Tag: Governing Body

Long Day in Town Hall

· 1 Comment ·

Looking Forward to Sleep in Tomorrow

 

Today the last part of this particular chapter of the Len Brown Saga was played out with a Censure motion being moved unanimously. Although Part F of the Censure resolutions suite was voted on 15-5 with Councillors: Brewer, Krum, Cooper, Stewart and Quax voting against Resolution F (I will have the resolutions up as soon as the Minutes are published).

The No Confidence Motion was effectively killed off after advice from the Democracy Advisers stated that the motion was in breach of Standing Orders owing to a “double-negative” what ever that was.

 

From 10am until just after 1pm the Governing Body ground through in dealing with the saga before finally coming to the vote. More of this saga is still to be played out but for now the “official” action has been done at Governing Body level.

I will run full commentary on the proceedings at the Governing Body today including:

  • Skypath proceeds to next stage meaning the path could be operating by end of 2016
  • Living Wage got knocked back on an 11/10 vote
  • Draft Annual Plan to proceed to submission phase early next year

 

Otherwise that is it from me folks

Praise and Respect to our Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse who chaired the Governing Body as the Censure Motion went through the motions. Despite what some fringe nutters in a particular few areas on Social Media might or would like to think, it would have been unwise for the Deputy Mayor as Chair to take a stance outside of neutral. It would have been like a Judge taking a side in a Court Case thus compromising proceedings.

Also respect to Chris Fletcher for holding a level and mature head through the debate. Oh and telling Councillor Brewer to get a pink tutu and some ballerina slippers today made everyone choke on their drinks in surprise.

More on that and the rest tomorrow as for now I am going to get some sleep

 

Final Governing Body Meeting of 2013

· 1 Comment ·

Skypath

Annual Plans

The Mayor

 

Today is the final Governing Body meeting of Auckland Council for 2014. I have the agenda and Annual Plan draft in the respective embeds below.

While I expect Skaypath to move on to the next stage today (13-8 should be the vote pattern) it is the Mayoral issues that are taking the limelight today (and most likely a good portion of the meeting).

I will be running live commentary and Tweeting today from Town Hall of the Governing Body proceedings. All About Auckland by Kane Glass will be running a live video feed as well for the open session.

In my final piece on the Len Brown saga before the Governing Body this morning I have seen this from the NZ Herald:

Deputy mayor Hulse refuses to speak up for boss

By Bernard Orsman 5:30 AM Thursday Dec 19, 2013

Deputy says councillors focused today on doing what’s best for Auckland as mayor fights for political survival
Ms Hulse would not say if she backed Mr Brown to stay on as mayor, only that councillors were focused on doing what was best for Auckland. Photo / NZ Herald

Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse is refusing to back her boss as councillors gather today to publicly censure Mayor Len Brown, whose extramarital affair has left him fighting for political survival.

Ms Hulse yesterday would not say if she backed Mr Brown to stay on as mayor, only that councillors were focused on doing what was best for Auckland.

She said councillors had clearly expressed to him the disappointment and concern about the reputational damage to Auckland arising from his behaviour and were left wondering how to address matters.

It was the second time in three days that Ms Hulse – Mr Brown’s deputy for three years – has not stood by him as he battles the fallout of a two-year affair with Bevan Chuang.

…

You can read the full article here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11174750

 

After I returning from the Governing Body today I will run a nice piece of long commentary into the saga and my own thoughts about it. It should show some interesting insights most likely to some mechanics of Auckland’s Governance.

Vote wise this is how I expect the votes to go down today:

  • Skypath: 13-8 in favour
  • Censure Motion: if not unanimous the vote will be 15-5 in favour
  • Quax‘s No Confidence Motion: two ways that can end up going (both failing mind you): either 5-15 or if a couple more jump on board then 8-12
  • Any attempts for an oversight committee will most likely pass 11-9

Will see how those predictions pan out today

 

 

 

Related articles

Reaction to the EY Report

· 1 Comment ·

Government needs to tighten up the “rules”

 

This is a rare piece of commentary from me personally into the entire “Len Brown affair.” Since the story broke I have been more or less silent on the “affair” aspect while constantly keeping an eye on the “conduct” side of the matter. From Day One when the story broke (while returning from a Council briefing on I believe it was on the Unitary Plan heading for notification) I have always said for me to no longer give “support” to the Mayor, he would have to conduct a criminal act (and be convicted) or conduct serious misconduct (an affair is not misconduct) through misuse of resources or power, and/or other serious nature.

I have the EY report that was commissioned by Council CEO Doug McKay after it landed (with an accompanying release) in my email box this afternoon. You can read the report over at this post here: The EY Report Commissioned by Auckland Council CEO. That said I was NOT at the Press Conference in Town Hall this afternoon over the release of the report.

 

After receiving and reading the report I have come to three conclusions:

  1. The “rules” set by the Council Code of Conduct,  that by the Remuneration Authority, and the Local Government (Auckland Amendment) Act 2009 are too loose with little measures provided if something does go wrong/breached
  2. Government must tighten up the regulations set about by the Remuneration Authority for issuing rules around use of ratepayers resources – e.g the mayoral car and when it can be used or not. In the same regard the Local Government Act needs tightening up so the Governing Body have available a wide range of measures to deal with errant elected members. This can range from a Censure motion to something more punitive (whatever one decides that might be short of sacking a mayor)
  3. Owing to this error in regards to several matters pointed out in the EY report (cell phone, mayoral car, and not declaring the hotels on the register)(and rather than the actual affair) my confidence in the mayor is shaken with support moving from positive to negative. That said I still have confidence and positive support in the wider main Council (although a particular CCO is an exception at the moment) and the rest of the elected members (regardless of whether I agree with them or not (Dick Quax and Cameron Brewer)). In being honest it has weighed on my mind on what else has the mayor not declared outside of the “affair” and could have this affected any other mayoral decision-making

 

I stress again to make it crystal clear that yes confidence in the mayor is shaken with support switching from positive to negative. HOWEVER, confidence and support remains with the Deputy Mayor and the rest of the Councillors despite disagreements from time to time. 

