puff 422 Wheeler's Corner 23.03.07

Wheeler’s CornerÓ

Connecting Citizens Who Care

11 23rd March 2007

This Week: 1. Sharla Upfold and Val Wilkinson two brave ladies: 2. Petition to lower speeds: 3. By election blues: 4. Overheard at Café: 5. My God speaks the truth

Editorial:

‘You'll never guess what I received in the mail from Council today.... ‘Copies of the December 2002 petition from residents of Churchill Ave for speed humps! Funny how no one seemed to know anything about it at the Council meeting last week". This was the message I received in an email a few days ago. The council meeting was the last full council meeting held on the 7th of March 2007. At that council meeting the staff [Acting CEO] stated that they knew nothing about a petition. Even the councillors from Hokowhitu Ward [G. Cruden, Naylor and Jefferies] knew nothing about the petition. This is very revealing and concerning because it proves that the Hokowhitu councillors elected by the good citizens of Hokowhitu [and especially those residing in Churchill Avenue] are simply not in touch with the real world. For one councillor to forget could be understandable, for two to forget could be a coincidence and damned unlucky for the residents of Churchill Avenue, but for all three to forget sounds like a conspiracy…perhaps it is a time for a change?

This organised memory loss is most ironic because right now council is undergoing a spate of memory loss events. Dittmer Drive residents are being confronted with this memory loss with the forced construction of chicanes in their Street instead of speed humps as promised. It is doubly ironic because with the money saved in Dittmer Drive speed humps could have been built in Churchill Avenue. Council also suffers from memory loss in that it just can’t seem to follow its own rules and get information out on time. The council is meant to get out the agenda for meetings at least three working days before the meeting is due. Thus far they have failed to achieve this very basic procedure for the last council meeting plus three other meetings this month alone.

1. Sharla Upfold presented a petition to council on Monday night pleading that council does something about traffic in Rangiora Avenue. It was a gentle but sincere plea and it contained around 72 signatures. Accompanied by two other women at the council meeting she alone made the long walk up to the council table only to be confronted with Cr. Wall’s now infamous facial expressions. Listening to her plea was three of her Papaioea councillors: Cr. Etheridge, Findlay and Hornblow, Cr. Pope was yet again not present. And they heard her plea. Her request was simple. Slow the traffic that speeds up and down our Avenue and make our families and children safe. She explained how changes to the entry and exit of the Avenue failed to slow the traffic and that it was plain for all to see that ‘speed humps’ of an effective size would ensure speed reduction. Most of the council committee listened respectfully and said they would consider the matter! It was ironic that council staff was presenting a paper on both the Rangiora Avenue and the Dittmer Drive ‘stuff’ up as the very next item. The paper attempted to justify what has been done and pointed out that council has run out of money available to fix these serious and dangerous issues. Of course these dangerous situations wouldn’t exist if council staff would listen to communities. Val Wilkinson like Sharla has been given the run around, this is simply not good enough. As we all are aware the Square make over and the whole City Heart project is costing around 25 million dollars of ratepayers hard earned cash, and this doesn’t include the mad clock tower alterations. The residents of both Rangiora Avenue, Churchill Avenue and Dittmer Drive are citizens of this city and have a right, no a duty, to ask why? Where is the logic and who set the priorities for this mad spending spree when so much practical infrastructure needs urgent attention? Are flag poles, banners, and railway sleepers in the sky, more important than people are? Will the Sharla Upfold 2007 petition be lost like the Churchill Avenue 2002 petition? These petitions and complaints are real community concerns, and deserve serious consideration rather than scorn as displayed by some councillors, especially the hysterical behaviour of councillors like Cr. Wall for example. We need councillors who will represent strongly the communities who elected them. That is why they were elected. When councillors laugh at petitions brought before them and treat them as bothersome or fall asleep during their presentation or don’t even bother to turn up to hear the voice of the community then change is urgently needed.

