'Where is the review?': Axed chair wants to see documentation
“Changing our governance is a serious thing and he said he did a review, well it should be documented…. Otherwise it throws doubt on the motive."
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Invercargill city councillor Ian Pottinger will ask Mayor Nobby Clark for documentation from the mid-term council review that has led to Pottinger’s removal as a committee chair.
As part of Clark’s council changes that will be discussed at meeting on Tuesday is the axing of Pottinger as chair of the infrastructure committee.
Clark has formed a newly named infrastructure and projects committee which will now be led by Grant Dermody.
Dermody previously was the finance and projects committee chair. That committee has been renamed finance and policy and Clark has appointed former Lesley Soper to head that committee.
Pottinger said he was not interviewed as part of Clark’s mid-term review, and did not believe all other councillors and senior staff were interviewed as well.
Pottinger planned to ask Clark at Tuesday’s meeting to show the findings of the review that has prompted changes.
Although Mayor Clark announced on Monday he would be taking a month’s leave from the role.
“Changing our governance is a serious thing and he said he did a review, well it should be documented…. Otherwise it throws doubt on the motive,” Pottinger said.
There has been tension between Pottinger and Clark during the current term, despite Pottinger actually backing Clark in the lead up to the 2022 mayoral election.
Pottinger was said to have chosen to take a break as infrastructure chair from December 15 following a one-on-one meeting with Clark about “performance issues”.
However, Pottinger disputed that, instead saying Clark told him to take some time out to “settle the waters” following complaints from fellow councillors.
Pottinger and Cr Ria Bond have also lodged a Code of Conduct complaint against Mayor Clark following the screening of Clark’s television interview with comedian Guy Williams earlier this year.
It’s understood that investigation is close to wrapping up.
Pottinger said he was disappointed that he would not get to continue in the infrastructure chair role following Clark’s mid-term review.
“I’m obviously gutted because infrastructure from day one has been my passion. You’d think I would be the right person for the job given my experience. But obviously not, you would hope there were not other reasons. “I would love to see the logic.”
The Tribune asked Pottinger if he believed the mid-term review provided an opportunity to remove him as a chair, on the back of what appears to be a fractured relationship between Clark and Pottinger.
“Without documentations of a review one could think that. It does present that option. Normally a review would show the justification behind the thought,” Pottinger said.
In Clark’s report, as part of Tuesday’s meeting agenda, he says following his midterm review he took the opportunity to shuffle the committees to better align with the council’s work streams.
“I wish to acknowledge the work of Cr Pottinger as Chair of Infrastructure Committee and thank him for his steering of this Committee since the start of this term.
“I am very pleased Cr Pottinger continues to serve as a lead for Council on the WasteNet work,” Clark says in his report.
Mayor Nobby Clark has made the following midterm appointments:
Cr Tom Campbell– Deputy Mayor and Deputy Chair of the three Committees listed below Standing Committees.
Cr Grant Dermody– Chair of Infrastructure and Projects Committee
Cr Darren Ludlow– Chair of Community Wellbeing and Regulatory Committee
Cr Lesley Soper– Chair of Finance and Policy
Additional leadership focuses:
Wachner Place – Mayor Clark / Cr Dermody
Homeless Housing – Cr Campbell / Cr Soper
CCTV – Mayor Clark
LGNZ link – Cr Crackett (Crackett was elected to LGNZ’s national Young Elected Members Network at the start of the term)
Art Space – Cr Crackett / Cr Soper
Shared Accommodation- Cr Campbell
WasteNet (contract tender) – Cr Pottinger
3Waters (Local Water Done Well) – Mayor Clark / Cr Campbell
Rugby Park - Cr Dermody
Community Wellbeing Grants – Cr Boyle
Southern Trails (GS) – Mayor Clark
Additional Revenue – Mayor Clark / Cr Campbell
Iwi Relationship / District Licencing / Hearing Commissioner Lead - Cr Ludlow
Great South – Mayor Clark / Cr Campbell