Streamlined committee structure set
Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith has retained a circle of experienced councillors to chair committees for the next three years, and also made space for newly elected councillors to begin apprenticeships.
The council yesterday adopted a new, streamlined committee structure that closely aligns to the four wellbeings at the heart of local government’s purpose.
Overarching them is a new strategy and finance committee that amalgamates many of the roles of the previous finance and audit, and planning and strategy committees.
It will be chaired by Vaughan Dennison, one of the longestserving councillors, with Karen Naylor as deputy.
The economic growth committee, aligned to the economic wellbeing of community, will be chaired by Leonie Hapeta.
First time-councillor, 20-yearold William Wood, will be her deputy.
The sustainability committee, formerly the environmental sustainability committee, continues to be chaired by Brent Barrett, with his Green colleague and first-time councillor Kaydee Zabelin as deputy.
The community committee will be chaired by Lorna Johnson, with Pat Handcock as deputy.
Cr Rachel Bowen will chair an amalgamated culture and sport committee with Billy Meehan as deputy.
The most-debated committee was the re-framed risk and assurance committee.
Smith has proposed it be chaired by returning externally appointed member Steve Armstrong, which was endorsed, but the appointment of a second nonelected member on the committee was more contentious; it was opposed by six of the 15 councillors.
Democracy and governance manager Hannah White said it was considered best practice around New Zealand to have one or up to four appointed members to bring extra knowledge and skills to the committee.
Smith said there were no chartered accountants or auditors elected to the council, so it needed to have some skilled advisers appointed.
But Bowen said she was uncomfortable about having more than one appointed member who had not been elected by ratepayers, and Johnson said appointed members were not directly accountable and often did not even live locally and understand the community.
In the end, Smith’s recommendation stood, and a second appointee will be recruited.
Councillors also decided how much they should be paid from the pool of money approved by the Remuneration Authority.
The base rate will be $54,734 a year. Those who chair committees will get an extra $5000 a year, and their deputies $2000. Deputy mayor Debi Marshall-lobb will get $7000 on top of the base rate.
Smith’s mayoral salary is set by the Remuneration Authority at $160,314 a year, with a deduction for personal use of a vehicle.