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

TV or not TV – that was the vexed question (with apologies to William Shakespeare) facing the full council on Monday.

With all kinds of major financial issues facing council/ratepayers, it was a surprising move out of left field to propose that ratepayers fund a big screen TV on The Strand between 15 and 23 October 2011 for the Rugby World Cup.

In the report to council, elected members were told by staff that it 'would ensure TCC met its obligations under the Host Region Agreement which was signed with Rugby NZ 2011 Ltd” (without council's knowledge).

Cost was estimated at $42,275 for a four day hire of gear, security, traffic management plan, a commissioner to hear special liquor license, and so on.

A note on the budget said this was an estimate only and needed confirmation.

In an astute political move, Mayor Stuart Crosby allowed bar owners on The Strand to address council and for them to offer some financial assistance ($7500) and other help. This allowed the opportunity 'for some information to be brought back to council” and any decision was deferred.

It was clear that with Larry Baldock being absent, the original proposal was going to be lost so by deferring it, allowed for a watering down, a softening up and possibly Larry's return (and vote) when it comes back to council.

I conducted my own (unscientific) poll among a wide range of our community over this one, including diehard rugby fans and the result was about 80 per cent against and 20 per cent for.

When told of the proposed cost those supporting dropped to below the margin of error.

The enthusiasm for the RWC is understandable, however, it is paramount elected members contain their personal excitement, keep cool heads and vote with their heads not their hearts.

And of course there is always the opportunity for those enthusiasts to pay for their entertainment themselves.

Church acquisition slow

In another deferred decision, council finally decided that the Welcome Bay Baptist Church at Waitaha Reserve lease be extended to 14 February 2013 and negotiations for the purchase of their building be continued.

Council's independent valuation on the building is $61,500 and the church's on-site independent valuation is $235,000 – so there's a way to go there.

The deferred decision from the previous week's meeting was strategic to say the least. With Larry Baldock away this week and Bill Grainger just returned, this reversed the voting with Larry voting last week against the resolution would have meant a 5-5 (Bill Grainger was absent), but this week with Bill back and voting for it, it passed 6-4 – astute political management here.

The 14 February 2013 date is the date the Welcome Bay Community Centre has to vacate its leased premises and the intention is that they will take over the church premises.

The Welcome Bay Church is the only church on a council reserve and was always intended as a temporary measure.

Saving the surplus

The decision on what to do with the $2.2 million rates surplus from last financial year was also deferred pending the outcome of the three year/Ten Year Plan deliberations. Without predetermination, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that it's not going to be a pretty picture. With $30 million in development loans being transferred to rates, and leaky homes being just two big ticket items, council/ratepayers are going to need all the wisdom and financial dexterity they can muster and this $2.2 million will provide a small buffer. So for that matter is not spending $42,275 on a big screen TV. It all helps.

Gallery turns it around

At projects and monitoring committee, elected members received annual reports from its various contracted agencies.

Tauranga Art Gallery presented an extensive report showing a turnaround to a surplus of $96,690 for a deficit of $194,548 last year.

It was disappointing to read in the chairman's report inter/alia ‘The Tauranga City Council's refusal to fund inflation increases in our operational grant…'

My recollection is that the art gallery volunteered to forgo three years CPI in response to an across the board plea from council to its agencies for help in the financial crisis ratepayers are facing.

It may also have been worthy for the chairman to acknowledge that ratepayers do continue to contribute $847,400 a year.

Gallery director, Penny Jackson, made a good informative presentation saying that the sponsored art gallery bus enabled some 9000 school children to attend the gallery. Insurance costs have nearly doubled and staff is down to 10 full time equivalents.

Closing in on graffiti

Graffiti Action Plan is working well and elected members heard from two reformed taggers.

Strat and Lincoln told us they had their lives turned around through opportunities presented through Jason Gardner's Jam Session programme and the Graffiti Action Plan operated by Jane Denton, council's graffiti prevention officer.

This plan actually works well with 139 offenders apprehended.

Police now take graffiti seriously and so are the courts – jail is on the option cards.

It costs ratepayers over $14,000 a month to run this programme.

Strat and Lincoln said when they were tagging they gave no thought to the damage to people's property.

Paper's attendance beat up

The Bay of Plenty Times has requested elected member meeting attendance records again, presumably for another beat up. Bad luck though as once again attendance is excellent. As if attending meetings is a measure of worth or contribution. As I've noted before, historically a few elected members have made great contributions by being absent. And there is so much more that elected members do than attend meetings.

The only abysmal attendance record is that of the Bay Times reporter who has even resorted occasionally to writing reports off agendas and phoning to find out what happened at the meeting. For what it's worth, here are the statistics. Note that some elected members attend a different number of meetings and that Mayor Stuart Crosby in particular would attend a greater number of unrecorded meetings pursuing civic duties.

This week's mindbender from William James – 'A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”