Agenda of Planning and Strategy Committee

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Planning and Strategy Committee MEETING

1 May 2017

Order of Business

Pursuant to Sections 46A(7) and 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, to receive the Chairperson’s explanation that specified item(s), which do not appear on the Agenda of this meeting and/or the meeting to be held with the public excluded, will be discussed.

Any additions in accordance with Section 46A(7) must be approved by resolution with an explanation as to why they cannot be delayed until a future meeting.

Any additions in accordance with Section 46A(7A) may be received or referred to a subsequent meeting for further discussion. No resolution, decision or recommendation can be made in respect of a minor item.

3. Public Comment

To receive comments from members of the public on matters specified on this Agenda or, if time permits, on other Committee matters.

(NOTE: If the Committee wishes to consider or discuss any issue raised that is not specified on the Agenda, other than to receive the comment made or refer it to the Chief Executive, then a resolution will need to be made in accordance with clause 2 above.)

4. Presentation - Manawatu SPCA Page 7

5. Confirmation of Minutes Page 9

“That the minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee meeting of 3 April 2017 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.”

6. Draft Wastewater Bylaw 2017 - Deliberations on Submissions and Adoption of Bylaw Page 13

Memorandum, dated 6 April 2017 from the Policy Analyst, Peter Ridge.

7. 'Passport to Play Palmy' Delivery Page 57

Memorandum, dated 19 April 2017 from the Senior Planner, Jeff Baker and the Policy Planner, Keegan Aplin-Thane.

8. Elected Members - Let's Talk Engagement Page 61

Memorandum, dated 26 April 2017 from the Chief Executive, Paddy Clifford.

9. Conference Opportunity - Effective Meetings Page 67

Memorandum, dated 10 April 2017 from the Governance & Support Team Leader, Kyle Whitfield.

10. Conference Opportunity - Representation Review Forum Page 71

Memorandum, dated 6 April 2017 from the Governance & Support Team Leader, Kyle Whitfield.

11. Committee Work Schedule Page 77

12. Exclusion of Public

To be moved:

“That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting listed in the table below.

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under Section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

General subject of each matter to be considered	Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter	Ground(s) under Section 48(1) for passing this resolution

This resolution is made in reliance on Section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the particular interest or interests protected by Section 6 or Section 7 of that Act which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public as stated in the above table.

Also that the persons listed below be permitted to remain after the public has been excluded for the reasons stated.

Chief Executive (Paddy Clifford), Chief Financial Officer (Grant Elliott), General Manager, City Enterprises (Ray McIndoe), General Manager, City Future (Sheryl Bryant), General Manager, City Networks (Ray Swadel), General Manager, Customer Services (Peter Eathorne), General Manager, Libraries and Community Services (Debbie Duncan), Human Resources Manager (Wayne Wilson) and Strategic Communications Manager (Mark Torley) because of their knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with advice on matters both from an organisation-wide context (being members of the Council’s Management Team) and also from their specific role within the Council.

Legal Counsel (John Annabell), because of his knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with legal and procedural advice.

Governance and Support Team Leader (Kyle Whitfield) and Committee Administrators (Penny Odell and Rachel Corser), because of their knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with procedural advice and record the proceedings of the meeting.

< add officers who are authors of reports or their substitutes > because of their knowledge and ability to assist the meeting in speaking to their report and answering questions, noting that such officer will be present at the meeting only for the item that relate to their respective report.

<add third parties, e.g. authors of third party reports being considered>, because of their knowledge and ability to assist the meeting in speaking to their report/s [or other matters as specified] and answering questions, noting that such person/s will be present at the meeting only for the items that relate to their respective report/s [or matters as specified].

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Palmerston North City Council

Minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee Meeting Part I Public, held in the Council Chamber, First Floor, Civic Administration Building, 32 The Square, Palmerston North on 03 April 2017, commencing at 9.00am

Members

Present:

Councillor Duncan McCann (in the Chair), The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas, Aleisha Rutherford and Tangi Utikere.

The meeting adjourned at 9.01am

The meeting resumed at 2.00pm

16-17

Deputation - Ashhurst Community Vision and Planning Process

Ms Sharon Stevens, Mr Tom Shannon and Mr Harvey Jones made a deputation regarding the Ashhurst vision and planning process. This was a community led process that took place in August to November 2016. Residents were involved through a number of different ways including regular notices (paper and online), letterbox drops, planning meetings and a mailing list.

