For the first time in the history of the Huon Valley Council, their Annual General Meeting (AGM) was this week held at 4pm, rather than the common time of 7pm.
A three-page recommendation drafted by Council staff was provided to Councillors at the 24 February Ordinary meeting of Council that suggested options for the upcoming AGM. Questions were asked of Council as the rumblings increased amongst members of the community unhappy about the 4pm decision.
Answers were not forthcoming from the Mayor and she responded to a Ratepayer:
“I have oversight of all responses to public questions and therefore make edits where I feel it is necessary.
I believe the responses given by me as the Chair were adequate and I believe my additional comments that we would trial the 4pm start for the AGM, gather feedback would help inform council for the future. This includes our experience of holding a meeting of this type in a Town Hall.
I don’t have anything further to say on the matter.”
Tasmanian Times has since learned there may however be much more to this story.
On Thursday 11 March, the day after the Huon Valley Council AGM, Mayor Enders attended the Mayors’ Professional Development Workshop which was held at the paranaple Convention Centre in Devonport. Guest speakers included Mark Shelton MHA.
Was this the reason the Mayor was wanting a 4pm AGM, largely for her own convenience, rather than a community-friendly 7pm?
Did the Mayor drive to Devonport following the AGM or was it an early morning start driving from Huonville the next day for a 9am start?
At the council AGM there were numerous public questions asked about the recently published Annual Report and three motions were moved and accepted with no dissenters. Only 25 members of the community attended and the various shades of greying hair and a selection of bald pates was perhaps testament to the fact that only retirees were able to embrace this time slot. Nine to five workers and parents managing their school children were unable to attend unless of course arrangements were made with employers, spouses and child minders.
Council at its ordinary meeting of 27 January 2021, had set the date and time for the AGM to be held at 6pm on Wednesday 10 March 2021.
In the staff-prepared report provided to the 24 February Council meeting, the Huon Valley Town Hall was recommended as the venue. The report highlighted there would be a budget impact because it would require officer time in the setting up and removal of councillor tables, the seating and recording equipment.
Before votes were recorded, Cr Paul Gibson said:
“I do have an issue with the timing being shifted to four. I mean, I think that most people work and it’s very hard to get to such meetings, and it’s the only place where motions can be moved by residents. So I wouldn’t, I don’t really support it being moved to four o’clock.”
Cr Christine Campbell asked “Is this just a one-off change from 6pm to 4pm?” to which General Manager Emilio Reale responded:
“Through you Mayor, this is a one off due to the COVID situation and to reduce costs where possible because of cost saving measures, at the moment. Once we’re back in the council chamber with a gallery, there’d be nothing stopping us going back to having it at six o’clock or attached to a council meeting if council wished, because this is really a council decision.”
Huon Valley Council AGM in the Huonville Town Hall
When the question was asked at the AGM, what is the cost saving for holding the four o’clock meeting as against six o’clock, the GM responded:
“Yeah, okay. I’ve done a bit of an estimate, just while we’ve been here, and it’s around about $400.00”
When asked if Council is considering future general meetings to be at 4pm, Mayor Enders responded:
“No, it’s more about just the situation that we’re in during COVID and to trial it, for COVID that’s what it was more about. […] It was just a situation that we needed to bring forward to provide the opportunity for a gallery to be here. And it worked out best to do it at this time. And I know we’ll get feedback either way, whether people were okay with it or not.”
