Council concluded its hearings of submissions to its Annual Plan last week.

I ran out of space in last week's column, but I thought I would continue this week on the balance of submissions we listened to and some of the more interesting bits. (It's all interesting albeit some was repetitive.) Some of the diverse thoughts received on the proposed 50 cent charge on some library books included:
• Make ratepayers exempt from user fees as they have already paid.
• Free access to books helped lower crime rates, less civil disruption and better production with education!
• The library is Tauranga's greatest source of knowledge and there is too much emphasis on sport. Council should balance library and intellectual activities by reducing the sports vote.

For the charges
Max Lewis wanted a retail shop in the library competing with private book stores. There are 46,600 library card holders apparently. Diana Fiford wouldn't mind an annual subscription of $20 and no book charge. If you don't pay you couldn't belong.
Margaret Dagg said that volunteers lower the standard of professional library staff. A Western Bay ratepayer wanted the library classed as essential infrastructure like water pipes and roads. (Western Bay makes no direct rates contributions to library operational expenditure.) Murray Guy noted a lot of essential infrastructure like water is user pays.
June Vallyon would be happy to volunteer at the library. Elected members got the whole nine yards from this submitter. There were other offers of voluntary help with no obvious reaction from the staff librarian.

Against the charges
On the other hand, Margo Greenville felt strongly that a $1 user charge per book was warranted. Some schools have better libraries, she said, and with two free newspapers, monster book sales, TV and internet, no one can say they are deprived. Free reading material was not a necessity and borrowers would more value a service they paid for directly. Margo said that handing out submissions forms on the library, in the library, was bound to produce a skewed result. It was like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. People don't need free libraries – they just want them. Libraries are not a right, but a privilege. A free library was a luxury, ratepayers could no longer afford, she said.

Lights, camera, action!
Media attendance throughout the three days was inconsistent and spasmodic. It appeared on some days to be ‘on demand'. Vanessa Byrnes, who organised an anti rally, was asked by Mayor Stuart Crosby on a number of occasions if she wanted to fill in gaps in the meeting proceedings in the absence of those who didn't turn up, but said she preferred to wait. At the appointed hour the Bay Times reporter magically reappeared along with photographer. A SunLive reporter turned up too, but he had to take his own photos. Vanessa had demanded of Mayor Stuart Crosby 10,000 blank submission forms to circulate. She had received 7500 and eventually just over 930 in total submissions were received. She gave another impassioned speech that ran about 30 minutes. It was as if the proposal was to close the library.

The smart answers
Probably the most effective anti library charge submission came from Brenda Colmore. She did not seem to be part of the mainstream submitters and she told us how nervous she was, but in less than one minute managed to convey the position a charge of 50 cents would place her and others in. Well done Brenda.
Ray Edwards, who is in favour of library charges, won't get reported. He said council should be congratulated for having no sacred cows. Council should ignore the emotional bludgers who demanded that Roy pay for their books he said.
Fred Greenville made a light hearted view. He said that if you gave a 20lb pig a kero tin of milk it would drink it in 10 minutes.
It didn't matter if it was two gallons or four gallons, it would drink it, but its growth rate would be the same.
The analogy being that it didn't matter how much money the library got, it would grow at the same rate. A library was not a right and those that say that, don't have the right to stick their hands in other people's pockets. Income redistribution was the role of central government, not council, he said.

Also to be considered
There were a few other matters to be heard and the one that created most surprise was from Grasshopper Farms, developers of The Lakes. Council agreed to accept upmarket services for the development on the clear understanding that these would attract a premium in rates – a targeted rate – to maintain these higher levels of service. They claimed that 'things have changed” and their request is that the target rate be dropped. You could have heard a pin drop. Council will consider a public toilet at the north end of the lake.
Also heard was a request from Triton Avenue landowners for a $1.25 million stormwater upgrade. They had been half a metre under water on May 18, 2005 and it's time for a fix, they said. Staff are to report back on this.

Money and the power
Kaka Street Special School asked for help with a $163,000 special needs playground on the Kaka Street – Kea Street reserve. A Papamoa developer asked that if the Historic Places Trust (HPT) appeal to the Environment Court is successful in getting another 7ha declared an historic place, would council have to maintain it to a high standard? HPT have all the power and no money. It will become another ratepayer liability, but the site was okay to put a road through?
Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson was concerned that if the library charges proceed then Western Bay libraries at Te Puke and Katikati would get more use and cost their ratepayers more. On the council amalgamation issue in response to a question Ross said, what you see in Auckland is not what is needed here.
Matua Bowling Club is looking for $60,000 to help with their expansion and artificial green. Terry Leaming, aka Hori BOP, a regular submitter, apologised for his comments last year about staff. He said he had been frustrated by traffic lights and had lost it. He then requested more traffic lights at 13th Avenue – Fraser Street and the intersection of Kaitemako Road. Thanks Terry, all is forgiven.

And the winner is…
My award (a close decision) for best submission in detail, humour and substance, went to Richard Prince of this library submission. Not because of his point of view, but for the unemotional detail he interspersed with humour. At one stage he portrayed a mythical Tauranga citizen in audience with the Pope at the Vatican – Forgive me Father for we have sinned in Tauranga. We have library charges and no museum.
He said it was his right to fly First Class, but always flew cattle class because that's what he could afford. Council is due to deliberate early June and make decisions. A good well administered round of submissions this year. The lolly scramble for ratepayers' money of yesteryear has gone. Well done everyone.