Council meeting wrap
Ombudsman findings on elected member workshops
Rotorua Lakes Council has made significant changes to practices related to elected member workshops since an inquiry into workshop practices across eight councils.
This has been acknowledged by the Chief Ombudsman, Mayor Tania Tapsell noted at a meeting of the Council today.
She raised the matter as an urgent item for today’s meeting following the release yesterday of the Chief Ombudsman’s findings and reports for each of the councils investigated.
Corporate Planning and Governance Executive Director Oonagh Hopkins gave a presentation providing background about the Chief Ombudsman’s inquiry and outlining previous practices at Rotorua Lakes Council, changes that have been made and transparency practices that have always been in place. She also outlined ongoing work aimed at implementing further process improvements.
Mayor Tapsell acknowledged the work that had been done to increase transparency and reinforced the elected members’ and organisation’s commitment to ongoing improvement.
She said the Chief Ombudsman had expressed that he was very pleased with changes made by Rotorua Lakes Council and it was great to have his confidence in how Council was currently going about its democratic decision-making.
View the presentation slides relating to this matter HERE on Council’s website.
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of today’s meeting.
You can view statements issued yesterday by Rotorua Lakes Council and Mayor Tapsell and access links to the Chief Ombudsman’s statement, findings and reports for each council via THIS LINK on Council’s website.
Rates remissions granted for more properties impacted by high lake levels
Council has approved a 100% rates remissions for the 2023/24 financial year for properties deemed uninhabitable due to high lake water levels.
This amounts to a total of $24,166 and is in addition to properties previously approved for rates remissions, bringing the total amount of remissions for this reason to about $55,000.
The additional properties were visited and appraised prior to the recommendation to approve rates remissions, Council was told. It is not known if there may be further applications.
Mayor Tapsell said the rates remissions would be much appreciated by those who were unfortunately unable to use their properties due to the extremely high lake levels.
Go to p19 of the meeting agenda to see the report on this matter.
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of the meeting.
Financial update for the first quarter of the current financial year
The council is currently tracking to be on budget by financial year-end.
The organisation had a small operating surplus for the first quarter of the current financial year (the three months to the end of September 2023).
Lower-than-budgeted user fees were offset by higher rates and other income with expenditure just under $1m lower than budgeted across a number of expense categories.
Capital projects for the first quarter were behind budget with just $19.7m of the budgeted $44m spent in the first quarter of the current financial year.
The report prepared for today’s meeting notes the council continues to operate in a high inflation environment, with costs remaining at elevated levels. Trends are also emerging within the council’s user fee revenue that indicate targets may be under pressure, reflecting Rotorua’s continued recovery from the Covid-related tourism slowdown.
Staff continue to monitor these trends as we progress further into the financial year.
Go to p14 of the meeting agenda to view the full financial report for the three months to 30 September.
View the presentation slides related to this matter HERE.
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of the meeting.
Non-financial performance measures for year ending 30 June 2023
Council was provided with an overview of Rotorua Lakes Council’s non-financial performance for the 2022/23 year.
Non-financial measures are required to be set as part of long-term plans and those that applied for the 2022/23 financial year were set as part of the 2021-31 Long-term Plan. These are under review as part of development of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan.
Council heard that 58% of measures were achieved for the 2022/23 year with 33% not achieved and 9% not measured for various reasons detailed in the report to Council.
Go to p22 of the meeting agenda to view the report on this matter and see additional information at THIS LINK.
See the presentation slides relating to this matter at THIS LINK on Council’s website.
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of the meeting.
Significance and Engagement Policy review
Council has approved consulting the community on a reviewed Significance and Engagement Policy.
The policy guides how the council determines when and how it should engage with the community before making a decision and is a fundamental policy in the development of a long-term plan.
Mayor Tapsell said the policy provided important guidance and Council wanted to ensure policies and processes supported elected members’ commitment to authentic communication and engagement.
Consultation will run from 1 November 2023 to 30 November 2023.
Go to p25 of the meeting agenda to see the report on this matter.
View the proposed changes to the policy (tracked changes) HERE
View the “clean” version of the proposed new policy, with changes incorporated HERE
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of the meeting.
Business case for Sister City visit
Council has approved the business case for Mayor Tapsell’s attendance at Japanese sister city Beppu’s 100th anniversary commemorations along with a visit to another sister city, Wuzhong, in China.
The mayor will be supported by a Rotorua-based interpreter who is from Beppu.
Rotorua has had a sister city relationship with Beppu, which Mayor Tapsell noted has, like Rotorua, strong links to culture and geothermal, since 1987 and with Wuzhong since 2000.
Beppu’s 100-year celebrations are scheduled for 6 and 7 April 2024.
Beppu City Council has offered to cover the costs of lodging, meals, transportation upon arrival and attendance at events for the mayor and entourage, totalling three persons for two nights.
Key objectives for the visits are to renew the close community ties between Rotorua and its two most significant sister cities and to renew and seek new commercial relationships.
The total cost to Council is expected to be $10,637. It is expected this will be covered by income generated from delegations hosted at Rotorua Lakes Council throughout the year. On average these delegations generate $23,500.00 per year for Council.
Go to p48 of the meeting agenda to see the report on this matter.
See the report on this matter HERE on Council’s website
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view this part of the meeting.
Also on the agenda
Operational progress reports: Council received updates from the Corporate Services, Corporate Planning and Governance and Te Arawa Partnerships groups.
See these reports on pages 29, 37 and 45 of the meeting agenda.
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view the part of the meeting dealing with Corporate Services
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view the part of the meeting dealing with Corporate Planning and Governance
Go to THIS LINK in the meeting recording to view the part of the meeting dealing with Te Arawa Partnerships
View the full public agenda for today’s Council meeting at this link: public-agenda-council-meeting-25-october-2023.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz)
The meeting was livestreamed and the recording can be viewed via Council’s YouTube channel: Rotorua Lakes Council - YouTube