Ashhurst was becoming more popular with visitors and the village was proud to be part of the city. A community survey found that 72% of people lived in Ashhurst because of the lifestyle and 82% preferred a rural village character.

In conclusion the group outlined what Ashhurst wanted from Palmerston North City Council, which was:

· Linking connections and pathways

· Undergrounding of power lines and CBD landscaping

· Water fountain/bottle filling

· Making use of local attractions and including Ashhurst in tourism planning options

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Aleisha Rutherford.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Planning and Strategy Committee receive the deputation for information.

17-17

Submission on the draft Wastewater Bylaw

Memorandum, dated 17 March 2017 from the Policy Analyst, Peter Ridge.

Mr John Farquar and Ms Amanda Coates spoke to the submission and made the following additional comments:

- The bylaw was not justified or reasonable

- If Council did not decline the bylaw, modifications were sought

- A revised map was tabled with the bylaw outlined

Moved Vaughan Dennison, seconded Lorna Johnson.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the oral and written submission on the draft Wastewater Bylaw be received.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Vaughan Dennison.

2. That the Planning and Strategy Committee note the Procedure for Hearing of Submissions, as described in the Procedure Sheet.

18-17

Confirmation of Minutes

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Aleisha Rutherford.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee meeting of 6 March 2017 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.

19-17

Significance and Engagement Policy Annual Report - 2016

Memorandum, dated 10 March 2017 from the Head of Community Planning, Andrew Boyle.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS

1. That the Committee receive the Significance and Engagement Policy Annual Report for 2016.

Moved Rachel Bowen, seconded Duncan McCann.

2. That the six Community Events attended by Councillors with Council support via the Let's Talk van (and before that, the Mobile Library) in 2016 were counted as 'Let's Talk' events for the purposes of reporting against Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy for 2016.

- Reach Roslyn Wacky Water Day

- Esplanade Day

- Memorial Park Fun Day

- Waitoetoe Open Day

- Kirihimete ki Takaro

- Pascal St Community Christmas Party

3. That those or similar events attended by Councillors with the Let's Talk Van, together with a programme of regular events in the Community Living Rooms/City Library arranged with Libraries staff, and the existing Annual Plan/Long Term Plan 'Let's Talk' sessions, together form the annual 'Let's Talk' programme for 2017 and beyond.

4. That the Chief Executive be instructed to provide a report to the Planning and Strategy Committee on how that full programme would be supported by a communications strategy, and by staff, and future reporting arrangements.

20-17

Bikes in Schools Progress Report

Report, dated 17 March 2017 from the Road Planning Team Leader, David Lane.

The Committee wanted to ensure that an independent assessment by an impartial consultant would be undertaken regarding the Bikes in Schools programme.

Moved Grant Smith, seconded Duncan McCann.

The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS

1. That Council receive the progress report on the Bikes in Schools Programme and notes that any NZTA financial assistance approval will depend upon their acceptance of Council’s Strategic Cycling Objectives which would need to embrace an education and promotion support programme.

2. That Council notes that a variation has been made to the Regional Land Transport Plan authorising a financial programme of up to $150,000 per annum for infrastructure and up to $80,000 per annum for education and promotion activities relating to walking and cycling.

3. That until the outcome of any NZTA financial assistance for the Bikes in Schools Programme was known, Council continue with establishing infrastructure only at three schools for the 2016/17 financial year.

Moved Aleisha Rutherford, seconded Vaughan Dennison.

4. That the Committee note that an independent assessment of the Bikes in Schools programme was to be undertaken and that such assessment would be undertaken by an impartial consultant to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest, and that the findings be reported back to Council.

The meeting adjourned at 3.50pm

The meeting resumed at 3.59pm

21-17

Plan Change 23: Hokowhitu Lagoon Residential Area

Memorandum, dated 20 March 2017 from the Policy Planner, Michael Duindam.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Bruno Petrenas.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That Sectional District Plan Review Proposed Plan Change 23: Hokowhitu Lagoon Residential Area be approved for public notification under Clause 5, Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.

2. That the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee be authorised to make minor amendments to Sectional District Plan Review Proposed Plan Change 23: Hokowhitu Lagoon Residential Area prior to public notification.