2. Hi Everyone,

I am starting a petition to the Council to try to get it to put lower speed limits on roads outside schools and kindergartens. Can any of you help with this, as I am really time-pressed these days? Even 1 page (40 signatures) would be appreciated. Basically the issue is this. Council is consulting on a draft Speed Limits Bylaw but they have proposed putting lower speed limits only in parks (Esplanade, Memorial, Anzac etc). They have not proposed any for outside schools of kindergartens. What a lost opportunity! So the petition just asks Council to put lower speed limits in those places -operating just when children are arriving or leaving. It also asks that $100,000 be set aside in the 2007/8 Annual Plan to fund the setting up of the 'Slow Zones' so Council doesn't say 'Good idea but sorry we have no money'. It's about reprioritising spending. Christchurch has 25 or so of these already and they are popping up outside schools in Nelson, Hamilton, Tauranga and other places. They should be used here as well. If you wish to help, please reply to this email and I'll send you a copy of the petition to print off Many thanks. Signed Chris Teo-Sherrell. You can contact Chris by email: hernchris@yahoo.com

3. History of a by-election’ Understanding how the Ward Committee system works is worthy of a Diploma from Massey. Let me explain why Awapuni is holding a By-election at its next meeting [27th March 2007].

I was elected after the last LG elections.
After a series of behind closed doors meetings the CEO [Paul Wylie] requested, [using the Code of Conduct rules] that I be removed from the ward committee. Council agreed by Majority vote after spending well over ten thousand dollars.
Awapuni held a by-election and I was returned unopposed.
Cr. Gordon Cruden complained that thirty Awapuni Citizens weren’t present and that the election was not valid. Council agreed by a majority.
Another election was held and I was re-elected by a large majority, but Cr. Naylor using a different rule [which, was intended for use to remove a councillor from a specific committee] removed me once again.
Two later meetings failed to achieve the numbers required [17 and 29] [it is worthy of note that Awapuni Ward gets more citizen support than most council meetings]
So the meeting on the 27th of March is the third attempt to elect a new member to the Ward Committee. Now that the CEO Paul Wylie has departed the scene to the quite backwaters of the Tasman District the Awapuni Ward Committee needs to lift it numbers to five local Awapuni residents. A local resident has put her name forward and I would strongly recommend this person to all Awapuni residents for consideration. Shona Jarmin who has resided in Awapuni for over forty years is willing to accept the challenge. She is a Long Medford Road resident and has a strong community record. Her background spans the total community from the local schools and college. So if you live in Awapuni come along to the meeting and bring a friend from Awapuni. Can you forward this email to anyone you know who lives in Awapuni and encourage him or her to attend. Your effort in this regard would be highly valued. The meeting date is 7.30pm on the 27th of March 2007. The location: Awapuni Community Centre Newbury St [Off Rugby St] Awapuni. Besides the election the committee will discuss the councils desire to sell off the land on the corner of Park Road and Fitzherbert Rd. Awapuni Ward Committee meetings are inclusive and pro-active. You can hear an interview with Shona on Access Triple Nine AM on Thursday 22nd March 2007 [This Thursday].

4. Overheard at Café Macdonald’s:

‘Did you sign the letter to councillors ordering them to praise the work of the old CEO’

‘No, I wasn’t asked’.

‘I’m glad you didn’t because it was rather stupid that letter don’t you think?

‘Yes, but as I said I wasn’t asked and besides that I don’t belong to their union’.

‘Did you see the ad in the Manawatu Standard for the CEO’s job?

‘Yes, I did’.

‘So have you applied?

‘Sure have’.

‘Good luck…

5. My God says ‘Can’t Councillors understand that monuments are just that, monuments and that people are far more important’. Especially those that pay their wages, she added as an after thought…I agree and since she is a God she can’t be wrong now can she?

Peter J Wheeler

Wheeler@inspire.net.nz

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