Unfortunately, Mr Dougherty was reappointed by the council last May until August 2020 so Kapiti ratepayers are stuck with him until then. However, the disfunction and bad decisions that he has been responsible for are going to be an issue in this year’s general council elections.
I was handed a letter today from Mr Dougherty, warning me of police intervention, because of my having paid my water bill and rates [at the council offices]. Mr Dougherty stated that council is currently reviewing internal procedures for dealing with trespassers, and staff will be advised to contact Police if I attempt to enter the council offices at Rimu Road.
I am expected if I have an enquiry or to pay bills to go to Waikanae or Otaki or
make a written request to the Customer Services Manager.
Mr Dougherty seems to be suffering from several forms of personality disorder.
Consequently, a certain amount of what he does and his decision processes are
impacted by megalomania and egotism, or narcissism.
The Mayor and councillors have a duty to reign in Mr Dougherty’s irresponsible
exercise of power, which has already cost the council both in litigation and in
moral standing. Personal vendettas and ego are no way to conduct council
business and treat ratepayers.
Mr Dougherty also saw the need to again deposit his libellous implications with
the police in seemingly trying to build up a very false impression of my
character with them.
Consequently. I have handed a copy of the following letter to Kapiti police,
attn. Snr Const. Lee Greedus, and handed the letter to the service desk at KCDC premises at Rimu Road.
I will continue to undertake legitimate business at the Rimu Road premises as
and when required, as I have done for several dozen years.
Later today I was arrested, and was at the police station for 2 hrs 30 mins, finger printed and photographed for willful trespass. The police were friendly chaps. I was given the option that if I acknowledged the trespass the matter would be dropped with a warning. However, I said that I cannot in good conscious concede to the legitimacy of a trespass notice based on flagrantly false, vile allegations.
The initial appearance at court will be Porirua, Tuesday 5 April, 9:00 am.
Nice going, Dougherty. It must be an example of the KCDC being ‘open for business’, His Worship willing to listen to all, and another example of Dougherty’s narcissistic intransigence against ratepayers.
K R Bolton
11 Beachwater Gr
Paraparaumu Beach 5032
9041987
7 March 2016
A P Dougherty
Chief Executive
Kapiti Coast District Council
Dear Mr Dougherty
In response to your letter of 7 March 2016, warning me as to Trespass from the
175 Rimu Road building:
I had legitimate business being at Rimu Road on 29 January and 26 February,
paying my water rates and my quarterly rates. On both occasions these
transactions were undertaken in the same amiable manner as have all my dealings with staff over the course of 24 years. My partner, Kathy Thomson, suffers from “essential tremor”. This condition can change minute-by-minute. It is aggravated by stress. Given the belligerent attitude of yourself and the majority of councillors, I am uneasy about Kathy entering the Rimu Road premises; it is unpleasant enough for myself.
The suggestion that I pay rates etc. at Waikanae or Otaki is an unjust burden.
Further, I do not use debit transactions for any dealings. Your demand that I
only contact staff by first writing to the Customer Services Manager is
presumably meant to imply that I am a dangerous character, for which there is
no justification whatsoever. The insinuation is another baseless libel.
Should you wish to exempt me from paying rates and any other bills or charges, that of course would be agreeable, especially considering that I have been denied the same rights as other ratepayers without just cause. I would therefore have no reason or desire to enter the premises.
As we both know, the basis of the trespass notice against me is bogus. Unlike
private property, trespass from public property must be based on something more substantial than a whim or vendetta. Such matters have been considered by NZ courts and the Ombudsman.
Oddly, the bizarre allegation of my attempting to assault Cr Holborow has never been put to the test of cross-examination. The allegation remains a standing defamation for which a majority of councillors, aided by yourself, are responsible. Until that libel is retracted the matter cannot rest. However, should you re-issue a trespass order on some other basis such as breaching standing orders by speaking, or some-such, at least this would be tolerable; not on the basis of the despicable Holborow lie. These matters are with the
Office of the Ombudsman, and the ……. is examining the conduct of Cr Michael Scott.
