Good behaviour expected from our public servants
THANK you, ODT, for seeking out detail of complaints made about the bullying behaviour of Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis (ODT,
26.8.19). This is particularly relevant in view of upcoming local body elections.
Lee Vandervis makes no apology for his behaviour (ODT, 27.8.19) and appears to have no insight into the demoralising effect it has on others. He apparently cannot tell the difference between what he calls his ‘‘direct manner’’ and being abusive.
He claims to be the only councillor prepared to raise issues about council ‘‘dysfunction’’ but this is a myth he has created and his disruptive behaviour may well inhibit the efficient functioning of the council.
I feel strongly that there is no place in our DCC for bullying and abusive behaviour and if anyone gives Lee Vandervis their vote for either councillor or mayor, they will be complicit in this abhorrent behaviour. Orma Bradfield
Broad Bay
[Cr Lee Vandervis replies:
‘‘Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms Bradfield, who has been convinced by ODT stories from Mayor Cull and his cheerleaders citing alleged ‘abusive emails targeting women’, resulting in 11 complaints filed over recent years.
‘‘I have not been allowed to see these complaints but understand that they relate to some of my over 100 issues raised in emails to DCC secretarial, governance and LGOIMA information request staff, all of whom are women.
‘‘These emails include: unresolved issues with mudtanks, Citifleet, subdivision and Aurora/Delta losses, ignorance of DCC standing orders, regular failure to provide requested information within required time frames, failure to progress a unitary council report for over two years, incorrect noting of minutes, and provision of unbalanced agenda information and options.
‘‘As one of the few councillors that regularly bothers to ask for extra information and who criticises underperformance of staff in nonpublic emails, I expect some criticism myself, but not an anonymous file kept secret for years to be rolled out in the ODT in various forms for a month just prior to an election.
‘‘This is simply an election smear campaign. If you prefer to believe Mayor Cull’s public assertion that these nonpublic complaints amount to abuse of staff rather than believing the many people who have reviewed all of the emails concerned that I have publicised, I can only draw your attention to Mayor Cull’s previous preelection slanders of me: 2013, where he was forced to make an unreserved public apology to me for slander, and 2016, where he was eventually forced to agree to a $50,000 settlement in my favour for similar defamation.’’]
[Mayor Cull, in raising claims of abusive behaviour by Cr Vandervis, has said the allegations relate to both email exchanges and facetoface meetings. Cr Vandervis has been given repeated opportunities to respond to the allegations in detail, but has ignored all requests. The issue emerged when Cr Vandervis released emails in May this year, including one from Mr Cull accusing him of harassing staff. The ODT has been asking for details of the complaints since then. — Ed]
Electric scooters
READING yet again about more accidents with these items makes me wonder how much they have cost us in ACC, medical and lost productivity with every accident that occurs.
Simple solution: owners pay $50 per week for each scooter prowling the streets. Every accident should be noted and they should be billed for half of the above costs.
That in turn would force them to put ‘‘governors’’ on these scooters, much the same as was on the electric ‘‘bumper cars’’ we used to ride as kids at the fairground.
Make them have a maximum speed of 15kmh, still four times the average walking speed. Graham Bulman
Roslyn