by Geoffrey Churchman
Like about 30 others I watched the council meeting via Zoom yesterday, as live-streamed on the council’s YouTube channel. The usual frustration involved with watching live-streamed council meetings in the chamber was made worse by the frequent disruption caused by participants not answering their calls, or not unmuting their microphones, and after breaks, the need to “refresh” the broadcast by returning to the Meetings page on the KCDC website and getting a new link to the resumption.
Despite all that, it was possible to hear most participants’ viewpoints. Of the Waikanae elected members, all except Tonchi Begovich had things to say, and all in opposition to the move. Unsurprsingly, all the other Community Board members were opposed, with Tina Pope of Paekakariki being particularly eloquent.
Jeremy Smith of Kapiti Independent News provides a good summary of it here.
I need to mention in fairness to Crs Handford, Halliday and Cootes, they did say in effect ‘let’s put this out there and see what Kapiti citizens and ratepayers come up with.’ It was not necessarily a final vote on their part for disbandment of the boards. Cr Cootes was the chair of the Otaki Community Board before becoming a Councillor in 2016 so he knows what role they can have and what they do — and what things would be like without them.
The Mayor. Crs Holborow, Cootes, McCaan,Handford, Halliday and Buswell voted to proceed with a four week consultation process during lockdown levels four and three. Crs Prvanov, Randal, Compton and myself, Cr Elliott voted not to proceed at the current time with the current proposed model.
Just remember and give them all the bums’ rush at the next election.
And meanwhile the council continues,during lock-down, to pay for road safety adverts.
Clearly this council is not fit for purpose.
Why reduce representation and community input into local government
I think the have been taking lesson from our central govt which seems bent on centralising everything
DONT DO IT