In this post we are reporting on one single incident that occurred at tonight’s council meeting which illustrates fully the extent to which this Council and some of its councillors are prepared to ‘bend the rules’ and ignore good governance in order to serve the interests of their masters. We are referring to the ‘debate’ on the Victory Park ‘refurbishments’. A full account of this item will appear soon. However, here is the chronology of events:
- Lobo’s motion to accept Option 2 and include the funding in discussions on the 2012/13 budget was passed 7 to 2.
- Esakoff and Tang voted against the motion. Only after Lipshutz saw everyone else’s hand go up and he realised the cause was lost, did he sheepishly and belatedly raise his hand in support of the motion.
- We now jump to Esakoff’s Request for a Report. The look on all councillors’ faces was priceless – this had clearly not been previously discussed in the Councillor Assembly. So much for the ‘no surprises’ policy and the recently passed resolution that councillors shouldn’t vote for something or even second something that had not been presented with 24 hours notice!! But let’s face it – Esakoff isn’t Penhalluriack!
- What is even more alarming is that ESAKOFF READ OUT HER REQUEST FROM HER MOBILE PHONE. In other words, she received a text in the middle of a council meeting and as the good little servant she is, acted upon these directions. At least 3 members of the gallery can verify this.
- We suspect that the message either came from Paul Burke or Jamie Hyams since both sit elevated in chamber and behind panels. In other words, we believe that Esakoff received clear directions on what to say and what to ask for!
- Her Request for a Report related back to the Victory Park issue (her argument had been defeated) but the request was basically a reiteration of her previous rehearsed and probably trumped up argument. Again, we will provide the full details in time.
It is indeed a very, very sad day that certain councillors are nothing more than pawns under the direction of ‘faceless men’. As for adhering to council’s Local Law and recent resolutions re the ‘no suprises’ policy, it’s obvious that this only applies to certain councillors and not to others. Hyams’ silence here makes him equally complicit and culpable in this chicanery. As Chair of the meeting he should have ruled her Request for a Report out of order – unless of course, he was the author of the text message! Governance is truly moribund in Glen Eira and no amount of carefully arranged stage craft can hide this fact.
PS: It would also behove Cr Hyams to ensure that he disseminates the truth rather than what is good for public relations. He claimed that the Booran Rd Reserve had been ‘gifted’ to council and that Council now in fact owns the land. Not so. At least the State Government at the time had enough good sense not to hand public land over to Glen Eira – they simply appointed them as a Committee of Management. Residents deserve accuracy instead of continual spin – especially from the Mayor!
Glen Eira Debates 
February 28, 2012 at 11:18 PM
Glen Eira you are joking . Your having us on. Because Burke and that idiot Mayor are elivated and sit behind panels they must be responsible for a text. How do you even know it was a text and not an email?
February 28, 2012 at 11:44 PM
Duhhhhhhhhhh! Emails contain text in case you didn’t know. TEXT means words that generally have meaning and are capable of being read.
February 29, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Well done Glen Eira. Now that these dastardly little tricks have been exposed maybe they won’t be attempted again. Knowing this lot though, they’ll come up with some other devious plots. Solution? dump Esakoff, Hyams, Lipshutz, Tang and maybe then we’ll have a decent council. Oh, and make every councillor hand over his mobile phone to the gallery at the start of every council meeting. You can never be sure what the carrier pidgeons are likely to bring in.
February 29, 2012 at 1:11 AM
Yep I saw our Margie read out the text message – who it was from I dunno but I’d hazard a guess at Newton or Burke or Jack (not actually present at the meeting but he could have been listening in via Iphone)..
Given the recent change to the meeting procedures that
a) precludes Councillors from making a request for a report that has not previously been discussed behind closed doors, and
b) that “encourages” Crs not to vote on a request for report that has not been previously presented to Council
one wonders why Margie’s text message was passed unanimously.
From the stunned looks on Crs.faces when this motion was raised neither points a) or b) were considered. The fact that is was Margie was sufficient – not an issue with the Tang, Lipshutz or Hyams – all sicklers for procedures and adherence to local law and policy – except when it comes to applying it to themselves. Not an issue for the other Crs who yet again failed to connect the dots and thereby let “them” get away with it.