You were provided with two opportunities by Snr Sgt Anita Dixon and by Deputy Mayor Mike Cardiff to settle matters amicably, and rebuffed both. The situation is of your making and that of the majority of councillors. There is no just reason why I should pander to such miscreance and accept inconvenience based on nonsense.
Yours sincerely
K R Bolton
Cc: Snr Constable Lee Greedus
Apart from being incredulous in regard your treatment I am dumbfounded that the CEO suggests you attend either of the offices at Waikanae or Otaki. So you, the madman, can go to these KCDC sites and attack staff with the okay of the CEO. Time for the Mayor and Councillors to get a grip and pull this particular employee into line. One would think that the CEO was ‘King Pin’ or is he?
Perhaps the staff at Otaki and Waikanae are not considered as equal worth to those at the main premises? As I said to police, it is odd that I am arrested for ‘trespass’ – for paying my bills – but there were no charges for my supposedly trying to beat Cr Holborow with a stick(?). Somewhat demeaning one would think. No wonder the White Ribbon Trust manager told KCDC to stop calling itself as “White Ribbon council”.
As L. Hertnon has said, I too am incredulous and dumbfounded at the actions of the KCDC CEO Patrick Dougherty (pronounced Dockertee as Councillor Amundsen reminded Councillor David Scott in a point of order raised in a Council meeting last year). This is a CEO who is alleged to be the highest paid CEO in a broad band of similar NZ councils, who not so long ago had his contract renewed to 2020 on the vote of a puppet group of self-serving councillors where Councillors Gurunathan, David Scott and Elliot were seemingly deliberately excluded by the way the group was setup. Upon Dougherty’s reappointment the propaganda machine told us how highly ranked the CEO was against other candidates but I do not recall it being reported what criteria were used for the ranking nor who drafted them. Councils’ do have a lot of administrative tasks to perform as set out in legislation, but putting aside what any council is required to do, the remainder of what this CEO has achieved has been lacklustre. Poor decision making arising from Dougherty’s bellicose stance has cost ratepayers dearly.
Now we have Dougherty spending his valuable time attempting to enforce an unjust trespass notice on Kerry Bolton for going into the nearby council offices at Rimu Road to pay the bills KCDC have sent him. Seemingly the matter has become a personal vendetta for Dougherty. He has lost sight of the attributes of a good CEO and is behaving like a medieval overlord.
I happened to be present at the Council meeting on which Dougherty’s trespass notice was based. The spoken word disruption that occurred was in my view of the Council’s making yet Dougherty has his head buried in the sand on this. False accusations and false recollection of events displayed by certain councillors has created a festering sore as Councillor Gurunathan has pointed out on many occasions. Any good CEO would have sought resolution of the issues and reconciliation long ago with the aim of recovering respect and dignity. It is understood that Ross Church and Mike Cardiff have attempted to facilitate this on different occasions. Not Dougherty. Not even when Police proposed it. Dougherty’s ongoing litigious stance is I believe right out of step with what many fair minded people who live in Kapiti want.
With increasing devolution of state responsibilities to local government, the checks and balances on a CEO’s behaviour are proving to be quite inadequate. This is not an issue for many Councils due to the integrity and calibre of the CEO. Then there are other Councils who are having issues with their CEO.
If we were living in a medieval age to match Dougherty’s current behaviour, stocks in Mahara Place and a pelting with rotten apples by the peasants might have brought some enlightenment. Some might think Kerry should have taken the easy way out and admitted trespass but that would give legitimacy to a rotten order based on a core of false testimony. Hang in there Kerry!
Mr Dougherty behaves not as the public servant that he is, but as a bumptious autocrat as this incident demonstrates.
Particularly worrying for Kapiti ratepayers, moreover, is the astonishing amounts of their money he spends on various consultants, not only the propaganda-producing spin doctors, but on grandiose notions that are not needed or even sensible, while things that really matter are given little attention. But they will be given attention in the forthcoming council elections.