Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre in City Hall, 57 Little Malop Street, Geelong on 10 May 2016, commencing at 7:00pm.
Colin Wallace
Mary Wallace
Rob Threlfall
Yehudi Blacher (Interim Administrator)
K Spiller (Chief Executive Officer)
D Frost (General Manager Strategy and Performance)
P Bettess (General Manager Planning and Tourism)
W Tieppo (General Manager City Services)
L Quinn (General Manager Community Life)
B Luxford (General Manager Investment and Attraction)
M Kelly (Manager Financial Services)
A Grant (Property Advisor)
D Lever (Corporate Internal Auditor)
T McDonald (Manager Customer Services and Council Business)
A Paterson (Executive Officer)
The Interim Administrator declared the meeting open at 7:00pm.
Council acknowledges Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.
Moved and declared carried by the Interim Administrator:
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 15 March 2016 and the Special Meeting held on 3 May 2016, be confirmed.
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Nil.
Question Time is an opportunity for questions to be addressed to Council and while the minutes record the general content, they do not purport to be a transcript of what was said by individuals. Likewise Councillor or Officer verbal responses are in summary form only. Views expressed may not be the views of Council.
Council's practice is to provide a separate document on its website setting out questions and responses including any more detailed written responses which may be provided subsequent to the meeting.
Colin Wallace addressed the Interim Administrator as follows:
Mr Administrator, because the only officer you can hold directly to account if you are not given a clear answer is the CEO, would you ask CEO Kelvin Spiller if the recommendation of ‘and entry/threshold treatment of the First Street approach to Waratah Street’ in 6.7.7. of the Panel Report for Greater Geelong Planning Scheme Amendment C96/Planning Application number 1629/2004 was, in accordance with the Planning and Environment Regulations of the time, submitted to the Minister with a reason or reasons for it not being adopted?
Mr Administrator, since on the face of it the relevant regulation was not complied with in this case, when considering the mechanism for obtaining an answer, would you note that responsibility for complying at that time – 2007 – lay with planners in the Department of City Development under the authority of the Manager of City Development, Joanne Van Slageren, that Joanne Van Slageren is still the Manager of City Development, reporting to the General Manager of Planning and Development, Peter Bettess who in turn reports to the CEO, Kelvin Spiller, who is the only officer you can hold directly to account if you are not given a clear answer?
Yehudi Blacher, Interim Administrator, responded Mr Wallace raised a series of complex statements and indicated a letter of response would be provided in due course.
Mary Wallace asked:
At the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 13 August 2013, Mayor Keith Fagg was not present when the meeting began. In the chair was Deputy Mayor Bruce Harwood who at the outset told the meeting that the Mayor would be an apology that night. It was customary then for the Governance Co ordinator, located beside the chairperson, to announce requests for leave and the dates for that leave.
Out of the ordinary, Cr Andy Richards with his own lips requested an extension of leave for Mayor Keith Fagg and gave dates, the effect of which was to conceal that Keith Fagg had resumed his mayoral duties. At the previous Council Meeting on 23 July Mayor Keith Fagg was granted leave, the last day of which was 9th August and on the 11th August he had attended a function in his role as Mayor at Geelong Trades Hall.
Dean Frost, currently General Manager of Strategy and Performance, was Acting CEO at the time and was seated next to the chairperson at the start of the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 13th August 2013. The next day, Keith Fagg went to the Premier’s office to tell Premier Denis Napthine of his intention to resign and two days after that Keith Fagg announced his resignation.
Through you, Mr Administrator, I’m asking Dean Frost: was Keith Fagg here at City Hall, in this building on the evening of 13 August 2013?
Yehudi Blacher, Interim Administrator, responded he did not believe it was an appropriate forum for a Council Officer to be questioned, but would provide a response in writing.
Rob Threlfall addressed the Council in respect to a funding request for St Josephs Football and Netball Club.
Yehudi Blacher, Interim Administrator, responded it was an item that would be best dealt with in consideration of the Budget report this evening. Mr Blacher indicated he would be making some general comments in relation to a number of matters.
Nil.
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