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Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz |
As noted last week, every three years full council wades through the laborious task of reviewing all council's services and activities to collate a Ten Year Plan.
This review process makes it a three year/Ten Year Plan and this time around a majority of elected members have reverted to voting with their hearts instead of their heads.
At the outset the aim was a reduction of $100 million in debt and a rate revenue increase of about five per cent.
To put not too fine a point on it, things aren't going so well in even putting a dent in the finances or debt.
But this is the first cut of a draft for consultation so there's a way to go yet – a point the headline writer in the Bay Times seems to have missed.
Misreporting confuses
In three year/Ten Year Plan reporting, no decisions have been made.
Decisions are only made after consultation/submissions are received and have been deliberated on in May next year.
What is being put in the plan is to ascertain what the public thinks council should do. Take for instance the Waterfront Plan on The Strand.
This proposal includes a playground – cost of about $300,000.
My personal view is that it shouldn't be in, but I am very interested in community feedback ($300,000 could be better spent of even better not spent at all?).
The ‘Glasshouse' left over from the ill-fated ‘Kestrel' restaurant is hardly a fit in a marine environment, but again what is the majority view?
So it won't be until submissions are received (and other feedback) that any decisions are made.
Other proposals to be included are a $420,000 boardwalk along Pilot Bay.
Daisy Hardwick Walkway in Otumoetai proposed $19,000 for a gravel access for the Goods Road connection.
Leverage for library
The Greerton Library, after lengthy debate, is in the first cut with a $450,000 addition that would increase its size by 50 per cent.
Much hilarity as Catherine Stewart got tongue tied and told us that library users 'should be happy with a 50 per cent increase that would double the size of the library”.
It's okay Catherine, we knew what you meant.
In a bid to get some thinking outside the square I successfully moved the CEO bring back options that might produce a new library and complex in conjunction with the private sector.
As an example, council provides the land and someone builds a complex that includes the Village Square and a library at no cost to ratepayers.
Pie in the sky the detractors howled, but how do you know until you ask?
The resolution passed 7-4. Why you wouldn't ask escapes me.
Mobile library parked
The mobile library is proposed to cease as the $160,000 it costs each year can be more effectively used within the library service. This is not cost cutting.
Half of this service is to schools which pay nothing to the service, but we understand, receive an allowance, albeit inadequate, to provide in-school library services.
$30,000 of the $160,000 would be used to upgrade a service for housebound library users.
Rubbishing OSH silliness
More PC rubbish with OSH requirements. Mention OSH and most elected members run for the ratepayers cheque book. So $137,500 of your money is proposed for safety issues. Some of it – like push locks on fire escapes is sensible, but others are ridiculous.
On one council building there is a side door fire escape.
It's a staircase about three metres off the ground. Someone might run up it and fall through the railing. The fact that it's been there for 50 years with no reported incidents might be an indicator, but no.
It is to be covered with a Perspex shield to prevent a fall.
More like interfering with the gene pool if someone is stupid enough to climb it and fall. And they shouldn't be there anyway.
Pools get a dip in
The Mount Hot Pools redevelopment is unlikely to go ahead, but the refurbishment that was expected will likely proceed.
Ratepayer subsidy for operations is about $732,000 with loan and debt servicing taking it to about $2million.
A redevelopment was designed to reduce this subsidy by increasing revenue and surplus on the Hot Pool operation.
This is the only pool that usually (not likely this year) makes money.
Baypark needs a boost
Baypark asked for a budget provision of $1.7m in the plan to build a 2500sqm ‘pavilion' (read big shed), but after lively lengthy discussion was declined.
TCVL, which runs Baypark Stadium and TECT Arena, is seeking a $5m capital injection.
The debt is already there, created by principal requirements, capitalised interest and operational loss. No decision until the CEO brings back an options report.
Baypark is doing okay now it is in full control of activities, but it has been hit by the economic downturn and issues not fully within its control.
The likely outcome is some of this debt will have to be picked up by ratepayers.
Funds for the suits
Staff surprised elected members by telling us they needed another $500,000 for City Plan appeal processes – legal and mediation. Oh joy!
I asked if council needed to stick so hard to the party line. I was told it's just not that easy (to summarise).
It never is where the Resource Management Act is involved, but is great for lawyers and consultants. Add to all this the $20 million plus for uncollectable development contributions and you can see that elected members with a disposition to voting with their hearts are either going to harden up and chop out a heap of worthy, but unaffordable proposals or send you a whopping rates increase.
As David Stewart so eloquently puts it – and I agree – we are going to do very well if we can tread water in the next couple of years.
Council first to finish
To finish, more hilarity (despite attempts to portray otherwise in the daily media, most of the time we are a good humoured bunch) when Rick Curach attempted to move that a building impact fee for first home buyers be repaid over five years in the rates by the homeowner.
I pointed out that the banks would just add this debt into the loan calculations and/or reduce the amount of the loan.
The resolution was put and lost 10-0 with Rick acknowledging that making policy on the hoof wasn't a good idea. 10-0 is a first in my experience – the mover usually votes for.
This week's mindbender – 'Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid.” Unsurprisingly attributed to Anonymous.