5 October 2022
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Mayoral candidates' views on elected member forums
Enquiry
Comments about elected member forums from mayoral candidates, sent to Mayor Chadwick and RLC organisation for right of reply if wanted:
Fletcher Tabuteau:
I believe current council practice [with closed-door workshops] has created the perception that issues have already been decided and as such I commit to maximum transparency and public accountability.
There is nothing wrong with workshops but we must commit to using them in compliance with the responsibilities under the Act.
Meetings should be open to the public, unless there is good reason to exclude them. E.g. commercial sensitivity.
Raj Kumar:
Right now there is a complete lack of trust . However , the winds of change are coming and the it’s bringing renewed faith .
What we need is think tanks that can participate to a degree that offers us an insight to solution seeking rather than overruling democratically elected members .
Rania Sears:
There is no democracy in secrecy. How do we have transparent healthy discussion, debate, input if everything is carried out behind closed doors?
Public have a right to be heard, have their say and contribute to discussion and decisions made yet it seems more and more democracy is dying, dishonored, ignored, controlled.
Public inclusion builds trust. Decisions and outcomes can be far more tolerated, accepted and respected (right, wrong or inbetween) when there is inclusion and true democracy.
Going back to the good ole Polls is another way of including more of the general public.
Councils have a duty to serve the public, manage tax payers [sic] money and do what is right for their city, therefore they should never hide away from the no doubt difficult discussions that will need to be sometimes had, nor can they ever fear opposing views because it is from these - courageous decisions are formed and made for the betterment of all.
Tania Tapsell:
The current practices need to change as the public has a right to know what is going on. I only support workshops as opportunities for elected members to understand background information. There should be no decision making and relevant information should also be made available to the public.
[Closed-door workshops have] been damaging to the perception of politics. There is a genuine need for confidential when discussing commercially sensitive information, but this should be the exception. The public deserve to know the entire decision-making process.
We do need change [to the practice], but I’d like to know the findings and recommendations from the Ombudsman investigation before committing to make sure we get it right in future.
I’ve committed to leading an open and transparent council if elected mayor. I don’t support decisions being made in workshops and key information should be made accessible to the public to increase transparency and accountability. I also want improved community consultation and sharing of information before decisions are made.
Reynold Macpherson:
Closed-door policy workshops are obsolete. RDRR has been campaigning since 2015 for the restoration of democracy in [the] council’s decision making because they have been biased by involving selected “partners.” We want public input from [the] council’s expert officials, its policy advisory boards and from hearings, followed by transparent decision-making by elected members’ and public accountability.
For example, closed-door and confidential workshops were used to cut down 12 options to 1 during the Representation Review. These decisions were taken as directions for officials to implement. This decision-making was secret and Council’s elected members were outnumbered by “partners” and policy advisory board members.
Closed-door workshops undermine the legitimacy of the policy process and public trust in the outcomes. They should be replaced by an open policy process with all phases known in advance, especially authentic consultations of all stakeholders. Only commercially and personally sensitive aspects should be referred to elected members’ public-excluded discussions.
Ben Sandford:
Not supportive of [closed-door council workshops], there needs to be a more transparent way to hold discussions and give direction to Council.
They’ve contributed to undermining peoples trust in Council processes and decision making.
There are obviously going to be some things that need to be discussed in confidence (commercial sensitivity, privacy etc) but the overriding principle should be that discussions need to be transparent and open so that the public can not only see the decisions but the thought that has gone into those decisions.
Kalaadevi Ananda:
Ioppose closed door council workshops. Democracy is key to a healthy, thriving, and productive Council and District. Transparency is Democracy. Transparency gives knowledge and allows participation. As Mayor and Council we have the responsibility to have open workshops to the public, unless there is very good reason - I support protections such as privacy, commercial and cultural sensitivity; I do NOT support “free and frank discussions”: if you cannot say something in front of your ratepayers, you should not be saying it.
Having for example 3 closed workshops is politics. But 37? When is it poli-tricks? As Mayor I commit to rebuilding trust in the council and elected officials. Operating with transparency, community, participation, and debate are primary. With Ananda as your mayor you will have transparency and democracy. I guarantee my integrity to my stand.
Response
We reinforced that it is not appropriate for the council organisation to comment on candidates’ election statements.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Road slips clean-up
Enquiry
Reporter sought update on status of Hamurana Rd/work to clear slips
Response
Reporter was referred HERE on Council’s website for the latest
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Potholes
Enquiry
*NOTE – this is a follow up from yesterday’s enquiry regarding pot holes when we indicated we would provide updates data regarding pot hole repairs for the current calendar year (update from data provided in August)
Response
We provided the following update:
Updated number of pothole repairs for 2022 calendar year (up to and including 3 October 2022):
Urban: 560
Rural: 479
TOTAL: 1039