22-17

Committee Work Schedule

Committee Work Schedule, dated April 2017.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Lorna Johnson.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Planning and Strategy Committee receive its Work Schedule dated April 2017.

The meeting finished at 4.37pm

Confirmed 1 May 2017

Chairperson

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 1 May 2017

TITLE: Draft Wastewater Bylaw 2017 - Deliberations on Submissions and Adoption of Bylaw

DATE: 6 April 2017

AUTHOR/S: Peter Ridge, Policy Analyst, City Future

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That the suggested officer response to issues raised by the submitter, as shown in attachment 3 to this report, be received.

2. That the Council confirms that the draft Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw 2017 is the most appropriate form of bylaw and does not give rise to any implications under the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990.

3. That the Council adopt the draft Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw 2017 and the draft Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw Administration Manual 2017, as attached in attachments 1 – 2 to this report.

4. That the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee be given delegated authority to approve minor amendments to the draft Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw 2017 and the draft Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw Administration Manual 2017 prior to publication.

1. ISSUE

1.1 The Council has undertaken consultation on the draft Wastewater Bylaw and received one submission. This submission raised one key issue, relating to the way wastewater service areas are defined and how this may affect future residential development in the city.

1.2 This memorandum recommends several changes to the draft Wastewater Bylaw and the Administration Manual to address this issue, and the adoption of these documents.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 In April 2014 the Planning and Policy Committee received a report under section 155 of the Local Government Act 2002 that recommended that a bylaw was the most appropriate way of addressing the identified issues of protecting the wastewater network and associated infrastructure, stipulating and monitoring the quality of wastewater discharges and their impact on the wastewater treatment plant, and managing connections to the wastewater network (including identification of the point of discharge and wastewater services areas).

2.2 On 26 September 2016 the Council approved the draft Wastewater Bylaw for public consultation. This consultation was planned to occur between 15 October and 18 November 2016, however due to an error the consultation period closed prematurely on 11 November. This meant that the minimum one-month consultation period required for consultation under the Special Consultative Procedure was not met. No submissions were received during this period.

2.3 When officers realised the mistake, an additional consultation period was commenced, starting on 13 February and closing on 14 March 2017. The same stakeholders were contacted and advised of the opportunity to make a written submission, and a public notice was published. One submission was received, and the submitter presented an oral submission to the Planning and Strategy Committee on 3 April 2017.

3. Analysis

3.1 In their written and oral submission, the submitter raised concern that the definition of “wastewater service area”, particularly its reference to maps in the Administration Manual, would “have a detrimental effect on their private plan change (Plan Change B) and other plan changes being approved in the future.” This is based on their belief that the wastewater service area maps could potentially “pre-determine plan changes without going through the full Resource Management Act 1991 process.” They also expressed concern that as bylaws are only required to be reviewed every 10 years, the maps may not be regularly updated.

3.2 The submitter suggests that the Council should reject the bylaw, or alternatively make a number of changes to the draft bylaw:

· Delete the wastewater service area maps

· Amend the definition of “wastewater service area” to remove any reference to maps and instead “refer to those areas that are serviced by Council wastewater systems”

· Delete clauses 5.2(b) and 5.4 (which relate to requirements that a property be within the wastewater service area to be eligible for a wastewater service connection)

· Include a policy to allow for sites to be serviced on a ‘first come first served’ basis to ensure capacity is not reserved for one development to the detriment of another.

3.3 The issue raised by the submitter is valid, though it arguably misunderstands how the Bylaw is intended to operate. The inclusion of maps showing the wastewater service area, and restricting connections to only those properties in the wastewater service area, was never intended to pre-determine the outcome of any resource consent process. The purpose of this aspect of the Bylaw is to protect the existing wastewater network from being extended beyond the designed capacity in areas where new connections are requested, irrespective of whether Council has the necessary infrastructure in the area. In this respect, the inclusion of maps is intended to represent the current situation rather than to preclude any future development.

3.4 With regard to the frequency of updates to these maps, the Council’s development of the Administration Manual model specifically accounts for this type of updated information. By including the maps in the Administration Manual the Council is not obliged to undertake the full consultation required to amend the Bylaw, and is therefore able to update the Administration Manual more frequently as needed. As with other recently developed bylaws, the draft Wastewater Bylaw permits the Council to make changes to the Administration Manual by resolution, following appropriate consultation with those it believes may be affected by the proposed changes. This approach allows for the wastewater service area maps to be updated as needed. It is expected that such updates should not occur more frequently than once or twice a year, depending on the pace of growth in the City.

