Resident questions councillor’s action

A ratepayer who clashed with a Baw Baw Shire councillor during a council meeting earlier this month has asked whether the councillor’s behaviour had been reviewed since the incident.

Don McLean asked a series of questions in relation to an incident that unfolded between himself and deputy mayor Danny Goss at the May 8 meeting.

Mr McLean wanted to know if Cr Goss’ behaviour had been reviewed and whether there would be a review of the councillor code of conduct.

However, the argy bargy continued again last week following a submission by Mr McLean, in which his closing words sent a warning to Cr Goss that he didn’t want “any attack dog coming after me again.”

In the submission, Mr McLean described “confidential councillor only time” as “pretty much a secret meeting.”

“For officers to know councillors have met for an hour to discuss and determine a position on whatever was discussed without an officer in attendance is totally unacceptable.

When aggressively told to either “put up or shut up” by Cr Goss, Mr McLean left the chamber.

Responding to Mr McLean’s questions about Cr Goss’ behaviour, mayor Mikaela Power said she had reviewed the recorded footage of the May 8 meeting.

“While the deputy mayor, in addressing serious allegations made against the council was forthright in his view, in my opinion (and that of counsel I have sought), there has been no breach by the deputy mayor of the code of conduct and accordingly, no action will be taken,” she said.

Mr McLean’s gripe at the May 8 meeting largely centred around assembly of council meetings and his claim that councillors were making secret decisions away from the public eye.

As part of his questioning last week, Mr McLean asked if council would allow public access to the closed assembly of councillor meetings “where policy decisions are made and confirmed at council meetings.”

Cr Power explained the purpose of the confidential briefings was to provide councillors with the opportunity to learn about matters they were required to make decisions on at council meetings.

“They are not a decisionmaking forum and do not provide the opportunity to debate different points of view.

“Councillors may ask questions or raise concerns that reflect their communities’ needs within the briefing meetings, however Councillors must not, and do not, influence council officers’ recommendations. Nor do we debate or make decisions in briefing forums.

“We have no plans to change this approach,” she said.

The mayor said transparency was important to her and councillors.

“While we can always improve, we are proud of our collaborative and positive working relationships,” she said.

As well as his questions on notice, Mr McLean made a submission to council relating to the minutes of assembly of councillor meetings listed in last week’s agenda.

Mr McLean went through different aspects of the minutes for two assembly of councillor meetings.

“Perhaps it is because of these meetings a councillor at the last council meeting declared “I’ve always voted in favour of officer’s recommendations…and I have full trust and faith in the decision making that they come up with,” he said.

Mr McLean said transparency had been the catch cry of council in recent times so opening the assembly of councillor meetings to the community would be a “giant step forward.”

But Cr Goss did not agree and said Mr Mclean had turned up at the meeting to make “outrageous slurs on council.”

After Mr McLean left the chamber, Cr Goss said “he simply can’t put anything behind that” referring to the claims in Mr McLean’s submission.