 

One thing I do ask of the Governing Body after the elected members have had time to review the EY report is that an extraordinary meeting be called of the GB ASAP! In that extraordinary meeting a motion of censure is called and voted for against the mayor immediately. Whether the vote passes or fails is beside the point in my opinion. The point being is that the Governing Body has now been damaged and in the eyes of the City the censure motion needs to occur to help restore confidence towards the Council. Failure to move the censure motion quickly could paralyse worthwhile projects before the Council – and that would be a true detriment to Auckland. It is risky

 

For the rest of it Parliament is going to need to haul backside and tighten up rules around Local Government to prevent this kind of mess from happening again. And to me that is going to be the main point coming out of this entire mess! 

 

The EY report

 

Governing Body and Committee Terms of Reference and Meeting Schedules

·

Terms of Reference

&

Schedule until year-end

 

 

This one is more the Local Governing “nuts” out there like myself and Transport Blog. 

 

The Governing Body Agenda embedded below contains the Terms of Reference for both the Governing Body and wider Committees/Forums. Also contained on page 55 is the schedules for the Governing Body and Committees on when they are due to meet until the end of the new (new schedule will be released for 2014).

The Terms of Reference essentially set out what the Governing Body, Committees and Forums can and can not do. This is essential folks if you wish to present to Council on something. For example and as Transport Blog would know, the Transport Committee is gone and replaced by the Physical Infrastructure Committee which is chaired by Councillor Mike Lee.

As an example this is what the Physical Infrastructure Committee does when it meets 6-weekly:

4.6. PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference (Delegations)

Parent committee: Urban and Rural Development Committee

Responsibilities

 

  • Overview and provide feedback on key infrastructure plans and projects relating to transport, water, wastewater and stormwater. 
  • Provide strategic direction to guide development of transport, water, wastewater and stormwater strategies. 
  • Consider views of Local Boards, public and stakeholders in relation to physical infrastructure. 

Make recommendations to the parent committee to ensure:

  • alignment with the growth of Auckland, the Unitary Plan and the outcomes sought in the Auckland Plan and Local Board Plans 
  • alignment of the Regional Land Transport Plan and Integrated Transport Plan with the council’s strategic direction 
  • alignment of water, wastewater and stormwater strategies with the council’s strategies and plans 
  • asset management plans for physical infrastructure support the Unitary Plan and other relevant council plans and policies 
  • council input to legislative changes, central government policies and plans and key infrastructure projects 

Powers
All powers necessary to perform the Committee’s responsibilities.
Except:
(a) powers that the Governing Body cannot delegate or has retained to itself (section 2)
(b) where the Committee’s responsibility is limited to making a recommendation only
Membership
Chairperson: Cr Mike Lee
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Chris Darby

Members: 

IMSB appointees (s 85 (1)):

—————-

Schedule of GB and Committees

The schedule is on page 55 but, for your easy reference here is a copy below:

Schedule of meetings for November and December 2013

The venue for all meetings is the Auckland Town Hall

Date Time Meeting

  • 21 November 9.30 am Long Term Plan Committee
  • 26 November 8.30 am Tenders and Procurement Committee
  • 26 November 10.00 am Hearings Committee 
  • 26 November 1.00 pm Unitary Plan Committee 
  • 28 November 9.30 am Urban and Rural Development Committee
  • 3 December 9.30 am Regulatory and Bylaws Committee
  • 3 December 1.00 pm CCO Governance and Monitoring Committee 
  • 4 December 9.30 am Arts, Culture and Events Committee
  • 4 December 1.00 pm Physical Infrastructure Committee
  • 5 December 9.30 am Regional Strategy and Policy Committee
  • 10 December 8.30 am Tenders and Procurement Committee
  • 10 December 10.00 am Hearings Committee
  • 10 December 1.00 pm Unitary Plan Committee
  • 11 December 9.30 am Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee
  • 11 December 1.00 pm Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee
  • 11 December 9.30 am Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee
  • 11 December 1.00 pm Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee
  • 12 December 9.30 am Finance and Organisational Performance Committee
  • 17 December 9.30 am Audit and Risk Committee
  • 18 December 9.30 am Economy – Rural and Urban Committee
  • 18 December 1.00 pm Community Development, Safety and Social Infrastructure Committee 
  • 19 December 10.00 am Governing Body
  • 12 December 9.30 am Finance and Organisational Performance Committee
  • 17 December 9.30 am Audit and Risk Committee
  • 19 December 10.00 am Governing Body

I have highlighted the Urban and Rural Development Committee in red as a reminder to me to try and get speaking rights for a presentation on that particular committee.

 

If you want to get “involved” Council rocking up to these meetings whether just to observe or like me participating actively is a good way to start 😀 – Just need a pile of patience some days, that’s all 😉

 

Local Government poster png mode

 

Terms of Reference and Meetings Schedule