Still Can’t Work This Out

Still having trouble processing this

All good, I get it so far.

Then we have the expenditure which includes a transfer to ‘pool fundraising’

OK. I still ‘get it’

Here’s where I get confused

So why hasn’t the balance gone up by $50K?

The only way I can process it is if the $50K was transferred to the OFFICIAL  pool account (as in the new trust).  I won’t know if that’s the case until around September (I think).  The Treasurer made this comment in an email to Richard King.

To me it makes sense but my interpretation of it still leaves me with the question – Why hasn’t the balance gone up by $50K?

Could someone PLEASE explain it to me?  Private communication accepted since Bluffies seem to be scared of the comments feature:-)

Bluff Board Screws Pool Of A Future

That’s what it looks like to me and exactly why I opposed the Board’s public excluded pool negotiations.  I believe there was another 500+ that agreed.

To recap, the original decision was that ICC funding ‘will be $180K’ and then after some public excluded Board involvement the new resolution was ‘up to $180k’ and that was based on operational expenditure.  I argued that the full $180k is necessary for the pool to have a viable future.  Any cost savings in operation could be placed into reserve.

End result only operational funding because ‘importance was placed on the submission of the Bluff Community Board’ (WTF), 2 versus 536.

We now have ICC managing the pool for the trust and look at the operational savings they’ve made (granted, the loan on the building is gone now).  From the Community Services agenda

ICC have done well out of this deal, pity the Bluff representatives screwed Bluff over.  That is why I bitch about them and rightly so!  If that is the true cost of running the pool, the Trust would be banking over $100,00 this year alone.

Thanks Bluff Community Board….you serve us soooooooo well..FFS

Message From Bluff Pool

Sandra Johnson has asked the following be circulated

The Bluff Pool is closed today Tuesday 27^th March 2012; therefore there will be no Club Carnival tonight.

Bluff Swimming Club Carnival is now on Thursday 29^th March 2012 at 6pm.

Oddity Uploads

I’ve been sorting through a file box labelled Pool and as a result there are a lot of new oddity pages relating to it in the Bluff folder on Keep and Share.  I didn’t want to get rid of them so it’s easier to scan and upload (because I can never remember where I file the hard copies).  It is the bits and bobs I came across and led me to form the view that the Board are collectively (and in some cases individually) morons and not serving the community (or pool) well.

It includes The Lighthouse and other bits you should be able to identify by the upload date (3 March 2012) after the file name.

Amongst it was two Beacons (1298 and 1300).  1298 has my response to earlier (orchestrated?) letters to the Beacon chastising Nolan Henigan’s letter.  Both the Beacon and Board responded to mine.  Interesting that the Board response claims they inspired 350 odd submissions to council….lol.

I requested a hard copy of all submissions on the LTCCP, a council staff member delivered them when in Bluff and I went through each one.  I counted how many from Bluff and Invercargill that commented on the pool and whether they were pro or not.  I compiled the numbers and sent a copy to Jan.  This is the figure she is using and it includes the likes of my submission which opposed the Board – ah, community board spin – you’ve gotta laugh or else you’d cry (or start a blog).

I Told You So

In light of ICC using Bluff Pool reserves to pay off the loan on Bluff Pool, I want to say I told you so.

The crux of the 536 submissions on the pool was that ICC fund $180,000 per year toward swimming facilities in Bluff.  It was being proposed that council provide ‘operational funding up to $180,00 per year’.  I laid out a plan, to the best of my abilities, that the full $180k was essential so that any operational savings the new trust made would mean they could place more in reserve for the future (ICC funding is only until 2019 and that could be removed through the next or future Long Term Plans).

Herein lies the problem with the Board and their narrow minded views.  They were too busy bitching that someone else had an opposing view that they didn’t compare the differences.  The ‘issue’ was not their focus but the negative views of the people involved.  The audacity of the Chairperson when questioned by Crs about the large amount of submissions, ‘they were from the pub and kids’.  Pissheads and children, nice message, nice way to support your community.  If you can’t trump them just undermine them!

The loan on the building has been deemed ‘operational funding’ and loan payments have been budgeted as part of the Bluff Pool funding.  So council have been paying it out of the ‘up to $180,000′.  Now the loan’s paid off, their responsibilities (costs) to the pool reduce.  That of course was their plan all along, as it should be, think of the whole city.

Our Board have a responsibility to Bluff and should have endorsed the ‘other option’ or grown a set and told council ‘you’re already paying $180k to run the place but it would’ve cost a shit load to maintain/repair/upgrade, give us $180k and you’re still making a saving ’cause even demolishing it would cost a fortune’.

