I'm excited to be back for the first week of formal council meetings in 2014. This column was written before council's decisions on Thursday, so I'll cover those issues in future weeks.

It's obvious from the week's early sessions that elected members have done their homework during the summer break; and we're sharing our knowledge with each other.

The break from formal meetings in January was a great chance for us to see what's happening outside of the council business. I met with entrepreneurs, youth agencies, event managers and experts on local government reform. Other councillors also met community representatives.

It shows we're not just focusing on our own business; we're also looking at the bigger picture to ensure the community gets the most value out of the services we provide. This council is keen to avoid running in its own hamster wheel if we don't have too.

Humming anniversary weekend

Tauranga was humming with events on Auckland Anniversary weekend, providing a great atmosphere. It shows events are just as much about locals having fun in their city as it is about new money being injected into the local economy.

Tauranga residents generally support events that are unique to us and cannot be duplicated in other forms of entertainment, or by other cities. This is what I mean by having a strong point of difference. Good event managers understand this. I'd like to see the city continue to build a reputation as a great place to host events.

I didn't go to any of the weekend events, which is unusual for me. I was on voluntary surf lifesaving patrol. But I did go to Auckland to see how it handles major events on their waterfront. They did a superb job of managing a sell-out 10,000-strong crowd for the international music festival. Nearby eateries and retail stores were busy and there were no obvious transport issues. Auckland's parking fees were not a barrier for those I spoke to, as there was something worth paying for to experience.

Your feedback

Thanks for your mixed feedback on last week's column on finding a better use of resources than hosting a youth council. There are many types of issues and opportunities facing our young people, which would be hard for a small selection of youth to cover. So let's work with already-established youth networks in the first instance.

Feel free to email me your thoughts (matt.cowley@tauranga.govt.nz), call/text me on 027 6989 548, and follow me at www.facebook.com/a.younger.voice.