Council to discuss better public communication

Embattled Christchurch City councillors, fresh from an intense meeting yesterday, will on Monday discuss ways to improve communication with residents.

Six councillors lodged a signed request with council chief executive Tony Marryatt calling for the meeting.

Issues to be debated include a communications review or audit, "governance and management interaction" and a 10-point plan "for a way forward".

The 10-point plan, endorsed by Christchurch East Labour MP Lianne Dalziel, is:

1. Establish an earthquake committee that would meet weekly to discuss, liaise and focus on the quake recovery and response.

2. Restart existing council committees.

3. Hold weekly public seminars on "matters of significance", to be decided by the committee heads.

4. Set up a councillors' office administration within the council to provide support and assistance to individual councillors.

5. Provide councillors with fortnightly updates on insurance negotiations, with final settlements going to the elected council for decisions.

6. Provide councillors with fortnightly updates on community facilities, to be made public and published online.

7. Develop and establish governance-level relationships with the Government, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Christchurch MPs and Environment Canterbury.

8. Develop an internal quake-recovery scheme for the council.

9. Expand the chief executive subcommittee to include the entire council, develop a performance agreement and charter for the chief executive by the end of October, and meet every two months to monitor key targets.

10. Hold quarterly meetings with key stakeholders, including business representatives, key community groups and the media. The chief executive would be encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be held in the council chamber on Monday at 1pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News