Building declared safe - again

A stalemate over who is the new deputy mayor of Horowhenua has been resolved, and the district’s main council building has been declared safe a third time.

Controversial public battles over both issues were fought by Horowhenua’s new mayor Michael Feyen, who has now agreed to work alongside deputy mayor Wayne Bishop.

Early last year Feyen called for the safety of the council Civic Building in Levin to be urgently examined due to ‘‘serious concerns’’ about its structural integrity.

Despite council staff assurances the building was safe, he said the building was ‘‘poorly constructed’’, had cracks in concrete pillars, and had dropped 4 inches at the southern end.

Two previous independent engineer’s reports on the building commissioned by the council had failed to reassure him and Feyen refused to enter the building. The ceremony to swear him in was carried out at the council’s Te Takere library complex.

Last month he agreed to foot the cost for a third investigation.

On Friday Feyen said initial findings from that report carried out by building surveyors Koru VSL confirmed the building is safe to occupy.

Legal advice has also finalised a procedural tussle over who is the new deputy mayor.

Mayors are entitled to appoint a deputy mayor, and in October Feyen originally named ally and returning councillor Ross Campbell.

However, councillors can overturn this decision with a majority vote, and the remaining nine councillors voted to overturn Feyen’s decision.

Longstanding councillor Wayne Bishop was chosen instead.

Feyen challenged the new appointment by trying to reinstate Campbell, and the council sought legal advice. The advice by Simpson Grierson confirming the majority vote by council could revoke the mayor’s appointment was released by the council on Friday alongside confirmation of the Civic Building’s safety.

Bishop said he was happy to take on the deputy mayoral role, and looked forward to working with Feyen and the wider community.

Feyen said he would ‘‘accept the opinion’’ of Simpson Grierson regarding Bishop’s appointment but ‘‘continue to push central government on the issue’’.

‘‘Wayne Bishop is the deputy mayor - I have had good discussions with Wayne, and that’s how it is. ‘‘I think the process and legislation is an ass ... I’m going to approach Local Government New Zealand to look into the matter so it doesn’t happen in other districts.’’

The findings from the Koru VSL report were significant, both to reassure him of the Civic Building’s safety, and as they included details of remedial work that could ‘‘improve the life’’ of the building.

He was not yet sure how much the report cost, but said it had been worthwhile, and a final report from Koru VSL would reveal further details surrounding the work that could be carried out.

‘‘I’m happy that it’s safe. This has been a difficult issue which has regrettably tested relationships and created significant uncertainty.

‘‘I now look forward to building relationships and working with council and staff,’’ he said.

Horowhenua District Council chief executive David Clapperton said the proposed remedial work in the Koru VSL and previous reports would be costed next year.

‘‘If extra funds are required then it will be included in the 2017/18 Annual Plan process,’’ he said.