There is such a thing as cellphone records that can be traced … Margie, and all Crs. and the Admin. should be sh*tting themselves over this.
February 29, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Hyams want the reservoir hence soccer ground safely in the hands of the Maccabee club. He will stop at nothing to see that realised, comments like his latest on the reservoir are all part of his effort of positioning, diffusion and half-truths.
February 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM
what about part of the Booran Road site being used for a badly needed kindergarten. Having it at the Carnegie School temporarily is not suitable for the growing school population. The rest of the grounds should be a community garden. The local community who will mostly live in high rises will need somewhere to grow some food. Soccer ground could be up on that land the MRC say they are going to give back. If the council is given land it will be sold. There is no such think as a council owned park is there?
February 29, 2012 at 10:08 AM
We notice that a new post has gone up on the Glen Eira Residents’ Assoc. website which pertains to the issue of Hyams and his somewhat dubious claims as to how well this Council has listened (and acted) upon residents’ comments re open space at previous community plan consultations. It’s worth a read, if only to marvel at the sheer audacity of the claims. See: geresidents.wordpress.com
February 29, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Speaking of the Glen Eira Residents’ Association the analysis they have carried out of the levies for “open Space” compensation indicating the low amounts charge to developers is nothing short of criminal. WE MUST HAVE MORE OPEN SPACE AND I CALL ON COUNCIL TO CHARGE THE LEGITIMATE 5% WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED TO CHARGE.
I believed ratepayers were having this money spent on buildings in parks only but it appears at the rate of only one to $2 million annually we actuallty pay for the building in parks too.
James Hyams little speach of how they bought two domestic blocks of land in the decade while they have sold off acres which could have been made into parks and encouraged buildings of unacceptable dimensions for human habitation is unaccceptable.
The Dudley Street East Caulfield, which can be viewed on Real estate.com is an unbelievable example of this New York style tenement living with an air conditioner outside each of the three or four hundred doors will sound like an airport at all times. We in GE are going backwards fast and our standards are being eroded rapidly. What greenhouse consideration was given.
February 29, 2012 at 11:29 AM
If this happened and Esakoff was being coached from the sidelines then I’d say we’re in real trouble. This is dirty politics full stop. All that matters is winning and to hell with residents. Governance and transparency don’t exist. But I also blame the other 8 councillors. When Esakoff read out her instructions then it sounds like no one said anything but just let it happen. She should have been pulled up.
Worse still is the point made in the post about how the existing laws are always perverted. Lipshutz and Hyams create a law that gags everyone except themselves. That’s nothing but unbridled arrogance if they think they are above the law and proper procedures and can do every underhanded little thing that they feel like.
There’s a lesson in this for all of us. We need people who are elected and who are there not for their own benefit but for the good of residents. This group don’t fit the job description in my view in any shape or form.
February 29, 2012 at 11:51 AM
You can’t expect the truth from these weasels. They’ll present everything to their advantage even if it means doing somersaults with the facts. I remember Hyams claiming in the glen eira news that he was “elected” as Mayor. Bullshit. He fell over the line on the basis of a coin toss. That’s not being “elected” – that’s sheer bloody luck and nothing else.
February 29, 2012 at 12:38 PM
It was heart warming to see Cr. Lobo delivering a genuine speech when he moved a motion that Councel accepts option 2 for providing much needed improved facilities and amenity at the Victory Park pavilion. He highlighted the state of affairs of this pavilion where the girls did not have any decent change rooms and toilets and have been suffering for more than 7 years and perhaps continue for a further number of years. He also mentioned that splitting the girls from Victory park to another park was not a satisfactory arrangements as it has split the community into two. After objections from Cr. Tang and Cr. Esakoff (who mostly consider Ross Town as their priority) to adhere to priority listing of the pavilion, the majority of Councillors saw the need for female change rooms and toilets and as a result seven councillors voted for the motion except the two above. Well done Cr. Lobo!
