Danielle Grant Chairs Report November 2017

Monthly report for the period 11 October to 6 November 2017

Highlights and Significant Issues

Presentation to the Governing Body of the one local board initiative

On 2 November I had to privilege of presenting to the Governing Body our one key initiative for the Long-term Plan 2018-2028 (LTP). On behalf of the Kaipatiki Local Board we request investment into the renewal of Birkenhead War Memorial Park to make it fit for purpose for the next 50 years.  The grandstand has failed and needs to be demolished. Many of the facilites in the Council owned buildings require renewals, such as toilets, changing rooms and meeting spaces.  The local board are currently working with the local community on a Master Plan for the area.

Rawene Carpark land slip

I would like to express my thanks to Auckland Transport and Auckland Council for their proactive management of the October 2017 slip at Rawene Carpark.

Over the last month there have been a number of collaborative meetings.  I have met with senior officers, who have also attended our Kaipatiki Local Board meeting on 18 October, to answer questions from local board members.  At this meeting, a substantial memo from Greg Edmonds - Auckland Transport, outlining the processes they planned to follow over the coming months. 

We have also had three joint meetings with the Birkenhead Town Centre Association, Auckland Transport and the Kaipatiki Local Board, to consider a number of on street parking changes for the town centre.  Many options were explored and the town centre manager, Kae Condon was able to share these suggested changes with the local businesses.  As a result of this some changes will be made to prioritise retail and service parking for customers.

As a separate initiative, Auckland Transport officers will be working with staff and employers who work in Birkenhead to assist them with personalised trip planning information, which includes the option of a free trial of public transport.

At this month’s local board meeting, members will have the opportunity to consider the reallocation of funding from the cancelled economic assessment fund, to provide support for the Birkenhead Town Centre Association to undertake promotional activities over the coming months.

The community have continued to receive regular updates from the senior communications advisor for Auckland Transport, Nahri Salim.  In his latest update 1 November, it is reported that engineers have finalised their initial plans for stabilisation work at Rewene Carpark, to establish a new boundary that will allow controlled access to the private car parks behind the Mokia Road shops. This work is planned to commence in mid November, and is expected to take approximately two weeks, depending on the weather.  It will be disruptive, but is necessary to ensure the safety and usability of the site. Auckland Transport will continue to work with the affected property owners and tenants in the coming weeks to provide further details.

Naming conventions for elected members

The Kaipatiki Local Board were asked for our feedback on the Governance Framework Review in relation to the naming conventions for elected members.  Our local board voted in support, at our 16 August board meeting, resolution number KT/2017/106, that we preferred the name ‘local councillor’.  This was also the position of 18 of the 21 local boards. 

The Upper Harbour Local Board at their October 2017 board member tabled a notice of motion to request that the Governing Body be requested to rescind their decision to use the term councillor for Governing Body members only.  I have attached the Upper Harbour Local Board Notice of Motion to my reports, see Attachment 1.

I would like to put forward to following recommendations for consideration.

That the Kaipatiki Local Board:

a)       Supports the Notice of Motion considered by the Upper Harbour Local Board at its 19 October 2017 business meeting in relation to naming parameters for elected members as considered as part of the Governance Framework Review.

b)      Expresses its deep concern over the recent decision of the Governing Body at its September 2017 meeting to retain the term ‘councillor’ solely for members of the governing body, and that members of local boards continue to be referred to as ‘local board members’ (resolution number GB/2017/122), which is counter to the preferences expressed by 18 of 21 local boards as part of the Governance Framework Review.

c)       Restates its position resoled at its 16 August 2017 business meeting in support of the use of the term ‘local councillor’ as the preferred naming convention for local board members as articulated in resolution number KT/2017/106.

d)      Strongly requests the Governing Body rescind resolution number GB/2017/122 to take account and in recognition of the views of the majority of local boards that indicated a preference for the title of ‘councillor’ be applied to local board members.

e)      Require that, following the motion being rescinded, all elected members be called ‘councillor’, with a prefix of ‘local’ or ‘ward/regional’ as appropriate.

f)        Forward the above resolutions to the Governing Body for its consideration at its December 2017 meeting.

Meetings and workshops dates:

• Weekly chairs meeting every Monday morning
• Chaired the Kaipatiki Local Board workshops on 11, 18 and 25 October
• Birkenhead War Memorial Park, working party meeting, on 12 October
• Monthly catch-up with Cr Chris Darby and Cr Richard Hills, on 13 October and 3 November
• Rawene Carpark internal meeting with Auckland Transport officers – Greg Edmonds, Duncan Miller, Marilyn Nicholls, Auckland Council officers – Dean Kimpton, Haydn Read, Eric Perry, Paul Edwards, and elected members Chair Danielle Grant, Deputy Chair John Gillon and
• Cr Richard Hills, with apologies from Cr Chris Darby, on 16 October.  Meeting to clarify the position of Auckland Transport and the next steps for Rawene Carpark.
• Sub-regional cluster workshop, Central, on 16 October
• Finance and Planning Committee workshops on the Long Term Plan 2018-2028, on 18 and 26 October and 2 November
• Chaired the Kaipatiki Local Board meeting on 18 October
• Birkenhead parking plan meetings with Auckland Transport, Birkenhead Town Centre Assn and local board members to consider main street parking options in response to the loss of car parks in Rawene Carpark, on 20 and 27 October. A third meeting was also held on 3 November, but I was unable to attend as I was on other Council business.
• Monthly meeting with Jill Nerheny, Kaipatiki Community Facilities Trust, on 19 October
• Meeting with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development officers Jonathan Sudworth and John Norman, on 24 October
• Planning meeting with Auckland Council officers Christine Watson, Pramod Nair and Paul Edwards to prepared the Kaipatiki Local Board presentation for the local board’s one advocacy point to the Governing Body, on 25 Octobe
• Pest Free Kaipatiki monthly meeting with Janet Cole, Jo Knight and Pam Templeton, on 27 October
• Planning Committee Auckland Plan Refresh workshops on 30 October
• Chairs briefing from Christine Watson on the local board advocacy presentation to the Governing Body, on 30 October
• Monthly Finance briefing with Pramod Nair, on 1 November
• Communications and Engagement reference group meeting, on 3 November

Events, Site Visits and Functions

• Kaipatiki Local Board briefing for elected members on Rawene Carpark, from Auckland Transport, on 11 October
• Rawene Car park, public meeting, hosted by the Hon Jonathan Coleman MP for Northcote, and Auckland Transport, on 11 October
• Judging of the Birkenhead Town Centre Heritage Awards, on 13 October, with Supreme Award going to the IHC Shop
• Community consultation for Lysander Reserve play space, on 14 October
• Pest Free Kaipatiki community workshop, on 16 October Site visits with Auckland Council Strategic Broker Challen Wilson, to various sites of interest in Birkenhead, Birkdale, Beach Haven and Glenfield, on 17 October
• Press interview with the North Shore Times for the promotion of the Northcote Open Day, with Panuku Development Auckland – Angelika Cutler and Joanne Perry, 17 Octobe
• Birkenhead Town Centre Assn monthly meeting, as their local board liaison, on 17 Octobe
• Site visit to see the construction work at Te Onewa Pa, Stokes Point, on 20 October
• Northcote Greenway Open Day event, hosted by Panuku Development Auckland, with Cr Richard Hills on 28 October
• Attended training for elected members, Understanding Standing Orders, on 3 November.