3.5 Officers note that the District Plan includes a requirement that “Essential Services” are provided for all new subdivisions or developments in the “Urban Area”. Essential services include the reticulated sewage (i.e. wastewater) and water systems, stormwater systems, and electrical power and telecommunication networks. The urban area includes all land zoned residential, business, industrial, institutional, North East industrial, recreation or Caccia Birch. Discussions with the City Planning Manager confirm that this requirement effectively overrides the Bylaw, however it would be advisable to clarify this contradiction by making several amendments to the Bylaw.

3.6 The first proposed amendment is to include reference to the urban area in the definition of the wastewater service area, and to define the term “urban area” consistent with the District Plan. The effect of this change will be to make explicit that the wastewater service area includes all those parts of the City which are zoned in the urban area. This will avoid any uncertainty about whether a property is within the wastewater service area but is not shown on the provided maps.

3.7 The second proposed amendment is to include reference to the urban area in clause 5.4. This clause precludes wastewater connections outside the wastewater service area. By explicitly including all those properties within the urban area it removes uncertainty about whether they are entitled to a wastewater service connection. It also ensures that where land is rezoned to one of the zones included in the definition of “urban area” they will not be excluded from obtaining a wastewater connection simply because the maps weren’t updated.

3.8 The third proposed amendment is to add a note to appendix 1 of the Administration Manual that states “The following maps indicate the current wastewater service areas. These maps will be updated as Council’s service area changes.” This note should clarify that the maps represent the current wastewater service area and that they are subject to change. Officers do not recommend deleting the maps. While they will need updating from time to time, this should not prevent their inclusion in the Bylaw. Together with the other recommended changes, and acknowledging the likely frequency of changes, there should be little risk of the maps becoming out of date.

3.9 Taken together, these proposed changes are designed to provide certainty and clarity to the community about when the Council will accept an application for a wastewater service connection. It also provides better alignment with the District Plan.

3.10 A summary of these suggested responses to the issues raised by the submitter is attached to the report as attachment 3.

4. Strategic alignment

4.1 The District Plan is informed by the Council’s four land use strategies - Residential, Industrial, Rural-Residential, and Retail/Office. These strategies, through the District Plan, guide the development of urban areas within Palmerston North. The draft Wastewater Bylaw achieves strategic alignment by aligning with the District Plan.

5. Other considerations

5.1 The Council is required by S155 of the Local Government Act 2002 to determine whether the proposed bylaw is the most appropriate form of bylaw, and whether the proposed bylaw gives rise to any concerns under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZBORA). A full consideration of these matters was provided in a report presented to the Committee in April 2014, and was confirmed again in the September 2016 report that approved the draft Bylaw for public consultation. At each stage, the Committee determined and confirmed that the standalone form of bylaw was the most appropriate form of bylaw, and that the bylaw was unlikely to give rise to any concerns under NZBORA.

5.2 Following consultation, the assessment remains the same. The standalone form of bylaw remains the most appropriate form for the Wastewater Bylaw. No concerns under NZBORA have been identified.

6. NEXT STEPS

6.1 If the Council adopts the draft Wastewater Bylaw and Administration Manual as recommended, then it will come into effect on 1 August 2017.

6.2 Officers will contact the submitter to advise them of the outcome of the consultation process, and how they can obtain a copy of the final Bylaw and Administration Manual.

Attachments

1.	Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw 2017 - draft for adoption ⇩
2.	Palmerston North Wastewater Bylaw 2017 Administration Manual - draft for adoption ⇩
3.	Officer Reponse to Draft Wastewater Bylaw Submissions ⇩

Peter Ridge

Policy Analyst

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 1 May 2017

TITLE: 'Passport to Play Palmy' Delivery

DATE: 19 April 2017

AUTHOR/S: Jeff Baker, Senior Planner, City Future

Keegan Aplin-Thane, Policy Planner, City Future

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That Council acknowledge the efforts of Heather Knox, Kate Parlane and Helen Page in operating the 2016/17 Passport to Play Palmy promotion and the success it achieved.