So only a few years on and ICC are already making savings by offloading the pool and the trust have no reserve fund being built up as council’s part in the whole debacle.   Being as council reports showed it only cost $150K to run that would mean $30k minimum would go into reserve over 10 years plus interest.  So I told you so and this is another reason why the Board fail more often than not, they support their views not the community’s.  All to often they are pipped by the people and processes that they screw over all of us.

What if in the 2016 Long Term Plan council recommend removing the funding (three years early)?  They wouldn’t this LTP, eh guys?  I can see another levy on our rates coming, this time out of necessity but as always it  goes back to bad decisions and lack of foresight from the Board…there’s a reason you don’t go into Public Excluded with council.  No public to support you, council have the power and know you can’t say anything (’cause it’s in PE) and railroad you.

Another Board failure but I told you so, did you even read it?  Did you consider it on it’s merits?  Or did you think it was only pissheads and children?

Eight More To Go

Nearly finished the Bluff Beacon scanning.    Newly uploaded are 1287, 1294, 1304, 1320 and 1322.

1287 is coffee stained and screwed up because it was treated with the contempt it deserved.  Page 4 has “Charles Te Au addressed the board regarding information issues relating to Bluff Pool”.  What it neglected to say was that he stormed out because the Chairperson and Cr Piercy  (retired) both lied to him when he commented on the amount of funding the pool would be receiving from ICC.  Charlie had pointed out that prior to the board going into PE negotiations it was $180k p.a. whereas after negotiations it was ‘operating costs up to $180k’.  The elected members said ‘it was never $180k’, needless to say Charlie had the documents to reinforce his statements.  Lo and behold, the chairperson would not allow the council documents to be tabled…he was pissed to say the least!

He made a formal complaint to council and met with Mayor Tim and Mr King which resulted in nothing of any purpose.  Meanwhile the chairperson used her ability to deny the documents be tabled so that her lie would not be proven on record.  Would that be abuse of power?  If you knew you were right, why not let the person table them and they themselves be proven wrong?  Could it be they were right?

Let’s refer to the resolution

“Council’s financial contribution to this funding will be $180,000 per annum”

And what was the resolution from the Public Excluded meetings

“The funding is not indexed and will be from$ 140,000 up to a maximum of $180,000″

He only went along because he was sick of my ranting and prattling. The irony is that is why he ran for the community board.  The chair’s abuse of power to endorse her ‘false statement’ …I hope her fellow board members can forgive her for bringing him to the table.

Nothing Changes

I was trying to find out when the STL stops putting ‘Your View’ online and came across this.  It’s interesting because it’s a year and a half old but nothing has changed.  The Town Hall is still empty, we still pay a levy (but now the expenditure is twice the levy) and the community board and community trust still regularly meet without the residents knowing what they are getting up to.  The letter referred to 536 residents saying enough (the Board didn’t care though and attempted to trivialise it by saying at verbal submissions that they were mostly from ‘the pubs and kids’).  Eighteen months on and we now have them giving the finger to 728 residents. I’m having trouble thinking of an example of when the advocated for the residents.  Can anyone think of an issue?

The saddest thing is that people still aren’t speaking out.  I receive emails from people with their examples (and anger) at the Board and responding to things I’ve said on the blog.  The statistics show that people are reading, the feedback confirms it but bugger all comment on it!  Because we didn’t have a vote this election, we can’t tell them (with our vote) whether we want them or not.  This blog gives people that opportunity.  I’m happy to put up a post for others, their own words, their name (or not).  It will continue if you let it.  I know SOOOOOOO many people that have great ideas for Bluff and usually regale the same story about who knocked them back or wouldn’t take it to the Board.  I believe we are allowing Stalin rule in this town and as a result we will continue to be screwed over and have everything dumped on us, Town Hall, swimming pool, ATM, restoration of the RSA Grove and Hill, the common thread is that the Board had prior knowledge or Public Excluded involvement.

Who gives a s#$t if they bitch and moan about you or your opinion, use a nom de plume, but say something if you want things to improve otherwise they will continue to use the Trust for tourist crap and possibly want more from our rates for the Town Hall and continue to represent us badly to ICC and ICC will fob off and ignore Bluff issues more and more.

C’mon, what’s your idea? what’s your thoughts? we know they are reading so tell them or we will continue to be treated like mushrooms.

Community Sets Out To Revamp Glengarry

Community Sets Out To Revamp Glengarry Bluff

(Click on image to enlarge)

While I was cutting out Letters to the Editor I came across this again.  I was in one of my emotive, ranting ‘I have a dream’ moods.  Discussion later in the day with some others led to simple little things that can be done and reminded me of a phone call I received supporting my views  after I wrote Letter to the Editor.  While the rezone ideals are part of ‘The Big Picture’ and to prevent expansion and direct growth in a more tourism and beautification direction to attract (and retain) businesses that make our main street more appealing as a destination (not a thoroughfare to Stewart Island and/or the signpost and Hill).  The rezone is the regulatory side and takes time but the Spatial Plan is a 30 year living document, may as well show your hand at the early stages.  It is the vision of and for the people, the RMA (District Plan legislation) does not care what the people want, it only cares about the natural environment.

