Council Meeting Agenda.Docx
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Minutes of a Meeting of the Wanganui Rural Community Board held at 3.30pm on Wednesday, 14 February 2018 in Committee Room 2, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Whanganui. _____________________________________________________________________________ Present: David Matthews (Chair), Bill Ashworth, Michael Dick, Alistair Duff, Sandra Falkner, Grant Skilton, David Wells, Mayor Hamish McDouall, Cr Josh Chandulal-Mackay, and Cr Murray Cleveland. Apologies: Cr Murray Cleveland (for lateness). Officers in Attendance: Rowan McGregor (Manager – Special Projects), Marianne Cavanagh (Principal Advisor – Corporate), and Cass Alexander (Communications Officer). Secretary: Louise Davies (Governance Services Officer). In Attendance: Yth Cr Rhea Colaabavala. David Matthews welcomed everyone to the meeting. The apologies of Crs David Cotton and Nicola Patrick (Horizons Regional Council) were noted. Apologies Board’s Resolution Proposed by David Matthews, seconded by Cr Josh Chandulal-Mackay: THAT the apology from Cr Murray Cleveland (for lateness) is accepted. CARRIED 1. Declarations of Interest There were no new declarations of interest that had arisen since Board members had last completed the Elected Members’ Interests Register. 2. Confirmation of Minutes – 7 December 2017 Copies of the minutes of the meeting of the Wanganui Rural Community Board held on Thursday, 7 December 2017, were circulated with the Order Paper of the meeting of the Whanganui District Council held on 13 February 2018. Officer assessment of significance of decision – In terms of the Significance and Engagement Policy 2014, the decision is not significant. 2 Board’s Resolution Proposed by Michael Dick, seconded by David Wells: 2.1 THAT the Minutes of the meeting of the Wanganui Rural Community Board held on Thursday, 7 December 2017, are confirmed. CARRIED 3. Actions Arising from Previous Minutes There were no actions arising from previous minutes. 4. Update from Horizons Regional Council, Tamaupoko Link and Federated Farmers There were no representatives of Horizons Regional Council, Tamaupoko Link, Federated Farmers or New Zealand Police to provide a verbal update. Cr Murray Cleveland joined the meeting at 3.34pm. 5. Appointment to the Statutory Management Committee Stephanie Rose, Policy and Governance Manager, reports: “Introduction At its meeting held on 7 December 2017, the Statutory Management Committee agreed that the Council should consider amending the Terms of Reference for the Statutory Management Committee to allow for a Rural Community Board representative with full member status. Background Extract from Local Government Act 2002 ‘50 Membership of community boards The membership of a community board consists of — (a) members elected under the Local Electoral Act 2001; and (b) members (if any) of, and appointed in accordance with the Local Electoral Act 2001 by, the territorial authority in whose district the relevant community is situated. 51 Status of community boards A community board — (a) is an unincorporated body; and (b) is not a local authority; and (c) is not a committee of the relevant territorial authority. 52 Role of community boards The role of a community board is to — (a) represent, and act as an advocate for, the interests of its community; and Wanganui Rural Community Board 14 February 2018 3 (b) consider and report on all matters referred to it by the territorial authority, or any matter of interest or concern to the community board; and (c) maintain an overview of services provided by the territorial authority within the community; and (d) prepare an annual submission to the territorial authority for expenditure within the community; and (e) communicate with community organisations and special interest groups within the community; and (f) undertake any other responsibilities that are delegated to it by the territorial authority.’ The Council, at its meeting held 7 February 2017, invited the Board to recommend to the Council a Community Board member for appointment with speaking and voting rights to each of the Council’s three committees of full Council — Strategy and Finance Committee, Property and Community Services Committee, and Infrastructure and Special Projects Committee. The recommendations for appointment were subsequently endorsed upon the receipt of the Board’s minutes at the Council meeting held 8 March 2017. The purpose was to ensure the Board, and the rural community it represented, was clearly heard by the Council. Strategic context Extract from Local Government Act 2002 ‘31 Membership of committees and subcommittees (1) A local authority may appoint or discharge any member of a committee or a subcommittee. (2) Unless directed otherwise by the local authority, a committee may appoint or discharge any member of a subcommittee appointed by the committee. (3) The members of a committee or subcommittee may, but need not be, elected members of the local authority, and a local authority or committee may appoint to a committee or subcommittee a person who is not a member of the local authority or committee if, in the opinion of the local authority, that person has the skills, attributes, or knowledge that will assist the work of the committee or subcommittee.’ The Council may appoint non-elected (non-Councillors) to its committees with speaking and voting rights. The appointment of a member of the Wanganui Rural Community Board to the Statutory Management Committee will ensure that the Board’s view, and the view of the rural community it represents, is heard and understood in the context of the Leading Edge Strategy, the Long Term Plan, Asset Management Plans and other relevant strategies, policies and bylaws. Options It is considered that one specified Board member should be appointed, for example, the Board Chair. Wanganui Rural Community Board 14 February 2018 4 However, as the Statutory Management Committee hears and deliberates on a raft of varying issues that might interest different Board members at different times one option could be to have Council agree to the Board Chair (or Board) nominating an alternate attendee in the case of absence. This Board member would need to be specifically named in the recommendation to Council. If this approach was not favoured then only one nominated person would be entitled to attend Statutory Management Committee meetings on behalf of the Board, regardless of the issue to be discussed. Conclusion It is considered that the appointment of a Wanganui Rural Community Board elected member with speaking and voting rights to the Council’s Statutory Management Committee would ensure that the rural community’s views as represented by the Board, are heard and understood by the Council.” Discussion Rob Goldsbury, Legal Counsel, spoke to the report and outlined the available options for appointing a Board representative to the Statutory Management Committee. Mayor Hamish McDouall joined the meeting at 3.42pm. It was agreed that a recommendation be made to Council to appoint the Board Chair to the Statutory Management Committee, with all other Board members being named as an alternate attendee. This would provide the flexibility in the case of the Chair’s absence, or where the Chair wanted to ensure that a Board member with specific skills or interests was present to ensure that the rural community’s views were being heard. Officer assessment of significance of decision – In terms of the Significance and Engagement Policy, the decision is not significant. Board’s Resolution Proposed by Grant Skilton, seconded by David Wells: 5.1 THAT the Wanganui Rural Community Board recommends to the Whanganui District Council the appointment of David Matthews, Chair, Wanganui Rural Community Board, and, as his alternate, Wanganui Rural Community Board member Bill Ashworth, Michael Dick, Alistair Duff, Sandra Falkner, Grant Skilton, and David Wells, with speaking and voting rights, to the Statutory Management Committee. CARRIED ACTION: Stephanie Rose Wanganui Rural Community Board 14 February 2018 5 8. Roading Update Rui Leitao, Senior Roading Engineer, reports: “Introduction The purpose of this report is to ensure the Wanganui Rural Community Board (Board) is kept up to date on roading activities and proposed projects in the rural network. Strategic context These projects will help us achieve our goals as set in the Long Term Plan and the Roading Asset Management Plan 2015. Roading Projects Delivery of Network Maintenance Work Road maintenance delivery continues to be provided through the Whanganui Alliance, a performance tensioned shared-risk contract with Downer, with specialist support from external engineering when required. This road maintenance contract ends 30 June 2018. This contract is currently out for tender, with submissions closing 8 March 2018. Emergency Works – June 2015 extreme weather event All work is on track to be completed by June 2018. The final major projects arising from this event include: Whanganui River Road Oyster Bluff – Road Peg (RP) 15 kilometres (km) retreat – These earthworks have commenced and are being done in conjunction with a road widening by Wickham’s orchard (RP13km). The final earthworks and the roadworks will be ongoing until March 2018. ‘Stop/Go’ traffic controls will be in place. Whanganui River Road Jerusalem Bluff – (RP48-49km) – These works have been awarded to ID Loaders and will be ongoing until the end of April 2018. ‘Stop/Go’ traffic controls will be in place. Papaiti Road/Mosquito Point – These works have been awarded to Downer. This road