MINUTES OF A Council Meeting OF THE Central Otago District Council
HELD AT Ngā Hau e
Whā, William Fraser Building, 1 Dunorling Street, Alexandra
AND LIVE STREAMED VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS ON Wednesday, 8 March 2023 COMMENCING AT
10.30 am
PRESENT: His Worship the Mayor T Cadogan (Chairperson), Cr N Gillespie, Cr T Alley, Cr S Browne, Cr L Claridge, Cr I Cooney, Cr S Duncan, Cr S Feinerman, Cr C Laws, Cr N McKinlay, Cr M McPherson, Cr T Paterson
IN ATTENDANCE: S Jacobs (Chief Executive Officer), L Fleck (General Manager - People and Culture), S Righarts (Group Manager - Business Support), D Rushbrook (Group Manager - Community Vision), D Scoones (Group Manager - Community Experience), L van der Voort (Group Manager - Planning and Infrastructure), S Finlay (Chief Financial Officer), R Williams (Community Development Advisor), A Crosbie (Senior Policy Advisor), L Stronach (Team Leader – Statutory Property), G Bailey (Parks and Recreation Manager), D McKewen (Accountant), M De Cort (Communications Coordinator), W McEnteer (Governance Manager) and S Reynolds (Customer Service Officer)
Note: Cr McPherson gave a karakia to start the meeting.
1 Apologies
2 Public Forum
Ken Churchill – Wilding Pines
Mr Churchill spoke of the relationship between council and community boards. He advocated for a staged approach to the removal of wilding pines and gave the Lower Manorburn Reserve as an example of this. He then responded to questions.
Moved: Alley Seconded: Cooney That the public minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 25 January 2023 be confirmed as a true and correct record. |
Members were reminded of their obligations in respect of declaring any interests. There were no further declarations of interest.
Note: Susan Freeman-Greene joined the meeting for item 23.2.2.
Ms Freeman-Greene, CEO for Local Government New Zealand gave a presentation to Council on CouncilMARK and the work Local Government New Zealand does on behalf of its members. She then responded to questions from councillors. |
Note: Cr Alley assumed the Chair as the Community Vision and Experience portfolio lead.
Note: Ian Griffin from Otago Museum joined the meeting for Item 23.2.3.
To present the 2023/2024 Draft Annual Plan from the Otago Museum Trust Board for review and feedback, and to consider their request for a seven percent increase on the annual levy charged to Central Otago District Council. Dr Griffin gave a presentation to Council describing the work of Tūhura Otago Museum and included commentary about visitor numbers from Central Otago and recent tightened budgets. |
Moved: Cadogan Seconded: Duncan That the Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. B. Considers the request to fund a proposed levy increase of seven percent in 2023/24 for the Otago Museum (an additional $2,249, which will increase the payment from $32,132 to $34,381). C. Notes that the existing budget allows for two percent increase of $642. D. Agrees to fund the additional five percent increase in the levy of $1,607 from general reserves. |
Note: Cr Duncan left the meeting at 11.30 am.
Note: Cr Gillespie assumed the Chair as the Planning and Regulatory portfolio lead.
Note: His Worship the Mayor left the meeting at 11.44 am and returned at 11.46 am.
Note: His Worship the Mayor resumed the Chair.
Note: With the permission of the meeting the Mayor’s Report was moved forward.
Note: Cr McPherson left the meeting at 11.48 am and returned at 11.50 am.
His Worship the Mayor gave an update on his activities and issues of interest since the last meeting. |
Moved: Cadogan Seconded: Gillespie That the Council receives the report. |
Note: Cr McKinlay assumed the Chair as the Three Waters and Waste portfolio lead.
To consider an offer to purchase and or take over the private wastewater infrastructure that services the development known as the Clyde Claim, from Clyde Claim Services Limited. |
Moved: Alley Seconded: Feinerman That the Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. B. Agrees to take over the ownership of the sewerage reticulation system (drain in common), as identified in pink and yellow in figure 3, (excluding the treatment plan on Lot 1), along with the associated easements which currently belong to Clyde Services Limited, subject to: - The sewerage reticulation system (drain in common) and all associated easements transferring to Council ownership at no cost. - Clyde Claim Services Limited agreeing to Council connecting additional properties to the system as and when required at Council’s own discretion. - Clyde Claim Services Limited agreeing to connect to the lateral identified in figure 6. - Each party paying its own costs as the relate to that transfer. C. Authorises the Chief Executive to do all that is necessary to give effect to the resolution. |
Note: His Worship the Mayor resumed the Chair.
Note: Cr Duncan returned to the meeting at 12.17 pm.
To consider whether a staged approach to the removal of wilding conifers from Council owned or managed land is consistent with Council’s Wilding Conifer Control Policy. |
Moved: Cadogan Seconded: Paterson That the Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. |
After discussion it was agreed to recognise that not all sites could be cleared of wilding conifers at once and that the policy should apply to individual sites at their time of clearing. The vote was split 6/6 on a show of hands and, in accordance with Standing Order 19.3, a casting vote was made by the Chair. |
Moved: Cadogan Seconded: Paterson B. Resolves that the staged removal of wilding conifers within individual identified sites is not permitted on Council owned or managed land. C. Agrees to amend the Council Wilding Conifer Control Policy as required to reflect the Council’s decision. Carried with the Chair making the casting vote |
Note: The meeting adjourned at 12.55 pm and returned at 1.35 pm.
Note: Cr Gillespie returned to the meeting at 1.40 pm.
To approve the draft Council specific budgets for inclusion in the Council’s draft Annual Plan 2023-24 process. |
Moved: Duncan Seconded: Paterson That the Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. B. Agrees in principle, subject to further work, (around the phasing of rate funding the increase in Council waste management asset depreciation) that the Council specific budgets be included in the 2023-24 Annual Plan. C. Notes Appendix 1,2 & 3. D. Notes the community boards recommendations of budgets and fees and charges will be presented with the full draft 2023-24 annual plan and consultation document for approval by Council on 30 March 2023. |
To consider adoption of the Local Governance Statement for the 2022-25 triennium. |
Moved: Gillespie Seconded: Laws That the Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. B. Adopts the Local Governance Statement for the 2022-25 triennium. |
Note: Cr McPherson left the meeting at 1.54 pm and returned at 1.56 pm.
To report on items of general interest, receive minutes and updates from key organisations, consider Council’s forward work programme, business plan and status report updates. |
Moved: Alley Seconded: Cadogan That Council A. Receives the report and accepts the level of significance. B. Ratifies the Future for Local Government submission in Appendix 2 of the report. |
The date of the next scheduled meeting is 30 March 2023.
10 Resolution to Exclude the Public
Moved: Cadogan Seconded: Browne That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting. The general subject matter of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:
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The public were excluded at 1.57 and the meeting closed at 2.21 pm.