By Dominique Tassell
Southern Downs councillors clashed over the meeting schedule for next year at the recent Ordinary Council Meeting.
Councillors were tasked with approving the meeting schedule for next year, which will see one meeting in January, two meetings a month from February to July, and one meeting a month from August to December.
Cr Stephen Tancred said in the meeting that he thought they should continue as they started, meeting twice a month with the exception of January and December where they meet once a month.
“If the argument is that we’ll have shorter agendas in those months,“ he said. “Then so be it.“
He cited the possible delay between meetings and the impact of this on time-sensitive motions.
“I understand there are some resources involved in running a meeting, but the biggest resource is the attendance of officers and I don’t see a difference when they’ve got to sit around for four hours once a month or two hours twice a month.“
Cr Jo McNally disagreed, saying that they had spent hours noting reports at some meetings.
“There have been multiple council meetings where we have just received report after report after report, just for noting and to receive them.”
She said she wasn’t sure that was a good use of officers’ time.
“Not only do they have to sit here during the meeting, and I’m sure they’re still working while they’re sitting in the meeting and listening at the same time, but also when we have to travel that takes an extra two hours out of their day,“ Cr McNally said.
“We have limited staff in this organisation, the least that we’ve had for a very long time, and we’re still expecting them to do a lot more than they’ve ever had to do so I don’t think it’s good use of their time.“
Cr Tancred said that they all signed up for two meetings a month.
He presented a breakdown of the number of agenda items found in each meeting from 2021, stating they did not see fewer items in the months that it was suggested they meet fewer times.
Cr Tancred noted the individual attendance of some councillors was then noted, including Cr Ross Bartley who has a 100 per cent attendance rate.
Cr McNally said there was a difference between good attendance and good participation in a meeting.
Cr Bartley objected to this, stating they all contribute equally.
Concerns were raised by Crs Gale and Bartley about the increasing rate of special meetings.
“When we have a matter and we defer it, it gets deferred for a month unless you call a special meeting,“ Cr Bartley said. “And that can put someone’s livelihood on hold, a development on hold, and in this day and world that can cost a lot of money.
“No one twisted our arms to come and do this job as a councillor.“
Cr Bartley said he thought it was a little late to be changing things, as they are nearing the end of this term of council.
Cr McNally said special meetings were called for extraordinary items such as de-amalgamation.
This can happen no matter how many meetings they’re holding, she said, and the new schedule would better utilise staff time.
Chief executive Dave Burges said the new schedule would reduce staff workload from reports.
Cr Sheryl Windle supported the CEO’s comments.
“We are short-staffed at the moment and to continue to put them under extreme pressure is not acceptable,“ Cr Windle said.
Mayor Vic Pennisi said council could trial the new schedule and could always fix it down the road.
The motion was successful, with Crs Bartley, Tancred, and Gale voting against it.
