THE POWER OF WATER MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AND RESPECTED

A big slip in Kingston is a reminder of the power of water and the need to respect it. I have been back several times to check on how things are going with this dramatic event.

WHAT I SAID WHEN NO ONE ON WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL WOULD SPEAK OUT.

WELLINGTON UNDER ATTACK BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL

The city is still sleeping but I'm already at my work station. At last night's Full Council meeting the approval to spend $1 million to contribute to the consent application for a runway extension was rushed through. This was done without a general consultation, shutting out public opinion. Democracies rely on openness and informed debate. What is at stake here is our point of difference. We have a domestic air terminal that fits with our point of difference. We are without doubt, in a world of man's imperfections, a paradise city. Being a connected city does not depend on an international runway. What happened to the climate change concerns and preoccupations of our city mothers and fathers at last night's Council meeting? The vote to spend $1 million on the consent application for the runway extension was opposed by myself and Councillor Helene Ritchie. Shouldn't the public have been given the opportunity to comment on this first $1m? The door is now open on the first of many millions to be spent in an assault on our paradise city. Will we have growth at any price?

Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story

Remuneration Authority decision - clarification  and details

Contrary to the impression that may have been given by yesterday's front-page story in the Dominion Post, Wellington City Councillors are not set to receive a 9% salary increase after the 2013 elections.

A summary of the existing and proposed arrangements follows.

The total cost to the ratepayers under the new Remuneration Authority proposal (to take effect after the election) will be $1,436,600.

This is an increase of $24,664 pa which equates to a 1.7% increase (compared with an overall increase of 8.9% across the country).

The current pool of money available in Wellington City is $1,411,936 which includes all salaries paid to the Mayor, Councillors and Community Board Members.   

Blissful ignorance at the Council Table? / My reply to Karl du Fres

"Blissful ignorance at the Council Table" makes for an amusing read. 

Malcolm Muggeridge made some interesting observations about the 

media and one of them was "whatever the media was saying usually
the opposite was happening".

In the case of your contribution in today's paper there is more than

a grain of truth. However those witty comments leave out one of the 

most serious issues. This year we are well on the way to borrowing 

$400 million. Over the next 9 years we will have paid $287M

in interest on our borrowings.

Twenty years ago the Council had no debt, performing assets and

money in the bank. There were plenty of jobs and virtually no 

unemployment in the capital. We now have inter-generational debt 

and a massively over inflated view of the value of the city's asset base. 

Let me quote you from the 2013-14 Draft Annual Plan. 

Page 23 "Total borrowings are forecast to be $397.7 million at

the end of 2013/14 increasing to."??? "Over the same period our

forecast asset base totals $7.1 billion in 2013/14" Yeah-Right .

Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. You know as well 

as I do that the realisable assets are more like $350million on a good day.

Has the media been sleeping also?

They certainly don't attend many council meetings, unlike 20 years ago!

A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD- DOMPOST ONLINE TODAY

DOMPOST ONLINE TODAY
Bryan PepperellLess than a minute ago
Your comment is awaiting moderation
From: Bryan Pepperell
Sent: Wednesday, 7 November 2012 8:36 p.m.
To: 'Sally Dossor'
Subject: Report 4 Amendment S& P 8 November 2012

REPORT 4

Amendment:

• Delete 2 – 11
• New 2 and 3 as below

2. Recommend to Council that the activities of the following Council CCO’s are brought in-house:

a) Basin Reserve Trust
b) Partnership Wellington Trust
c) Positively Wellington Venues Limited
d) Capacity Infrastructure Services Limited
e) Wellington Cable Car Limited
f) Wellington Museums Trust
g) Wellington Zoo Trust
h) Wellington Waterfront Limited


3. Recommend to Council to instruct the Chief Executive to agree a transition process with the Board of each CCO to give effect to recommendation 2 and report back to the Strategy and Policy Committee on the transition plan for agreement by SPC by 31 March 2013.

Moved.
Cr Pepperell

Seconded Justin Lester

Voting for were: Stephany Cook, Iona Pannett, Bryan Pepperell, Helene Ritchie

Voting against were: Mayor Celia Wade-Brown
Councillors Ahipene Mercer, Ngaire Best, Jo Coughlan, Paul Eagle, Leonie Gill, Justin Lester, Ian McKinnon, John Morrison

Councillors 'asleep at the wheel'

www.stuff.co.nz

More than 150 council jobs axed in Wellington while half the elected councillors oblivious.

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THE CITYOPS MEN SIT QUIETLY WITH GREAT DIGNITY WAITING FOR THE AXE TO FALL

HOW THE COUNCIL VOTED ON A CRITICAL ISSUE 4 April 2013

A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD
Those voting to keep City Operations in house were Councillors Cook, Eagle, Gill, Morrison, Pannett, Pepperell, Ritchie. (7)

Voting to Outsource Councillors Best, Coughlan, Foster, Lester, McKinnon, Marsh, Mayor Wade-Brown. (7) Mayor Wade-Brown ( Chair has a casting vote) so with her second vote the outsourcing is supported. Now casting vote usually supports status-quo, so what happened there?

Absent Councillor Ahipene-Mercer.

CityOps is gone with the casting vote of Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.