First open meeting by committee

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 232, 23 February 1988, Page 1

First open meeting by committee

The first-ever public meeting of the Waimarino District Council steering committee was held last Wednesday night. Attendance by the Bulletin forced the meeting to be held in the open and led to invitations to attend being issued to candidates seeking election. There was hot debate over a number of issues at the meeting. At the end of the meeting the candidates were invited to ask

questions. Mayoral candidate Bruce Berry, a former county chairman asked whether decisions by the steering committee could be rescinded by the new district council. Chairman Garrick Workman said yes they could. District manager John Murrihy said the steering committee's role was simply to prepare as much as possible for the new council. Ohakune Mayor Bill Taylor

added that it would be a bit hard, however, to shift the new building proposed as an addition to the council offices. "That's the one I'm concerned about," replied Mr Berry. Another Mayoral candidate, Mr Colin Turner, the former town clerk of Ohakune, asked whether a list of duties and responsibilities of the district manager and other staff was available. Mr Workman answered that this was, in fact, to be the

subject on an in-committee discussion when the public and press left the room. When outside the council chambers there was a discussion among about six candidates equally as vociferous as the councillors during their debates earlier. Several reports on committee discussions together with the Bulletin' s plans to help electors with voting decisions are published in today's paper and will continue next week.