cashflow debt democracy ecocare fairness financial accountability public excluded rates sewage transparency watewater
WorkBoot Blogs » Curbing the Debt Addiction - Act 6 Scene 3 - For Goodness Sake
Another of the bard’s lines made famous in everyday use.
Well, for goodness sake, the amended Proposed District Plan has been issued with all the usual Council PR.
The very, very, tight 30 day time-limit now applies for appeals.
Given that most objectors gave their evidence 15 months or so ago and the amended Proposed District Plan is a huge document of 560 A3 pages, it is not surprising that I have already had calls about the unfairness or the process. I am sorry there is nothing I can do to help on that other than suggest that the community needs, if it wants it voice heard, to collaborate.
I am working on several detailed issues and will be back with a full blog next week.
In the meantime I have also had some calls on the retiring CE's PR piece published (with no critical comment) in the Dargaville News (extracted and found here on my website). As one resident dryly commented to me “I didn't know how lucky I was to have Jack spend my money for me”. For goodness sake, why not? We will have plenty of time to appreciate our retiring CE as we host farewell functions for him later this month.
Jack M also commented that the original Ecocare project was 'good value'. Well this is where the problems start. It isn, and never was. The sums are simple: $23,000,000/1,200 and you $19,166 per property. It actually gets to be better value at $59m/4,500 except about 4,000 of them don't exist at present!
No matter how you cook it ;good' value' it aint.
Alternative build em as you need em micro systems with great variable use capacity can be installed for as low as $6,000/household on a small group share basis. The problem council has with this is the management of many small vs the management of one monster. Jack M just couldn't get his mind around the former option.
I only hope Bayleys folk can do these simple sums and avoid the black smelly hole that is the McKerchar legacy.
Now, gotta go for a surf at Mangwhai - cheers
Posted by Paul Smith - Pahi, 14/10/2011 9:32am (2 years ago)
Gents, it seems eveyone here is very excited, and rightly so. And whilst the CEo does take the can for the sins of his enmployees, he shouldnt take the can for the specific actions of them. There is a distinction, he can say Mia Culpe and take disciplinary action but it is not him that suffers disciplinary action for the operational decisions of staff on one off occasions like the pool.
This forum is good to get information from Jonathon and discuss the issues presented. Where it fails for me is planning action, planning to put up Councillor candidates in areas, planning a constructive response to the activities that aggravate us all.
There is a lot of angry invective, alot of passion, bt as in 1984 if the hope lies in the proles then as the book said "organisation is the route to their victory, without that they are lost".
Read back on the posts here and previously and see the adjectives and verbs used, see the tone and see if there are constructive options presented.
Picketing council meetings is legal and would get in the press, endless letters to Councillors and to the opinion seciton of the press is legal and reasonable, planning and funding Council candidates is legal and possible, presentations to Cuoncil is legal and possible.
Very little of this is discussed.
As such I am going to withdraw from this forum, I really want to help, and I have worked for the Council before, but while I see the passion I dont see leadership or planning. Gavin is a leader and he is doing his best but I see no leadership here, no planning here, comment and invective, no plannig.
Good luck to you, and may your god or deity go with you.
Posted by Richard, 13/10/2011 8:52am (2 years ago)
The Minister gives assurances he is taking the Kaipara District Council situation seriously, but his first steps were to put Council on notice, and on 8th Sept ‘11 he met the Mayor who gave him assurances “Council was seeking assistance from Local Government New Zealand, and from debt management and recruitment specialists.” The Minister defined the areas where improvement is expected including “financial reporting, debt management, funding for the Magawhai Wastewater Scheme, and rates-setting practices,” and the Minister gave the Mayor until April 2012 to report, believing it is Council’s responsibility to resolve its problems, having accepted the Mayor’s assurances on various matters.
Replying to another ratepayers letter he also indicated while the Minister had the powers to initiate reviews or appoint certain persons if a council cannot perform, or is not performing properly, its functions, duties and responsibilities, he must first consult the affected council. He would then require significant or persistent failure by council to meet its legislative obligations; or identifiable mismanagement of the council’s resources; or identifiable deficiency in the council’s management or decision making processes.
Regarding appointment of a Commissioner to perform the powers and duties of a council, and/or calling a local election there were two grounds for this: “That council has requested the appointment; or that the council is unable to exercise its powers and duties because it cannot hold meetings due to the lack of a quorum.” “Finally, he may intervene and appoint a person to exercise council’s responsibilities, or to review a councils performance if that council is wilfully or substantially refusing to perform its duties and powers, and the refusal is either impairing good government or endangering public health or safety.”
