Boards to decide meetings schedule

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 341, 26 June 1990, Page 3

Boards to decide meetings schedule

"Don't dictate to them please, you'll only get their backs up," pleaded Mayor Garrick Workman of his council when it came time to decide on whether to restrict the support for community board meetings.

Councillors obliged by passing a moriori to empower boards to set their own meeting cycle, with an indication that the council's preference is for a sixweekly cycle, which the council itself has adopted. The council had asked the boards to make recommendation before it made a decision, with mixed reactions from the four boards and one ward committee. Ohura, Taumarunui and National Park all supported the longer cycle while Waiouru and

Waimarino wanted to keep the monthly cycle, even without financial support. Ohura also wanted to retain the power to revert to the monthly cycle if necessary and they, along with National Park and Taumarunui asked for support for special meetings if the need arose. Taumarunui said they would hold informal meetings on an alternate six week cycle, but council officers pointed out that there could not legally be any such thing as an informal

meeting. Boards or the committee can hold workshops to discuss issues but if decisions are to be made, then it becomes a formal meeting and the press and public have the right to attend. Councillor Bennett expressed disappointment that two boards

did not support the proposed change, saying it would have saved money and relieved the workload from council officers. Mayor Workman said Waiouru and Waimarino felt there was a lot of work to do and that was the reason they rejected the longer cycle.