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Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz |
The mad rush to Christmas means lots of meetings at council being crammed – just like exams at school.
Seems it's like this to accommodate the holiday period when many staff take vacations. Council won't meet again after Christmas until late January.
Elected members need to have their wits about them as we are covering the whole of council's activities in a short time to produce a draft three year/Ten Year Plan for your consultation in March/April.
At strategy and policy committee, elected members received a request from the Welcome Bay Community and Te Tai Ora Health for creation of a smokefree policy in the Eastern suburbs.
Not a ban, a smokefree policy is intended to be a voluntary cessation of smoking on council land that is self policing.
I have already received feedback (some quite loud) accusing council of being ‘Anti Smoking Nazis' to quiet encouragement – ‘Good idea'.
Council will receive a report on implications before taking the matter further.
As an avid non smoker, but the son of an avid smoker, I get to understand both sides of the issue.
My late mum (no, the fags weren't to blame) advocated strongly her right to smoke in her home and out in public.
At our house we insisted she smoke outside and that caused some friction that was hard for everybody – so it's not something to be taken lightly.
It was with some bemusement that I noted the report in the Bay Times.
Their reporter wasn't present to hear first hand what went on. This happens quite a lot, so at best it's second hand news/smoke.
Accounting illusions all fantasy
At projects and monitoring, the committee received annual reports from council controlled organisations (CCO).
Tauranga City Venues Ltd (TCVL), which runs Baypark Stadium and the new TECT Arena, reported a surplus of $3,530,000. Wouldn't that be nice?
Unfortunately that is an accounting illusion produced by auditing requirements and/or ‘International Practise' – so our finance controller advised when elected members queried it.
In fact, it was to do with grants for the TECT Arena that produced this fantasy result.
Oh the PC world we live in, but TCVL general manager Ervin McSweeney reassured us that the two centres were doing well.
The TECT Arena was 50 per cent ahead of budget, catering up 25 per cent on budget, stadium up 20-25 per cent, and only the speedway under budget.
This was due mainly to the cancellation of the fireworks display so as not to frighten the Dotterels that were being housed nearby to protect them from the Rena oil spill. Investigations are to be made to claim a loss from Rena insurers. Good luck on that one!
In response to elected member questions, we were told that they may run a fireworks display in the new year.
Speedway food faux pas
The ridiculous security searching of patrons for food and drink at the first speedway night was attributed by Ervin to an 'error of judgement” by the security firm.
I might have used a stronger term of phrase.
This is Tauranga and we don't need those big city strong arm tactics here – especially for the family speedway image that is being promoted.
For those of you who were justifiably offended, please give speedway another chance.
TCVL directors fees paid in 2011 were Rex Pollock, John Adshead, Bernie Gillon, Daryl French and Graeme Elvin – $10,000 each! Stuart Crosby is an unpaid director.
Pool directors paid
Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd (TCAL), which runs the pools, was next up. The presentation went surprisingly smoothly considering the rocky road TCAL has travelled over the past few months.
The closure of the Mount Hot Pools will impact on their finances in next year's accounts, so this year's accounts aren't fully reflective of the closure.
There will be a $55,000 upgrade (at last!) of changing facilities at Otumoetai.
Mount Hot Pools will revert to real saltwater this week – changing from freshwater with salt added. This went on while the Rena oil leak issue was in effect.
Directors fees paid in 2011 were Warren Banks $22,700, Shirley Baker $20,600, Hemi Rolleston $2800 (per year) and Mike King $16,400.
Mike is based in Australia and his travel and accommodation costs were $20,487.
David Stewart, an unpaid director, resigned at the beginning of the year.
Warren Banks and Mike King have also since resigned.
A CCO too many?
Tauranga City Investments Ltd (TCIL), the company that holds the shares in the CCOs at arm's length from council, tabled its report.
Directors are all council staff members who are unpaid in this role, but I noted $7860 audit fees.
Elected members queried the need for this company and were advised that some of the necessity had disappeared.
The whole CCO set up is up for review before Christmas and there could be changes, but what to?
Coming back in house may give more control – it may also bring back political interference.
My mind is open to all options, but I have noted in the past that actually doing the commercial activity is not a local government strong point.
There are other models that might work, but having the media present at board meetings is not conducive to good commercial decision making in my opinion.
Imagine the boards of Trustpower, Port of Tauranga or Fletchers having the media sit in, or best, querying a ‘Public Excluded' section.
This week's mindbender: ‘You ain't going nowhere son, you ought to go back to driving a truck.' – The Grand Ole Opry's Jim Denny to Elvis Presley, 1954. (Who was Jim Denny?)