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Conduct unbecoming
Councillors are meant to observe principles of good governance and act with integrity and represent ratepayers and residents – not their own personal interests - and oversee the management of community assets.
Three Notices of Motion were put forward by Cr Bishop and Seconded by Cr Judd for 02 November Horowhenua District Council meeting. Those Notices of Motion were carried by nine councillors, who had earlier publicly criticised Mayor Feyen, after holding a secret meeting prior to being sworn in – wherein they decided not to support Mayor Feyen to have the council building rechecked for safety reasons.
Effectively, they have made a decision to not support the mayor’s campaign promises. They have endorsed the decision of the previous council to no longer provide pensioner housing as a core council service, plus they support the two independent reports that have stated the council building is safe for occupancy and that council does not support the intention of Mayor Feyen for the books to be opened.
The primary principle of councillor conduct as per the Local Government Act 1989 S76B is that they should act with integrity and impartially exercise his or her responsibilities in the interest of the local community and not improperly seek to confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person.
It is my view that the nine councillors did not act with integrity or impartially in the community’s best interest and therefore their conduct should be considered to be suspect. DAVE THOMSON Foxton Beach
Media to blame
‘‘We’ve been putting this off, but it’s probably time to revisit the giddy inaccuracy of how media pundits assessed Donald Trump’s candidacy back in July last year’’ - Manawatu Standard editorial, November 9, 2016.
Media pundits or media whores? The problem with you mainstream media people is that you sold out, long ago, to corporate power. You live in an echo chamber, with your own propaganda, and the fanciful figures of your rigged opinion polls, ringing endlessly in your ears.
So Donald Trump supporters are ‘‘morons’’. Well, tell me, Mr Editor, who is showing ‘‘too much contempt for too many Americans’’ now? ALAN IRELAND Palmerston North
Jobs for the boys
Whilst reading the first council agenda to say I was stunned would be a gross understatement, to have all senior positions but one held by new councillors is unbelievable.
The council deputy and chairs should have an in-depth historical understanding of their portfolio, the ability to lead discussion, give counselling, focus on the key issues and have extensive knowledge of council processes.
Arising from these qualities the members then will have respect for the process and the decision. A question to the new appointees: How have you earned a 25 per cent salary increase before attending your first meeting?
There are three long-serving, very experienced councillors who have been continually re-elected and have chaired such committees in the past. When the sub-ordinate knows more than the superior it is time that the roles were reversed.
Many ratepayers in the district will openly question these appointments. I see nothing to support these appointments that leads to the question ‘‘Why?’’. The only answer I can find is payback – jobs for the boys. It can only be construed as cronyism. COUNCILLOR ANDREW ❚ Totally agree with your comments on Monday Raputin, also the private use of Midcentral DHB cars – eg: grocery shopping. ❚ Yay. We might still get the TPPA trade deal with the US, according to secretary of state John Kerry. I think it would be a great thing for New Zealand. ❚ Janine Rankin should go for council. Speaks more sense than most of them. ❚ The article on Trixie Cottingham made me sick. This is truly barbaric, draconian, inhumane and repugnant policy and treatment by Midcentral District Health Board of an elderly woman who deserved her continued independence with dignity. I rang Trixie and had a lovely chat. Secret Squirrel ❚ Aljazeera reports the Syrian government sends text messages to its citizens in a number of situations. Syria, for goodness sake. When wil the New Zealand Government and Civil Defence etc get off their butts and finally get a text message alert system in place? Secret Squirrel ❚ Toilet rolls getting smaller? Green Party have any input? GT ❚ Spouse in ward 27 in Palmerston North Hospital. Never been in such a noisy place. GT ❚ Isn’t it about time we all got over Donald Trump’s election?
QUARRIE Manawatu District Council
Building anxiety justified
Horowhenua’s civic building featured among three contentious Notices of Motion by developer cr Wayne Bishop and Barry Judd at [the November 2] open meeting, including their pitch for community and pensioner housing sales and refusal to open the books.
The meeting heard the actual cost of the Opus report was $22,000, not $135k as reported, and probably less for the ISPS review of the Opus report. ‘On site’ by Opus and ISPS were not ‘visual site’ visits, i.e. structural assessments and reports from inside the building.
Chief executive Clapperton made no comment after mayor Feyen’s claim that a proper building investigation was deliberately delayed until 2017 when the 10-year-old building becomes ineligible for insurance claims, leaving Horowhenua ratepayers to fund all repairs.
CHRISTINE TOMS Tokomaru