2. That Council endorses the production of another Passport to Play Palmy promotion in the 2017/18 Financial Year, led by the community, with support and funding through existing budgets in the City Future Unit.

1. ISSUE

Council’s Placemaking Team partnered with a community led initiative known as ‘Passport to Play Palmy’ (P2P) which was undertaken over an 8 week period in the 2016/17 summer holidays. The aim was to get children outdoors and active at 10 City parks they may not have been to before.

P2P was promoted and operated primarily through a dedicated Facebook page and the Council webpage. It was very successful and is a credit to the enthusiasm and efforts of Heather Knox, Kate Parlane and Helen Page who led the promotion.

They enjoyed working with the Placemaking Team and have been very happy with the success of the promotion. However, they do not wish to be involved in running further P2P promotions due to personal commitments. Their view is that P2P is an initiative that Council should pick up and run as the concept has proven successful and there is momentum to capitalise on this.

This memorandum provides a recommendation as to how it could be supported by Council. It also briefly explains the role of the Placemaking Team and how this differentiates from the Palmy Unleashed programme. This is for the avoidance of any confusion as there had been some suggestion that the P2P could be run from this platform.

It is noted due to its success the initiative has been entered into the 2017 LGNZ Awards in the ‘Excellence in Community Engagement’ category.

2. BACKGROUND

The objective of the Placemaking Initiative is to increase sense of place and utilisation of public space through co-creation or partnerships with community champions citywide. The Palmy Unleashed programme seeks to capitalise on co-created spaces in the CBD through partnering with the community to activate these spaces. Where activation opportunities lie outside of the CBD, the Placemaking Initiative is able to apply similar principles.

Key drivers for both of these initiatives are to engage in projects that are lighter, quicker, and cheaper. As a result of the partnership approach, every dollar that the Placemaking Initiative has invested in co-creation has been matched by 80-97 cents of co-contribution from external partners.

Council’s Placemaking Team was approached by Heather, Kate and Helen midway through 2016 with their P2P proposal. At that time it was a concept that would build upon the success they were having from the Palmy Rocks, Dirty 30 and Manawatu Micro Adventurers initiatives they were running.

It was considered the passport concept of getting children around to parks and providing lots of fun activities was a very good one and it fitted in with a core Placemaking concept of active citizenship. The approach of leading out the initiative, almost entirely through social media ran by Heather, Kate and Helen, was also something officers were keen to trial to see if this would lead to better engagement for this type of project.

As noted earlier, the P2P promotion was very successful both in terms of engagement with the community and participation in general. For example, some of the headline success measures include:

· 10,000 estimated hours by children, parents and caregivers participating

· 2000 booklets distributed via libraries and all taken up in the first week of supply

· 660 booklets and web leaflet printouts returned

· 839 ‘Likes’ on dedicated Facebook page

· 3600 peak outreach on Facebook

· 2367 ‘hits’ on the dedicated Council webpage

In terms of the role performed by the Placemaking Team this included project management, design and funding support ($10,500 for design, production and installation of timber posts). Staff at the central and branch libraries helped distribute the booklets, took completed booklets in, and provided certificates for children.

At their deputation to the Arts, Heritage & Culture Committee meeting on 3 April 2017, Heather and Kate made three recommendations which can be summarised as firstly, Council using social media to engage people, secondly, Council streamlining the engagement process possibly through a ‘one stop shop’ and finally, Council to identify steps to build on the success of P2P.

During questions at the meeting there was discussion about other possibilities for the P2P concept. For example the model could be used to promote local heritage sites by partnering up with the Manawatu Heritage Team.

The Committee went on to make the following recommendations:

1. That the Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee receive the deputation for information.

2. That the Chief Executive be instructed to report back to a Committee with options to extend the Passport to Play Palmy scheme.

3. That the Deputation be referred to the final Annual Budget deliberations.

3. NEXT STEPS

A theme for the next P2P will be identified by the end of this financial year by working through Council’s networks to seek input from the community. It is planned that the promotion will be run again during the 2017/18 summer holidays.

Funding from existing budgets in the City Future Unit will assist with costs. The Placemaking Team will assist the community group with project management and logistics.

A second P2P promotion will be reviewed after it is completed to ascertain whether it should be run again. It is noted that it may be the case that it is simply viewed as one of a number of community activation activities that the Placemaking Team get involved in, but one that does not need to be run on an ongoing basis.