What can the community do?  Glengarry are doing it.  They realise that the community spirit needs to return and one would hope that people with ideas feel comfortable to step forward and raise their ideas without fear of persecution.  Recent media has shown that this is a problem in Bluff.  It is NOT a new problem.  I hark back to that phone call, the person was frustrated, the idea had been done before and he/she was confused why it wasn’t carried on.  He/she told me what they had heard and I expressed what I had heard and we realised where the problem was and chatting away, bouncing ideas around came up with a simple way to prevent that happening again.  As a mother of four I couldn’t commit to any more tasks but now wonder if I might approach the person and say ‘want to do it’.  He/she had made the suggestion through his/her network  (he/she had been knocked back hence the frustrated phone call) and I then bounced the idea around my networks and more people expressed their agreement and tweaking.  Voila, an easy solution and some community buy in by those that have been told.  Imagine if we had a forum for all those to come forward and do that, without persecution and with respect.  I believe that’s what Glengarry are doing right, getting the buy in then moving forward.  They also have the need to fundraise, we don’t, check Charities Commission and Societies.govt.  We have the money in town and many groups are doubling up on things that could be a shared services arrangement.

I know of ideas people have expressed that range from green waste, hanging baskets, community centre, Club Hotel solutions, shared services, RSA grove…and probably many more as well as those raised by the frustrated people at the Bluff Hill meeting (read the notes HERE, page 19 on).

If only we had the forum?  Was the Bluff Hill meeting that forum?  I’ve been told many locals felt annoyed that they didn’t have communication until after the fact and they were not given opportunity to be heard at that meeting.

Even though we have a community board and promotions group do we now need a residents group also?

Comments on The Big Picture

ICC are accepting ‘comments’ (note: non-statutory therefore no formal submission process) on ‘The Big Picture’ (Spatial Plan) until ‘the end of October’.  If you’ve got something to comment on email it to bigpicture@icc.govt.nz

I am frequently surprised by council’s lack of foresight.  While they may consider themselves as moving with the times (and technology) by creating a DVD, what if I want more information like the maps?  Can I view them online?…no…have to kill a tree (and waste money on printing) when they could have had it online and cut costs even more.

It’s a pity our Board weren’t on to it enough to have the Rezone Gore Street views added in there.  The Board met with planners and came up with ‘leave it to the 2012 District Plan review’.  I’m not going to prattle on about them supporting the views of their constituents (it would be beyond most of them).

They obviously don’t get ‘the big picture’…all along ICC have said that the spatial plan is a guiding, all encompassing document and one would assume a living ever-evolving document.  So the Board are wasting time, resources and consultation opportunities.  Why be involved in the process (two bites at the cherry) and intentionally put off the rezoning idea.  ICC will now have to deal with representations from supporters of the Rezone during the Spatial Plan and DP Review and the paperwork that goes along with that.  Had it been included and endorsed in the Big Picture it would have then followed that “council would anchor that vision in legal documents like the Long Term Plan and District Plan”.  Those are Jackie Kruger’s words from the DVD, she also informed the Board that they were ‘looking at them to provide leadership on the rezoning’.  BTW that does not mean decide what you want and get the others to follow!

We now have a possible (highly probable) scenario that the Big Picture will be adopted and then have to be amended (or outdated) if the District Plan Review endorses rezoning.  Remember that the ones who chose to fob off the rezone are also the ones charged with leading the implementation of the Bluff Concept Plan (2002).  Peruse the plan and you will see it’s vision does not include promoting and allowing the increase of industry on the main street, quite the opposite.  Maybe it needs to spelled out.

• The rezone fits perfectly with the concept plan.

• Current zoning does not.

• You are not doing your job.

Comments welcome on the ISSUE.  I can provide evidence to support the claims, feel free to ask.

 

 

Repeal the Anti Smacking Law NOW…

…..so I can smack the Youth Council upstarts round the ears!

I don’t care if you don’t care about history but maybe every bugger that died, fought and struggled to provide you the liberties you have now, do.  Be it democracy, women’s rights, social welfare or protection from oppression, you don’t deserve it!

I realise you were referring to Anniversary day but such disregard for history shows you have no respect for the work involved in creating the community you benefit from everyday.

So you want the day off with no regard to what you are celebrating?  Well enjoy your drinks (at 18)and remember your history, and the people that fought and died before they were legally allowed to purchase alcohol!!! FFS!