Foster brings back council lunches
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, unless you’re a Wellington City councillor.
Six years after Andy Foster led moves as a councillor to scrap catered lunches at committee meetings – saving ratepayers $40,000 – the new mayor has now decided to reinstate them.
He said the backflip was largely prompted by pressure from other councillors, while also promising to spend less on the spread than previous councils.
‘‘It’s based on reasonably consistent feedback over a period of time,’’ Foster said of his change of heart. ‘‘People felt when you didn’t have lunches provided on days when you were working through [into the afternoon], councillors tended to disappear all over the place to get lunch. It reduced team bonding.’’
In 2013, when councillors voted to slash the catering bill for committee meetings from $46,500 to $6500 by scrapping lunches, Foster said: ‘‘I struggle with the idea that lunch is needed to do our job’’. When asked what had changed since he made that comment, Foster said: ‘‘You listen to people. Sometimes you change your position on the basis of what people have said’’.
During the initial vote to scrap lunches, several councillors expressed concern that 30 minutes was not long enough to eat, get fresh air, and carry on with other work.
Two years later, the break was extended to one hour, which Foster opposed. However, he said there were no plans to shorten the lunch break now that lunch would be provided. ‘‘There’s no point making silly rules for silly rules’ sake.’’
He was unsure how much the lunches would cost, but they would consist mainly of sandwiches and cost significantly less than previous lunches. Councillors worked full days about two or three times a week, and lunch would be provided on those days.
Foster acknowledged many people would oppose the idea that catered food was needed to encourage councillors to eat and chat together during breaks. ‘‘I don’t necessarily disagree with them personally, but I’m not catering for one person.’’
Several councillors noted the lunches were also available to the public, while Fleur Fitzsimons and Rebecca Matthews said they would be happy to foot the bill themselves.
Tamatha Paul said she supported the move provided the public did not have a problem with it, while Iona Pannett said she usually brought her own meals but would be happy with a modest catered lunch.
Nicola Young said councillors needed to eat and going to buy food was inefficient use of time.
Diane Calvert said it would allow councillors to talk with each other over the break, while Sarah Free said if councillors had to provide their own lunches, some would inevitably go somewhere to buy food and arrive back late for the next meeting.
Jill Day said it was a practical move, and Simon Woolf was OK with catered sandwiches. Malcolm Sparrow did not want to comment until he had heard the cost and reasoning behind it.
Teri O’Neill, Sean Rush, Jenny Condie, and Laurie Foon could not be reached for comment.