2011. This is designed to ensure that frivolities are contained on site and neighbours don't have to put up with antics of some patrons without police intervention.
Bay of Plenty Cricket Trust made a request for an alternative location for the development of their proposed pavilion on Blake Park. In line with current economic realities they have lowered their expectations of what could be achieved, although they are still aiming to have the top cricket venue in the country. Council/ratepayers are providing around $500,000 for the public amenities (toilets etc) at the facility.
BOP Cricket, which is funding the balance, is a pragmatic self help organisation and are to be commended for their initiatives. The Blake Park area will become quite a recreation feature once it is complete with most major sports located in a central spot. This will take a while as council won't be rushing into the realignment/readjustment that will eventually come with the old Cosmopolitan Club site.

Nothing's sacred
This week council is grappling with the first cut of next year's annual plan. I'll report on the outcomes in next week's column, but nothing is sacred. The hard decisions that will have to be made won't be easy (or popular in some quarters) and nothing should be assumed from this first cut. Elected members will have something firm to contemplate over the Christmas break before another round in the New Year after which the proposed draft goes out to for public consideration and submissions.