May Support Town Hall

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 1

May Support Town Hall

An indication that the Heathcote County Council may support the town hall project was given at the council’s meeting last evening.

The council decided three months ago to withdraw its representative from the City Council’s town hall committee, as it did not wish to be committed to the project. “1 personally would like to see the matter brought up again," said the county chairman (Mr J. C. Holliss). “But under our by-laws, unless we can get a notice of motion with the required number of signatures, it must take its time until three months from now before it can be tabled again. “I think we all feel we were a little hasty in acting ak we did before full information was available to us.

“Perhaps the committee’s circular giving the ultimate cost of £l.2m scared us off a bit.”

He thought it a great pity that members of the council were not free to attend a meeting called by the committee to give details of the proposals. (A special meeting of the council has been called for the same evening to hear objections to the proposed Hohepa Home). Cr. L. L. Smith, speaking to a recommendation by the council’s finance committee that the town hall committee be invited to keep the council informed of developments, said he was disappointed that no more positive action was envisaged. If he thought he would get the necessary ; amount of Support, he would I have moved an amendment: as things were. he‘ would wait for the reopening of the whole i subject. ' “We’ve not been very co-

operative, and were a bit timid and hasty about beating our retreat,” he said. He thought the council should elicit all available information on the project, tell ratepayers how mueh it would cost them, and then ask them whether they were prepared to meet that cost. The finance committee’s recommendation was adopted. • Waimairi

At least one council- will be “fully” represented at the City Council's special meeting next week. “There will be a tremendous amount to explain and I would like to see as many councillors there as possible.” said the chairman of the Waimairi County Council (Mr J. I. Colligan) when the council met last evening. “How many will be going?” All nine councillors present raised their hands. “Excellent,” said Mr Colligan. “A full representation.”