February 29, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Wow! Best laid plans of mice and rats have really come a cropper with this one. Also hear on the grapevine that Hyams has been busy seeking out election buddies to stand as his feeder source for preferences. Yup – it’s definitely an electioin year and they’re starting to get worried.
March 1, 2012 at 7:54 AM
Yeh, (XXXXX) from the West Bentleigh Cricket Club and council worker and (XXXXXX) from the McKinnon Traders Association are the two that I have heard about that have been approached by Hyams. (MODERATORS: We have omitted the names of these individuals)
February 29, 2012 at 1:42 PM
On an entirely different issue, the March issue of GE NEWS contains this little gem of an item: Page 3 under the Neighbourhood Character Amendment –
“Glen Eira City Council has consulted with the community about its proposed amendment to ghe Glen Eira Planning Scheme. More than 2,600 letters were sent to housholds regarding the introduction of new planning scheme controls. Information was also made available from Council’s Service Centre, library branches and website”.
Always good to know that sending out letters and information is a substitute for “consultation”. Being pedantic, we’d also query the tenses used in this announcement! We thought that submissions were accepted until March 5th.
Readers might also like to query why the ‘Have Your Say’ link for the Community Plan, which had been sitting happily on council’s homepage, has suddenly disappeared. This of course only makes it harder for people to actually find the resource they’re looking for. Again, well done Glen Eira.
February 29, 2012 at 1:45 PM
No problem is leaving up stuff from years ago on the homepage. What a bunch of wankers.
February 29, 2012 at 1:43 PM
MODERATORS: Comment deleted
February 29, 2012 at 3:00 PM
The arrogance of this Council and it’s determination to impose the rules on everyone but themselves never fails to amaze.
Esakoff should have had more sense and been shot down in flames for this flagrant breach.
February 29, 2012 at 3:30 PM
I no longer normally read, let alone comment on, what goes on in this blog, but someone mentioned this post to me, and it is just such a great example of the appallingly low standards so often in play here that I couldn’t help myself.
First, the resolution that you were referring to about notice being given of motions reads as follows:
“2. In the interest of considered decision-making, Council strongly encourages all councillors to submit all motions to the Mayor and councillors in writing prior to a Council meeting, except where the motion
arises during the course of the meeting or in extraordinary circumstances.
3. That Council strongly encourages all councillors not to support any
motion initiated by any councillor unless the motion has been submitted
in writing to councillors prior to the Council meeting except where the
motion arises during the course of the meeting or in extraordinary
circumstances.”
It is obvious that Cr Esakoff’s motion arose during the course of the meeting, as even your own post stated, so it was therefore legitimate, and I was correct to allow it. If you had a shred of integrity, you would have cited the whole resolution rather than just cherry-picking the part that suited you to enable you to present a false analysis. (In fact, even if the motion was contrary to the terms of the resolution, I would not have had the power to rule it out of order, as you suggest, as it would not have contravened the Local Law. I would have reminded councillors of that resolution and urged them to comply with it.)
The claim that Cr Esakoff was texted her request is completely false, not to mention defamatory, and it is clearly not supported by the evidence of last night’s meeting. She actually foreshadowed she would do something along those lines while she was talking on item 9.7, well before requests for reports. When she read out her motion, and when I asked her to repeat it, it was very clear she was reading it from her written notes, not her phone. However, just because she happened to look at her phone, you jump to the most damning conclusion.
This episode is a perfect example of what you repeatedly do. You fasten on one fact and use it to construct a false conspiracy theory, ignoring all the readily available evidence to the contrary.
You should be ashamed, and should apologise to Cr Esakoff, Mr Burke and me, and remove this dishonest post, but I won’t be holding my breath. This is yet another demonstration of why you are too ashamed to admit who you are, and why anyone with any sense holds you in contempt.
February 29, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Excuse me Jamie I think the two apoligies are needed here. The first is from Esakoff for her appalling breach of acceptable behaviour and secondly from you for this ridiculous post.
When Esakoff got up to raise her request for a report, she pickup up her mobile phone (Iphone?), held it in her hand and unmistakably read from it. When she finished defining her request, she put the phone down, hit a button and continued to speaik. When later asked a question on the actual wording of her request, the first thing she did was look to her phone (which was presumably now off) and flustered her response. I was one of those in the gallery that observed this appalling behaviour.