It is noted that any further P2P will need to be community-led to meet the active citizenship model of the Placemaking. If a community group does not want to lead the P2P then it will not happen.

Attachments

Nil

Jeff Baker

Senior Planner

Keegan Aplin-Thane

Policy Planner

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 1 May 2017

TITLE: Elected Members - Let's Talk Engagement

DATE: 26 April 2017

AUTHOR/S: Paddy Clifford, Chief Executive, Headquarters

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That Council endorse a staff supported Elected Member “Let’s Talk” engagement trial until March 2018

2. That Council approve additional expenditure of up to $21,000 to fund the trial.

1. BACKGROUND

At the Planning and Strategy Committee held on 3 April 2017 the following resolution was passed:

Significance and Engagement Policy Annual Report - 2016

Memorandum, dated 10 March 2017 from the Head of Community Planning, Andrew Boyle.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the Significance and Engagement Policy Annual Report for 2016.

2. That the 6 Community Events attended by Councillors with Council support via the Let's Talk van (and before that, the Mobile Library) in 2016 are counted as 'Let's Talk' events for the purposes of reporting against our Significance and Engagement Policy for 2016.

- Reach Roslyn Wacky Water Day

- Esplanade Day

- Memorial Park Fun Day

- Waitoetoe Open Day

- Kirihimete ki Takaro

- Pascal St Community Christmas Party

3. That those or similar events attended by Councillors with the Let's Talk Van, together with a programme of regular events in the Community Living Rooms/City Library arranged with Libraries staff, and the existing Annual Plan/LTP 'Let's Talk' sessions, together form the annual 'Let's Talk' programme for 2017 and beyond.

4. That the Chief Executive be instructed to provide a report to the Planning and Strategy committee on how that full programme will be supported by a communications strategy, and by staff, and future reporting arrangements.

Following the decision of Committee I met with Cr Bowen to seek clarification of what was expected from the Committee’s decision.

Proposal

That the full programme be supported by:

(a) communications strategy

(b) staff support

(a) Communications strategy

This would take the form of a Let’s Talk communications’ plan rather than a strategy.

It is suggested that the Mayor and Councillors self-populate booking of their attendance at the Library clinics and events in the Global Diary by providing advanced notice of their intended presence (see example in Appendix 1)

The ability of staff to support clinics and events depends on a schedule being ready well in advance of publication deadlines. This plan will require some additional resource in terms of staff time and funding for design and advertising.

Staff would create a page for Let’s Talk on our website and update it.

Staff would place information in the printed version of Square Circular. Staff can certainly put information in the e-square circular which is sent out every two weeks.

Staff would create a template for posters and digital media for use in the libraries. Staff would put this information on library notice boards and also the digital screens in Council public spaces.

Staff would create a Facebook event for when the Let’s Talk Van is out and about (if separate from events)

If the Let’s Talk Van is going out as part of a Council-run event staff would include those details with other information about that event on Eventfinda.

Cost: $2,000 (design and printing costs of about $1,000. Digital marketing up to $1,000.)

Elected Members should be aware that if they self-populate their notice of attendance and subsequently decide not to attend after public notice has been provided then that could result in some confusion for the public.

(b) Staff support

A staff position could be created in Customer Services for the staff member to drive the Let’s Talk Van to and from library clinics and events. Currently there is no dedicated resource available and although many staff do attend events from time to time it would not be practicable to allocate them to driving and setting up the Let’s Talk Van as they would have other specific duties to attend to. In addition to this, staff would not be in any better skill set position to drive the Let’s Talk Van than any Elected Member. A dedicated staff position on a flexible working arrangement could provide support for Elected Members and ensure that the Let’s Talk Van is delivered, set up and returned to the garage for events that Elected Members attend and where they wish to engage with the public.

The staff time estimated for this support would approximate to about 40% of a FTE. I would suggest a trial be undertaken and reviewed in April 2018 to assess this support to Elected Members.

Cost estimate: $19,000 per annum.

Staff would be able to periodically collate a report that extracts information from the Global Diary. This information can then enable staff to be able to report back on events which are reflected as part of Council’s KPIs.

