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

Elected members had a briefing on the CEO's proposed reorganisation of how council services are provided. Implicit in the proposal are cost savings and a reconfigured service organisation deemed to be a more efficient method of how things get done.

It's all a draft at the moment, pending consultation with staff members who may have relevant contributions to make covering items that may not have been thought of.

The elected council has for a long time sought a review of the organisation in these uncertain financial times to ensure ratepayers are getting a best-value service for their rates dollar. This is the sole responsibility of the CEO (how the organisation is run) and interim CEO Leigh Auton, assisted by specialist outside consultants, will formulate any changes finally decided on alongside the new yet-to–be-appointed CEO. Leigh is not an applicant for this position so the new CEO can start with a clean slate.

From where I sit this review is long overdue and for many years I have expressed concerns at what I perceive to be lots of ‘fat in the system'. The ‘fat' being your rates dollars plus council getting involved in provision of nice to have services – such as the now-defunct Waterfront Museum project that cost ratepayers around $1 million in preparatory planning.

So now we've got most elected members feet on the ground, (or approaching a landing) and we're aiming for leaner organisation focused on provision of the same or similar level of service with minimal–to-nil rates increases for the next five years at least.

It must have been a slow news week and the Bay Times ran a photo of Murray Guy ‘saving' pohutukawa trees on Marine Parade at the Mount. At least someone had a sense of humour, as the caption started with 'unlikely opposition” - no doubt a veiled reference to Murray's action a few years ago where a constituent was having trouble with a tree so Murray wrote out a note granting 'permission” to cut it down, which happened! Oh dear! Anyway, Murray's reported noble effort in this case had already been resolved by staff the day before the story hit the street. Two trees had already been removed, nine will remain and, if in the future there is a need to remove more, replacement pohutukawa have been planted much further back from the roadway.

Two LAGOIMA requests (Local Government Official Information Act) for elected members expenses have been received from the NZ Herald and former CEO and now regional councillor Paula Thompson. Here are the relevant details. It seems a little illogical for costs associated with an elected member's role being listed as personal expenses. Planning councillors have to attend seminars for instance to keep up to date as part of their function and the mayor spends time in Wellington and Auckland as part of his role. In fact if he didn't he could be accused of not doing his job. It will be interesting to see what take is made by the media and other interested parties. Next year is an election year…! – and the silly season.

At full council we heard very reasoned concerns from Tauranga Primary School about possible traffic flows down Fifth Avenue consequent to a new Burger King being built on Cameron Road between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. Next day (there was) an equally balanced and reasoned petition from local residents. I was very impressed with both presentations and, it appeared, so were my colleagues. Burger King and council staff will attempt to work out a solution. It's great when all affected parties decide to try and work through together. Hopefully it will result in a win-win for everyone.

By the time you read this you should have received your new property rating valuation. A couple of popular urban myths need to be laid to rest. It is a RATING valuation and not necessarily what your property would fetch on the market. And an altered valuation either up or down does not necessarily mean an equal alteration on your rates. Council needs to collect $X in general rates each year and the valuation is the mechanism devised to decide what your share of that will be. By the way, in my view, it's a nonsense system for ascertaining your share of the general rate as the valuation has no relevance to your ability to pay. At least income tax is a percentage of your income.

The draft policy 'Temporary Commercial Activities on Reserves” is out for consultation. Our wish is for reserves to have catering provided in an orderly manner – and we're not looking for extra fees either! All vendors are already licensed and fee'd so there will be restricted allocated parking and it will be first-up best-dressed.

Downtown CBD parking problems are simmering away with lots of anonymous opinions. Some downtown retailers are their own worst enemy, as constant reference to both real and perceived problems can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Most times there are around 530 spare parks available downtown, albeit not outside the shop you want to go to and some are in the parking buildings, which Tauranga residents seem to avoid. Yes, council's parking policies need tweaking and this is being done regularly. Just two examples of the other side of the parking coin (pun intended). Rival retailers parking outside their competitor's premises – yes, that happens. I have seen an organisation where every two hours people traipse out of the building to shift their cars in a musical chairs variation in a two-hour free parking zone. This denies some 10-20 car parks to shoppers during the day.

Thanks to the Toxic Agrichemicals Advisory Forum (TAAF), a voluntary group working with council staff advising on the use of chemicals by council around the city, four additional chemicals were approved, seven were declined or removed.

A Tree Management sub-committee was formed to hear applications for tree matters. Lucky appointees were Tony Christiansen chair, Bill Grainger deputy chair, Larry Baldock, Terry Molloy and Murray Guy. I wish them all the best in their endeavours.

This week's mindbender from, of all people, Ronald Regan. 'Socialism only works in two places, heaven, where they don't need it, and hell, where they already have it.”