Board looks at Town Hall catering

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33541, 23 May 1974, Page 1

Board looks at Town Hall catering

Widespread gossip among the people of Christchurch about the affairs of the Town Hall catering concession did not put the Town Hall board of management ‘"on the right side of the ledger,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr N. G. Pickering) yesterday.

Fie was arguing at a meeting of the board that discussion about the state of the concession should be in open meeting and not in committee.

The concession is held by Town Hall Enterprises, Ltd. the principal of which is Mr F. J. H. Visser, the Christchurch restaurateur who also holds the catering concession at Queen Elizabeth II Park under another company, Poolside Enterprises, Ltd.

This latter concession was called into question at the meeting of the Christchurch City Council on Monday when Cr M. R. Carter said it was time the public learnt of the “very substantial sum” of money owed to the council by the concessionholder.

Yesterday’s meeting of the Town Hall board was attended by the board’s solicitor (Mr K. J. Brookman), who recommended that the discussion be held in committee.

He was supported by the board’s secretary (Mr J. H. Gray)—who is also the Christchurch Town Clerk—who said Mr Brookman would be presenting the board with several possible lines of action. The board’s chairman (Mr

H. G. Hay) said the discussion should be in committee because of established localbody practice in protecting an individual’s reputation and “also because of any action that might be taken by other creditors.”

Cr W. Massey said that the issue dealt with public money and the public should know about it. Cr D. R. Dowell said the general, discussion of affairs should be held in open meeting, but when it came to proposed courses of action the board could go into committee.

“That’s the way I feel,” said Mr Pickering.

“We should have this out in the open now. We can go into committee where we get down to dollars and cents,” he said. Cr Dowell said that since Mr Visser would be called to the meeting, it would be best to leave the decision to him whether or not the affair was discussed in the open or in committee.

In committee On the motion being put to the vote, the board went into committee. Mr Pickering voting against the motion and some other members not voicing an opinion. After the meeting, Mr Hay said that the board had had full discussions with Mr Visser and his advisers, and that a further meeting would be held next week. No decision had been taken about the concession, he said.

Mr Visser said last evening that he was “rather sorry” the press had not been present at his meeting with the board.

“I have nothing to hide from the public. Mr Hay and the board might. But 1 would welcome a public meeting at any time,” Mr Visser said. “At the moment. I can make no further comment than that.”