Official Information Request - 23 April 2018

Sent: Friday, 27 April 2018 4:43 p.m.

Subject: Request for information - rates, staffing, code of conduct, remuneration, Council owned housing, audit and risk oversight

I refer to your email of 23 April 2018 referring to the following requests, and provide the information as per the requests:

Request 1 - Average residential costs

1. The average residential costs of rates and other Council charges for the 2016/17 financial year: (X + Y)/Z, where:X is the total of all rates (general and targeted) charged by the Council to residential properties;Y is the total amount of user charges or levies applicable to residential properties (metered water, infrastructure contributions, refuse collection, fire protection etc); andZ is the number of residential properties within the Council's district or city.X = 42,121,962Y = 0Z = 18,710Therefore, (42,121,962 + 0) / 18,710 = average residential rates $2,251 (GST inclusive)
2. A list of the types of rates, user charges and levies used to calculate each of the figures above

• General rate in the dollar on capital value
• Uniform annual general charge
• Targeted rates
• Lakes enhancemen
• Lakes community boar
• Refus
• Wate
• Sewage disposa
• Capital cost sewerage scheme
• Urban sewerage development

Request 2 - Ratepayer Numbers

The following information for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years:

1. The total number of ratepayers served by the Council;2015/16 - 28,783 rating units2016/17 - 28,785 rating units
2. The number of residential ratepayers served by the Council.

2015/16 - 19,587 Urban Residential rating units

2016/17 - 19,644 Urban Residential rating units

Note: The above numbers are for 'rating units'. The number of ratepayers is not readily available as some rating units have more than one owner and some owners have more than one rating unit.

Request 3 - Staff Numbers

The following information as of 1 January 2018:

Note: The below information is at year ended 30 June 2017.

1. The FTE number of core council staff employed at the Council; 360
2. The FTE number of "group" staff (i.e. including those employed by council controlled organisations) employed at the Council; 512 (Rotorua Lakes Council, Rotorua Economic Development Ltd, Infracore Ltd, Rotorua Regional Airport Ltd)
3. The total number of staff dismissed due to poor performance during the last 12 months; 0
4. The total number of staff (including those employed by CCO's) receiving remuneration in excess of $100,000; 24
5. The total number of staff (including those employed by CCO's) receiving remuneration in excess of $200,000 8

Request 4 - Code of Conduct

The following information as of 1 January 2018

1. Confirmation of whether there is an election year protocol which requires staff to act in a politically neutral manner; No there is no election year protocol, however employees are reminded during an election period to remain politically neutral at all times in their dealings with elected members and the public in general.
2. If so, the specific wording of the protocol(s); N/A
3. Confirmation of whether there is a year-round code of conduct which requires Council staff to act in a politically neutral manner; As above
4. If so, the specific wording of the provision(s) N/A

Request 5 - Mayoral Staff

The following information for the 2016/17 financial year:

1. The number of staff employed by the Mayor's Office; Nil
2. Total personnel expenses of the Mayor's Office; N/A
3. A list of job titles for each position (declaring which positions are vacant and which are currently filled) in the Mayor's Office, including the number of staff in each position N/A

Request 6 - CEO Remuneration

The total remuneration paid to the Council's Chief Executive during the 2016/17 financial year. $338,857

Request 7 - Elected Official Remuneration

The following information:

1. The total remuneration paid to the Council's Mayor during the 2016/17 financial year; $132,069
2. The average annual remuneration of the Councillors in the 2016/17 financial year; $51,415 Councillors; $10,022 Community Board members
3. The total number of elected officials at the Council 1 Mayor, 10 Councillors, 8 Community Board members

Request 8 - Chamber of Commerce subscription

Total amount spent by the Council on membership to a Chamber of Commerce in the 2016/17 financial year. $13,233.91

Request 9 - Council owned housing

The following information for the 2016/17 financial year:

1. The total number of Council housing tenants who are former tenants of Housing New Zealand; This information is not obtained as part of the application process.
2. The proportion of housing stock owned by the Council (vacant or otherwise) which was contaminated by methamphetamine; Nil
3. The total number of tenants stood down for methamphetamine contamination; Nil
4. Whether any tenants who have previously been stood down for methamphetamine contamination by your authority, or any other local/unitary authority, have been accepted as a tenant by the Council again, and if so, the number of tenants accepted; Nil
5. The total cost of methamphetamine decontamination of Council housing; Nil
6. The number of properties which were decontaminated. Nil

Request 10 - Audit and Risk Oversight

The following information as of 1 January 2018:

1. the number of members on the Council's Audit and Risk Committee (or equivalent); 6
2. the number of independent members on the Committee; 2
3. the number of lawyers (with a current practising certificate) on the Committee; 0
4. the number of chartered accountants on the Committee; 1
5. whether the chair of the Council's Audit and Risk Committee is an independent member. Yes

As per the Act, we are obliged to advise that you may contact the Ombudsman at the address below if you have any concerns with the response provided by Council, by writing to:

The Office of the Ombudsman

PO Box 10 152

WELLINGTON 6143

Alternatively, you may email info@ombudsman.parliament.nz or use the online complaints form available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint.

Regards