The Minister is to be thanked for the detailed reponses to the various letters sent, however examination of the above, with what we already know indicates council will unlikely ever voluntariy call for a Commissioner as things stand. The Minister has given the Mayor until April 2012 “to report” and the Minister will then examine the reports and the Long Term Plan, so it seems any further actions are to be after that!
Either we wait, keep writing to the Minister, post blogs, and expect more of the same unless of course council cannot function properly or sufficient councillors resign so there is no longer a quorum.
Are there enough councillors willing to resign?
Do we expect councillors to vote for a critical, forensic examination of their responsibilities?
What lower level of rates actually received would make council responsive, or failing that unable to function, proving to the Minister there is a problem, and forcing the Minister to intervene promptly?
Posted by Fox, 12/10/2011 8:50pm (2 years ago)
oops ! NOT responsible????
Just what sort of irresponsible lowlife would deliberately withhold the true financial status of the KDC from his
" bosses "?
The Mayor and his rubber stamping retinue have not had the intestinal fortitude to request the CEO to front up and expose some of the facts of these important issues which are now apparently coming to light!
No wonder he is departing with what appears to be unseemly haste .
So much for transparency which we were promised by the Mayor.
Jack is certainly not immune .
> it is the Mayor and Councillors who make the decisions.< Nonsense!
Admittedly they happen to be in a cleft stick ---But only in a situation created by their own ineptitude.
They didn't really push Jack for answers by the sound of things.
This would have no doubt carried on except for the timely intervention of Workboot. One wonders just how long this situation would have lasted .
The other members of the council followed the leader and voted for a "quiet life" by all accounts .
Well a great number of rate payers have woken up to the fact that they are being hoodwinked and they intent to call a halt to this exposed practice of malfeasance .
Lets get the Government to step up to the plate and appoint a Commissioner .
But lets not wait until its too late .
The ball is in our hands !
Posted by Ralph Williams, 12/10/2011 7:07pm (2 years ago)
No, it is not Jack who is responsible. If you notice his comments etc over last few months he is immune - it is the Mayor and Councillors who make the decisions.
We have no "control" or influence over the CEO and his / her staff.
Perhaps we can get a ratepayers petion going to petition Central Government to appoint a Commissioner or equivalent.
However, I do actually believe that the CEO must shoulder much of the blame, particularly if he has misled the Mayor and Councilors.
Posted by John2, 12/10/2011 5:26pm (2 years ago)
I agree Ralph. The buck MUST stop somewhere. I am in senior management. I have staff who are responsible to me. If the shit hits the fan it is ME who is responsible to clean up the mess. Why is it different in council?
Jacks comments in the Kaipara Lifestyler are an affront to all Kaipara ratepayers and tocommon decency.
EcoCare is a financial disaster and so to is the swimming pool. To attempt to put any spin on either of those FACTS is enormously arrogant and utterly untrue!
Posted by Craig, 12/10/2011 5:03pm (2 years ago)
Sorry Richard
With all due respect to what you say I must disagree.
The buck stops at Jacks desk. He was in control of the scheme from its inception and the responsibility for over seeing its successful completion. Just because he maybe didn't "tell" them to empty the pool himself it was his duty to see that when the time came that contingency was recognized and addressed by the design Engineer..
Further more as he appears to be able to stand up and accept the bouquets for a job well done then he must also be prepared to accept the brickbats that accompany its failure.
Posted by Ralph Williams, 12/10/2011 2:28pm (2 years ago)
And consultants were paid $9,000 for the design, whereas many concrete contractors would have thrown in the design as part of the service.
Posted by Jefferson, 12/10/2011 2:21pm (2 years ago)
Richard,
I too have held very senior positions.
I do respect many of the things you say, and would like to discuss many on a one on one basis rather than through this site. Perhaps Jonathon might put us in direct Email communication in the first instance.
Posted by John2, 12/10/2011 9:46am (2 years ago)
I'm all for hakcing at a man for things he did but things not in his control. I was on the receiving end of that in a CEO job and I have a visceral reaction to it.
EcoCare, hell yes, he had his hands all over it obvously.
Posted by Richard, 12/10/2011 8:41am (2 years ago)
RSS feed for comments on this page | RSS feed for all comments