The Long Term Plan Responses

Well if you made a submission on the Long Term Plan you can view the staff responses and recommendations that will go to the councillors at the 5 June meeting.  From page 67 (part 2) you can view the recommended decisions by topic along with submission summaries for each topic.  I find the responses more interesting as they are rife with staff comment.  I reiterate that ICC staff don’t lie (not my experience anyway) but I always note that it’s never the full answer or ambiguous at best.  The things they don’t answer always crack me up, I think it’s because they can’t or just don’t want to.

I must say well done to Alan Swallow for pointing out that the men’s shelter of Salvation Army receives nothing from ICC.  Now they have an extra $5,000.  Of course drainage for a sports field got $50,000.  I know what I consider far more important within the community.  At least they haven’t offered to foot the bill for the whole drainage project.

Thankfully they (we) will not be putting any money toward Rugby Park but the cynic in me thinks it will come about in the future, empires to build.

Urban Rejuvenation has now got a suggested $300,000 ($100k proposed) to split between all the relevant communities.  Another $140k per year for the following nine years.

Anyway from page 107 (part 3) are the responses, go through and see how they responded to your suggestions.  You can access it here.

 

ICC Listening To The People

Wow, ICC have made all the changes submission 180 asked for, Michael Hartstonge must be so proud to have effected change through the LTP process!  Hold on…

Just another example of staff submitting to the LTP (like you didn’t already have ample opportunity?) and a reminder to the minions that you can’t submit on submissions.

Surely They’re Taking The Piss

Hawkes Bay are getting a $2.5M jousting field and amenities?  I thought it was a wind up but it’s not April Fool’s Day is it?

Says Mayor Yule: “We were approached by the International Jousting Federation, which has made a convincing case that jousting is the sport of the future. Apparently the Chinese love it. Right here in New Zealand, we already have 23 competitive jousters, many of them from Central Hawke’s Bay, and that number is projected to grow astronomically over the coming decade as sport enthusiasts look for the greater excitement of blood sports. I have visions of an International Jousting and Swordplay Academy. We see ourselves trading up … a big, sturdy lance that can inflict mortal wounds for a little stick that nicks ankles.”

Wow, 23 competitive jousters, it’s the sport of the future….but wait there’s more….this guy probably owns every infomercial gadget for sale at 2am.   Still skeptical that it’s even for real.

Question Time

I already covered my presentation to the LTP on 10 May and one question (from Cr Esler).  Already much of it is foggy (Thursday and Friday were hectic) but I do remember Cr Ludlow throwing one at me.  He pointed out that ‘a submission’ (I know it was from Bluff Community Board) had presented the same idea for green waste processing in Bluff.

Anyone that knows me knows I am candid (my sister says I have no tact) so I answered with the reality of the situation.  Charlie had at this point come in carrying the baby and sat down.  I clarified that I had the idea for many years and had not furthered it due to the political environment in Bluff and that Charlie has been (and will continue to be) chastised for offering my ideas without first asking my permission.  His excuse for it was inane at best but I suppose he had his ‘community board’ hat on at the time.  Pity he forgot about loyalty to ‘the missus’.  Ironic that I have no need for green waste because I deal with everything on site (I won’t call it composting because that involves layers and turning, my way is happenstance but suits me;-)

Unfortunately that’s all I can remember except for a Cr or two suggesting my ‘husband’ use the baby as a human shield:-)

Cheers Bob

Bob Simpson has kindly given me his oral submission electronically and his original submission.  As I mentioned to him at the hearing he has quite possibly sold me on the idea of the buses (and camper vans) in the City Centre.  I couldn’t see how it could be done…until Bob submitted.  My interpretation is ‘terminus’ in The Crescent and basically the demolition of Wachner Place to allow for parking/thoroughfare and it all flows on to a walkable  social (and consumer) area.  His was one of the submissions I looked up when I got the LTP CD and I smiled while reading it.  It opened with a reality check for council and I hope they implement the ideal in all their planning.  I have had a flat out day and my head is all over the place so I will have to re read it all with an aerial image and my thinking head on so I hope my initial thoughts aren’t way off base (best you read it yourselves).

Thanks Bob:-)

 

More Submissions

Cracker mentioned a few submissions and I have to agree about staff submitting to the LTP.  He highlights Mary Napper’s request for $50K to implement Child, Youth and Family Friendly Policy Action Plan.  I have always claimed that this policy could open up a whole can of worms and it looks like it’s about to begin.

I didn’t realise there was a first stage though?

Tomorrow’s The Big Day (I Hope)

I will hopefully get the CD of the submissions tomorrow so I can upload them and have a good read, meanwhile here’s the summary of the submission by Bluff Community Board ‘on behalf of the Bluff community’ done by three elected members at a workshop (wouldn’t that constitute ‘a decision’?) where according to the Auditor-General, decisions should not be made.

I Knew There Was Genius In Our Midst

Here’s an example from the LTP submission summary

Some bloody good points (and I assume a Bluff resident).  Never give up the fight to hold ICC accountable for the pool…and rightly so.  Move the museum…one in the workshop ideas from the Concept Plan (don’t if the submitter knew that) and there’s another idea from the Concept Plan, moving the statue.  I wouldn’t put ‘Council’ and ‘profit’ in the same sentence though.  Are they even capable of making a profit?  The town hall comment is interesting, it seems I’m not the only that thinks there should be benefits in owning a Town Hall.

Unfortunately I know ICC’s answer to a few of the suggestions.  I hope J Davis will be attending the meeting at the Marae on Thursday night.

Nice To Be Kept Informed

ICC have rung (because they know I’ll ring otherwise) to say that they are working on getting the agenda for the LTP verbal submission meeting online. I’ve been told that they have the ability but will only be uploading the report and a summary of the submissions to their website.  Eirwen mentioned it is over 900 pages and about 1/2 a gig.  They could put it online but it would be too big for the average joe or would be about 100 3Mb files.

It will be available in hard copy (oh those poor trees) and on disc (they’ve made one up for me:-)  Once I’ve got it in my hot little hands I’ll upload it.  Eirwen reckoned no one would want it but I think differently.  I know quite a few that peruse other submissions.

196 Submissions

So ICC currently have 196 submissions and we still don’t know if that includes Cracker’s but we should expect the usual onslaught of ‘late submissions’ from ICC staff…Oops we forgot to include that $4.9M (so we don’t trigger the Significance policy) for…..