Attachments

Appendix 1 ⇩

Paddy Clifford

Chief Executive

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 1 May 2017

TITLE: Conference Opportunity - Effective Meetings

DATE: 10 April 2017

AUTHOR/S: Kyle Whitfield, Governance & Support Team Leader, City Corporate

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Planning and Strategy Committee

1. That the Committee approve the attendance of up to XX elected member(s) to attend, with expenses paid, to ‘Effective Meetings’ course by LGNZ being held in Palmerston North on 26 May 2017.

2. That, in the event that the Committee approves the attendance of elected member(s) at the above training, then registrations of interest be invited from elected members wishing to attend, with expenses paid, and advise the Governance and Support Team Leader, Kyle Whitfield, by 12 noon Friday 5 May 2017.

1. ISSUE

The elected members’ budget for conference attendance and training opportunities is $81,732. As at 6 April 2017 there remains $23,958 available for the balance of the financial year ending 30 June 2017. This does not include outstanding invoices that have been previously approved, but have yet to be presented for payment.

Anticipated expenses for attending this conference are:

Conference $625 (excl GST)

No financial provision is to be made for any spouse or partner of an elected member attending any conference or training opportunity, other than for the Mayor’s spouse or partner attending a conference in association with the Mayor.

2. BACKGROUND

Much of your life as an elected member is spent in meetings, some of which are more effective than others. Everyone attending a meeting has a role to play, and has the ability to make a meeting a useful experience or an inefficient use of everyone’s time.

This workshop takes you through:

o the four essentials of effective meetings;

§ how to prepare for a meeting (and what to do if you haven’t)

§ how to behave in meetings to get the best from them (and what to do if others don’t!)

§ understanding and use of standing orders

§ knowing how to chair a meeting well - from the basics, through to expert tricks of the trade

o discussion versus debate;

o alternative ways of getting to an agreed outcome;

o when and how it’s time to exclude the public; and

o dealing with the media at meetings

o the public at meetings

o extremely difficult situations.

The conference programme is available and is attached.

3. NEXT STEPS

The Committee may choose whether any elected members should attend the conference, and if so, how many, in which case the Committee could invite registrations of interest from elected members wishing to attend.

If the Committee decides to approve the attendance of one or more elected members, registrations of interest will be sought from elected members. At the closing date of registrations (12 noon on Friday 5 May 2017), the Committee Administrator will advise the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the interest received, for them to make a decision on the successful registrant(s).

Once the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson have advised the Committee Administrator of the successful registrant(s), all further information regarding the workshop will then be forwarded to that person or those persons direct.

Attachments

Conference Outline ⇩

Kyle Whitfield

Governance & Support Team Leader

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 1 May 2017

TITLE: Conference Opportunity - Representation Review Forum

DATE: 6 April 2017

AUTHOR/S: Kyle Whitfield, Governance & Support Team Leader, City Corporate

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Planning and Strategy Committee

1. That the Committee approve the attendance of up to XX elected member(s) to attend, with expenses paid, to ‘Representation Review Forum’ by SOLGM being held in Wellington on 23 June 2017.

1. ISSUE

Anticipated expenses for attending this conference are:

Conference $580 (excl GST)

2. BACKGROUND

With the theme, `A reflection of the community` this one day event is designed to provide outstanding professional development and networking opportunities for local authority elected members and governance and policy professionals as around 50 councils embark on representation reviews ahead of the 2019 local authority elections.

The programme is an inspiring mix of presentations from experts in their fields and innovative case studies from practitioners and will provide participants with both practical information and thought provoking ideas.

The topics in the programme below cover the three cornerstones of representation: selection of voting systems, Māori representation and reviews of representation arrangements, and will leave all attendees well equipped for the work of creating fair and effective representation for their community.

Who Should Attend: All local government elected members and governance and policy professionals undertaking reviews of their representation arrangements for the 2019 elections.

The conference programme is available and is attached.

3. NEXT STEPS

Attachments

Conference Sheet ⇩

Kyle Whitfield

Governance & Support Team Leader

Duncan McCann (Chairperson)
Aleisha Rutherford (Deputy Chairperson)
Grant Smith (The Mayor)
Brent Barrett	Leonie Hapeta
Susan Baty	Jim Jefferies
Rachel Bowen	Lorna Johnson
Adrian Broad	Karen Naylor
Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke	Bruno Petrenas
Vaughan Dennison	Tangi Utikere
Lew Findlay QSM