The sinking to low depths did not occur on this blog – it only reported them as occurring at last nights Council Meeting.
PS. I am not connected with this blog in anyway. I read it because I find it provides better information than is provided by Council. I also don’t usually attend Council Meetings but did so last night and can only state what I saw supports everything that this blog site has reported.
February 29, 2012 at 5:39 PM
No matter what explanation you were given you had your mind made up before you even entered the town hall. Cr. Esakoff is an experienced councillor so many would fail to understand why she would read a motion from her phone. If Cr. Esakoff stands for Council in the elections in October she will easily be re-elected. Poeple like her. She is very popular.
February 29, 2012 at 6:13 PM
Wrong anon – I went with an open mind, I wanted to see and judge for myself what goes on in council meetings(rather than taking other peoples comments as gospel). Anyway, what I saw has got nothing to do with my state of mind and I’ve got 20/20 vision. Cr. Esakoff may be what you say – quite frankly I don’t know I am not in her ward. But I still say, last night’s performance could not be described as an endearing one.
February 29, 2012 at 7:45 PM
The only apology that’s warranted here is from you and the gang to apologise for forgetting that you’ve been elected to represent the people. You should apologise for screwing up gesac and then the gigantic and continuing cover up, selling out to the mrc and plenty more. The biggest apology should be for not telling all the distortions that you help put out like being elected and the “gift” of Booran Rd. You’d better start watching you ‘p’s and q’s because once is a slip of the tongue and more than that is telling big fat porkies – surely against the councillor code of conduct? Watch out. Council could be sending you to such a panel in the near future!
February 29, 2012 at 6:52 PM
I’m afraid that it is this sort of comment which would leave most reasonably minded residents aghast at your arrogance and threats when criticism is levelled at you or your colleagues. Instead of shooting the messenger may I respectfully suggest that your priorities should be to set your own house in order. I am convinced it is in desperate need of repair.
February 29, 2012 at 5:18 PM
Jamie Jamie Jamie the practised propagandist
Always a hint of threat into you propaganda pieces
Always the the underdog in your propaganda pieces
Always blaming others in your propaganda pieces
Always defending the indefensibly in your propaganda pieces
Where did you learn this stupidity, and why do you use it Glen Eira
What are your reasons, what are your goals
Please do tell?
February 29, 2012 at 6:57 PM
Poor Jamie Hymans. His recent “elevation” to Mayor (but only by the chance flip of a coin) does not seem to have improved his performance. Apart from the usual bluster, he tells us that the blog writer presents a “false analysis”, with claims that are “completely false, not to mention defamatory”.
Wow. This is heavy Legal Eagle stuff.
I reckon these crass comments are just intimidatory and bullying tactics. As always, Jamie doesn’t present supporting factual evidence, only typical Glen Eira waffle. One thing though, Jamie does tell us that he doesn’t read (the blog), and only heard about the present blog posting by “someone” mentioning it to him. Really Jamie, you will have to lift your game. Don’t be so repetitive. The last time you played the “someone told me” card was when you were claiming that the minutes did not need to be a true and accurate record of council meetings. Third party innuendo doesn’t help either..
I am waiting for Margaret Esakoff to tell us her side of the story.
February 29, 2012 at 9:19 PM
Its pretty simple based on what Ive just read, either the Mayor is lying or the blog is lying. Only one of these stories can be true and I know who I would bet on.
March 1, 2012 at 1:49 AM
Looks like Esakoff got caught out and now the Mayor is having us believe that it was otherwise but going on the attack (a classic strategy) and also threatening defamation.
Hmmmm … and I thought it was Penhalluriack that was the supposed bully.
March 1, 2012 at 11:42 AM
What amazed me was that this moral issue (9.7) for the community took 40 to 45 minutes of deliberation and yet the lights being installed at Caulfield Park (9.3) for soccer or the request for report on relocating the Depot at Caulfield Park took only a couple of minutes.
Again looking in from the outside it’s more who you know and what side of the tracks you live on rather than what is morally correct.