The agenda for next Tuesday night is out. It must go down in history as one of the most arrogant pieces of work ever to issue from this administration. When councillors pass resolutions and these resolutions are not carried out to the letter by council’s employees, then proper governance is truly dead in Glen Eira. Two important officer reports again have no names attached to them (rule by nobody!); specific requests are either overlooked or summarily dismissed in a tone that is condescending and totally unacceptable.
For this post, we will concentrate only one of these instances – the rest will follow once we’ve had time to properly digest the full implications of such arrogance.
At last council meeting, Lobo sent back the officers’ report on his request for the aboriginal flagpole. He specifically asked that the new report include ‘costs’. This second time around there is no ‘report’ as such, but an attachment from an Assembly of Councillors meeting dated the 17th July. We cite one paragraph from this in its entirety –
“The costs of these three options are not material. The issue is not so much cost but what is appropriate and what the community would prefer? Those are matters for judgement by elected representatives.”
What in effect this is saying is:
- We will not answer your question
- To hell with your council resolution for answers, and
- Logically it is untenable. How can councillors decide on any option without knowing costs?
In the great scheme of things, this issue is trivial, inconsequential, and certainly doesn’t warrant the attention it’s been receiving. However, what it reveals about the workings of this council, its culture and mentality of administrators is priceless. It clearly indicates that for officers they will brook no opposition to their plans – even if that means not fully adhering to council resolutions. Councillors and their requests are mere flies in the ointment.
Over to you councillors. Will you accept this further slap in the face, or assert your legal rights and electoral responsibilities?
Glen Eira Debates 
July 20, 2012 at 2:19 PM
They’ll roll over like they always do – gutless wonders!
July 20, 2012 at 2:39 PM
I’m more concerned with the opportunistic approach of this administration and its potential flouting of the law rather than the tone or the arrogance of their communications. I would agree however that a communication skills course is desperately required for the authors of many council documents!
I do not recollect too many documents emanating from a councillor briefing being made public. That it is this time is either sheer laziness on the part of officers in that they couldn’t be bothered producing a new report, or that they have no regard for their own rules and regulations which forbids revealing anything but subject areas from such meetings. If this is legally acceptable then residents should demand that many other documents presented to councillors in such meetings are also made public. I immediately think of the c60 and racecourse issues, the pavilion strategies, budget papers and the facts and figures on gesac. Selective publishing of internal documents when it suits the agendas of various officers is no on. Either everything is freely available or nothing is.
July 20, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Cr. Lobo is looking to get his name in the paper. I think that this is the only reason he is talking about the flag. He has had plenty of time to discuss the indigeonous flag in the past. Why now? The officers are looking out for the interest of 99.99999% of residents that are not councillors. Good on them. They know what Lobo is up to and naturally won’t make things easy for him especially when it is close to an election.
July 20, 2012 at 5:03 PM
Lobo’s motives are irrelevant. Sure he’s looking for publicity and grandstanding after a year of silence then repeatedly sucking up to Lipshutz and Hyams. That’s not what’s vital here. Councillors are being told to piss off. That their full legal resolutions will not be carried out by the hired hands. That’s what’s significant here. Not what Lobo wants or does. This applies to all councillors and it’s again about the most basic question – are they allowing the tail to wag the dog?
July 20, 2012 at 10:26 PM
There’s another excellent post put up by the GERA people which is very timely given today’s agenda items. See: http://geresidents.wordpress.com