27 July 2021
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Mayor and next election
Enquiry
This is a query for the mayor.
I understand she has decided she is not running for mayor again next election.
Could she please expand on this - her reasons for not running again and what she hopes to do after.
Does she endorse anyone as her successor? Would she run as a councillor, but not the mayor?
What does she believe her legacy is as a mayor, and what does she hope will continue under a new mayor?
Response
Mayor Chadwick provided the following response:
I always said I would give it three terms as Mayor and that hasn’t changed.
We are more than a year out from the next election and there is still a massive amount of work to do before then.
I’m committed to continuing to put my energy into delivering the work programme we have set out, to deliver the outcomes our community needs- that’s where my focus will be between now and the next election.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Elected members' Code of Conduct complaints
Enquiry
I am working on a story about code of conduct complaints against Councillor Reynold Macpherson.
Reynold has made some comments - below - which I would like to share with the council and mayor for right of reply.
Please advise wherever there are any stated facts in dispute.
Can the council please also advise:
- An update on the course of these code of conduct complaints.
- Are the three wrapped into one, being dealt with together, or separately? When is a resolution expected? (Ballpark if you can't be specific).
- When did Wally Bain become to chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and when did the former chair Jo Brosnahan step down and why?
- Is the code of conduct prescriptive - ie if it states the Audit and Risk Committee "will" convene five days after a formal complaint is received, does that have to happen or is it a guide?
- Why did it take more than five days between the referral of the complaint to the committee for the committee to meet to discuss it?
- How much has this code of conduct complaint/s cost the council to date - including but not limited to legal fees, consultant fees and staff time (please specify and categorise these costs).
- I understand an independent investigator has been sought to deal with these complaint/s - has this been confirmed and how much is it expected to cost?
The deadline for a response is 2pm today.
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COMMENTS:
Macpherson said he had advised the chair of the council’s Audit and Risk Committee, Wally Bain, that he would not be participating further in the third complaints process he had “been subjected to”.
Macpherson said he was informed the Audit and Risk Committee met on May 5 to receive a complaint and determine the process for handling it, after the three-part complaint was referred to the committee by Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick on April 13 2021.
The council’s elected members code of conduct stated the committee would meet within five days of receiving a formal complaint to assess options to resolve the complaint.
In his press release, Macpherson wrote he took the view that “failing to meet that requirement has rendered the complaint null and void”.
The code of conduct laid out a staged approach to dealing with complaints, beginning with an informal attempt to resolve an issue before it was progressed as a formal complaint – stage two.
“At the Stage 1 interview with the mayor and the chief executive - a complainant with a conflict of interest - he [Macpherson] encountered that an emotional mayor attempting to browbeat him into accepting her predetermined position,” Macpherson said.
He said in his opinion the complaints process had been “corrupted” and “weaponised to suppress freedom of speech”.
He said the Chadwick and Williams had recused themselves from the Audit and Risk Committee but councillors Donaldson, Raukawa-Tait and Tapsell had not.
“The other problem is that the code of conduct is not fit for purpose. It has not been revised to accommodate the Harmful Digital Communications Act, despite a direction from the Audit and Risk Committee.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting last week, Macpherson said Audit and Risk chairman Wally Bain told him he had received a formal complaint from the mayor within five days before the Audit and Risk Committee and Bain had proposed engaging two independent investigators “nominated” by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ).
“I confirmed that I had a copy of the mayor's referral letter dated more than five days before the Audit and Risk Committee meeting [and] that LGNZ is a central political lobby group that represents the views of mayors and chief executives and lacked plausibility regarding legal and political independence, and asked him not to harass me further on this matter.
“I have heard nothing since.”
Response
Mayor Chadwick provided the following response:
This matter is still with the Audit and Risk Committee. The appropriate process is underway and it would be inappropriate to undermine that by commenting further at this stage.
FromDCE District Leadership and Democracy, Oonagh Hopkins:
This matter is with the Audit and Risk Committee and as the process is still underway it would be inappropriate to comment or discuss specifics at this time. We do not intend to run this process through the media.
The previous chair’s last meeting was September 2020. Mr Bain was appointed and chaired his first meeting of the committee in December 2020 [Felix please note: Mr Bain’s preference is Wallace, not Wally so when introducing him please use Wallace. Thank you.]
The Code of Conduct provides guidelines. The Committee has scheduled meetings that are held quarterly and the timing of unscheduled meetings in between is dependent on the availability of those involved but all efforts are made to meet the 5-day timeframe regarding Code of Conduct referrals.
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Media: Stuff
Topic: Homelessness
Enquiry
Dropping you a line with a couple of questions for a homeless story I'm working on.
In brief it's a follow up on a 2018 Housing First announcement from Minister Nanaia Mahuta about plans to end homelessness here.
I wanted to ask:
Is council aware of any people still rough sleeping in Rotorua?
In the 2018 press release the Minister noted an earlier homeless count found 48 people sleeping rough - have further counts taken place, and if so what's the most recent number?
Response
The following information was provided:
From time to time council officers do become aware of people who choose to live ‘rough’. In these instances officers try to engage those people and provide them with information about how to access support services and accommodation.
The Homeless Count from 2018 was organised by LinkPeople with council supporting the initiative. We are not aware of any further counts being undertaken.