City Hub back on council table
An overarching strategy to improve Timaru’s central business district could be set to press on, with a new project manager and website in the wings.
The City Hub strategy, first flagged by former Timaru district mayor Damon Odey and approved by council in May, will come up for debate again at today’s council meeting.
A report, authorised by council group manager for community services Sharon Taylor, says ‘‘with the changes brought about by the recent election, an elected member vacancy has arisen’’.
The report proposes the council ‘‘reconstitute the City Hub strategy project steering group as per the previously approved terms of reference’’.
The vacancy was left by Odey, who decided to not run for reelection as mayor. Newly elected mayor Nigel Bowen was already a member of the steering committee in his previous capacity as a councillor. It is proposed that councillors Steve Wills and Sally Parker keep their position as council representatives, with one councillor vacancy likely to be filled at today’s meeting.
The council has also appointed three external members to the strategy’s steering group – Timaru CBD group chairman Nigel Gilkison, Stockman Group managing director Shaun Stockman,
and Te Runanga Arowhenua general manager Karl Jackson. There are also three council officers on the steering group – Taylor, Frazer Munro and Simon Davenport.
The report says the group’s terms of reference have been finalised, a draft media release prepared, an expression of interest for the project delivery manager prepared and a web page is ready to go live. According to the terms of reference, Bowen will be the chairman of the City Hub steering group.
However, the council also has the option of not appointing an extra councillor representative.
A previous report, presented by Munro and Taylor in May, suggested the scope of the strategy would include discussing the streetscape, inner city living, earthquake-prone buildings, heritage, green spaces, the regulatory environment, promotion and events, and traffic circulation.
Gilkison said he expected a ‘‘bit of a hiatus’’ for the group as ‘‘councillors got their feet under the table’’.
‘‘It is all very much in its early days,’’ he said.
However, Gilkison said there was a meeting of the steering group members planned for the coming week, and ‘‘hopefully things would become clearer after that’’.
Bowen said it was up to the steering committee to set the parameters of the City Hub strategy but ‘‘there should be some clear direction’’ once everyone involved met up again.
‘‘We are looking to appoint a project lead soon, and there will be some key priorities to be addressed, but we need to get everyone in the room again,’’ he said.
More than $150,000 has been set aside by the council for the project strategy through its economic development fund.