'Ground rules' for council wanted
SAM SACHDEVA
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A crisis meeting between Christchurch City councillors and Local Government Minister Nick Smith is a chance to set "ground rules" for the organisation, Mayor Bob Parker says.
Smith will meet councillors this afternoon in an attempt to quell discord around the council table and throughout the community.
The council has come under fire after several public blunders, and a $68,000 pay rise for chief executive Tony Marryatt has angered many residents. Cr Tim Carter has urged the Government to oust Marryatt, and Cr Sue Wells said councillors could no longer work together and should be replaced.
Parker said he did not want to talk about what he would discuss at the meeting.
"One of the issues we've faced is that too much of what we're doing and how we're doing it is discussed and placed in the media before we get there."
The meeting was a chance to set out some "ground rules" for the elected members so they could focus on the city's recovery, Parker said.
"This is really about the councillors finding a process by which we can all agree on some bottom lines."
Councillors would need to put aside previous disagreements and work together, he said.
"Whether anyone's done anything wrong isn't the issue here," he said.
"We need to let bygones be bygones. There are always disagreements and rough and tumble.
"We all accept that, but certain lines have been crossed and we've got to pull back from that place."
Parker said the council had made significant progress on "a whole raft of issues" relating to the earthquake recovery, and needed to see the work through.
"It would be a tragedy for us as a group, having laid the foundations to move forward, if we couldn't be a part of that," he said.
Smith said Parker and the councillors were "the only ones" who could resolve the issues affecting the council.
He had "some ideas" about how the Government could assist the councillors, but did not want to discuss his plans publicly before the closed-door meeting.
"One of the issues here is that people need to communicate directly with each other, so no, I don't intend to conduct my business and communication through the Christchurch Press."
Smith refused to say how many staff he intended bringing to the meeting, saying he was "entitled to bring any staff who I wish".
A council spokeswoman said the meeting would start at 2.30pm at the council's Hereford St offices.
Parker and Smith would hold a press conference after the meeting, the spokeswoman said.
The council will hold an extraordinary meeting at 1pm next Monday to discuss "communication and governance matters".
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Patrick-#32 there is only ONE lot of rules as set out in Local Body Law made by Parliament. These "rules"(laws) MUST be followed by each and every local body in NZ. Parker can not make rules ad hoc to suit himself and his cronies. this has been part of the problem with the dysfi=unction of CCC - "rules " have been mad ad hoc and people have not been consulted which has led to divisivness and crazy illegal decisions being made by some councillors.
Strikes me Patrick is not reaaly on the ball at all. How can there be collective responsibility if only 7 of the 13 Councillors are making the decisions and other 6 are excluded and oly told after decisions have been made ? Wake up Patrick; is Parker paying you ?
Years ago, the town clerks got together and devised a plan to take over the budgets of their councils. The proposition they put to the councilors was they’d manage the budget, employ all staff and report back on a monthly basis. By using smoke and mirrors, no reduction responsibility or the councilor’s stipend would be necessary. (Done quietly so the ratepayers didn’t notice) and they’d only have to worry about one employee – the town clerk. Fast forward a decade or so and it is clear we need to go full circle, back to employing all heads of departments on accountable contracts. There needs to be a basis to start from, last year’s budget would be a good start. Each head of department is given “X” dollars (last year’s budget) as bulk funding (using a Rodney Hide euphemism) He does everything from contracts to salaries etc, etc. If he comes out the end of the year with a surplus, he gets to share it with his staff as a bonus. If over it is cut off next year’s budget. It is self-policing, this is reviewed on a three yearly basis, and he either is employed for another three years or is down the road. As you would expect it will be fought tooth and nail, as accountability is anathema to the very existence of a bureaucrat.
I will not leave my council building until democracy has been restored and these jumped up self serving corporatocrats resign and leave
Whatever the outcome,of this utter shambles, which this council has bought upon it'self and the City, each council member + town clerk, will have their ticket punched and their card marked by the ratepayers of this City. We will not forget how you have treated us. Shame on you all.
Collective responsibility. All councillors support and respect the decisionmaking process and do not break the trust by going outside that process, leaking information or votes from meetings. If the council gets accolades then all the councillors can share in the accolades. If the council gets brickbats then all councillors have to sit down together and see how to fix it. Some councillors are sitting round the table that want to have a buck both ways. They want to be able to take the accolades when they come, and if they don't agree with it they still want to get accolades by publicising their disagreement. Sorry that doesn't work. Collective Decisionmaking 101. Get rid of all the councillors who won't behave responsibly.
Ground rules as articulated by Parker are 100% correct for ANY collective body like a city council. They would be no different for anyone else so anyone who criticises Parker for spelling them out is playing silly political games. There must be trust and respect and that is done by building relationships and these are not possible when trust is being broken.
Analyst #14 If Mayor parker really means this then he must start by refunding the draconian 10% penalty for late payment of rates and extortionate charges for catching motorists who late pay their Rego at no real cost to the crown thanks to continuous licensing, until you do what you preach Mr Mayor I have no confidence in you or your council and I want you out and stand for re election if you believe you can regain ratepayers confidence.
Councillors who cannot be bound by collective responsibility must resign. New councillors elected must support the process of decisionmaking. It was a majority decision to re appoint Marryatt and I heard council is legally required to grant him the pay increase. If they follow due process they could pay out his contract and resign. Once again that would be a collective responsibility process they must all support the outcome of.
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#37 do you have any proof or is this gossip / hearsay