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

The seemingly never ending quest for our new city CEO came to a conclusion this week when Garry Poole was appointed.

Garry comes to Tauranga from his position as CEO Wellington. My enquiries (including the internet – source of all truth!) indicate that Wellington councillors declined to renew Garry's contract for a third time on a majority vote. That's how it works these days. No more jobs for life and the new political climate in Wellington Local Government with Green leanings means Tauranga gets a CEO with vast experience and a business network background unparalleled. Gary will need all this as it is expected he will hit the ground running. There will be no traditional honeymoon time 'to get his feet under the desk.” Garry will be involved immediately in shaping his executive team and the form of the organisation to take our city to the future – with no or minimal cost increases to maintain levels of service.

Garry's salary will be an all-inclusive package of $340,000. Council no longer includes add-ons like car, super, medical insurance. He starts full time after Easter.

At full council elected members had the regular (and hoary old chestnut) debate on city parking wardens issuing tickets for expired rego and WOF on cars parked on city streets and parking lots – but not parking buildings? Go figure that one if vehicle safety is truly the reason to issue a ticket. For instance there is no vehicle safety issue in a lapsed rego. You have to have a valid WOF first so it could be seen that a ticket for lapsed rego is revenue gathering. And remember rego is a Government/ACC tax. At present ticket receivers have a 14 day grace to remedy any rego and/or WOF that has been expired up to two months. And after the usual lengthy and sometimes emotive debate that's the way it will stay. Figures produced by staff showed that revenue from this activity had fallen indicating that, indeed, the two month period was working as tickets are only waived once the transgression has been fixed. My underlying concern is that revenue rising is also a motive. Fine revenue gets split 50/50 with Central Government BUT Council covers all costs. Surprise, surprise.

It is also true that Council needs to work hand in hand with all Government agencies – in this case the police and Council does that. The other side of the discussion is that all shopping mall carparks are 'unpoliced” as they are private property. CBD and other shopping centres like the Mount have claimed 'unfair competition.” Murray Guy said he felt a Tui ad coming on '…its vehicle safety that's our concern.”

The more things change the more they stay the same. A consultant's report on the Art Gallery recommended amongst other things 'the establishment of an independently government Endowment Fund is adopted as the governance model for the public Art Gallery.” This was supposed to be a founding principle for the Art Gallery many years ago when Art Gallery supporters came to Council on behalf of a group of people proposing to fund the Art Gallery using endowments from art lovers to fund the capital and on-going operational costs. Elected members were asked to stump up with $1 million as a public capital contribution 'and you'll never hear from us again.” So $1 million was duly provided but some time later they were back again for another $1 million which they got. They did raise about $5 million themselves to fund the Gallery building. Subsequently ratepayers were asked to contribute operational expenses