MONTHLY MEETINGS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4194, 9 June 1939, Page 5

MONTHLY MEETINGS

BOROUGH COUNCIL MAKES CHANGE. DIVIDED OPINIONS. Te Awamutu Borough Council, at its meeting last evening, decided to meet monthly in future. Cr A. Rowan, speaking to his notice of motion to revert to monthly meetings of the Council, said the town clerk’s minutes of meetings were very clear and comprehensive, and he had never seen such complete records. If the Council agreed to meet monthly copies of the minutes could be made avai.able to councillors a few days before the next meeting. The works committee might have to meet fortnightly, but the finance committee could meet each' month. Cr A. C. Brookes seconded, and Cr C. J. Spiers supported. The letter thought all committees could also meet monthly, unless in emergency. He added that the Waipa County Council met monthly. To Cr L. S. Armstrong, the deputyMayor said instructions to the works foreman might have a bearing on the success of the monthly meetings. Cr W- J. North thought better results with the outdoor staff would be obtained by fortnightly meetings of the Council. Cr Rowan said he would hope to see the Council’s estimates adhered to without any deviation. If work authorised was completed before a Council .meeting was due, the works committee could handle such a matter. Cr J-. Sterritt strongly supported monthly meetings of the Council, although perhaps fortnightly meetings of the works committee might be desirable. Cr Armstrong also spoke in support. The deputy-Mayor (Cr J. C. Montefiore) said the Council was elected to do the work, and it could do that only if it met regularly every fortnight. There would be an outcry of a “ one-man Council,” as had already been said. He would not be a party to departing from fortnightly meetings. Councillors had to do their duty honestly and attend to business as it arose. A trial same years ago was a failure, and councillors who were members of the works committee were abused and blamed for work authorised between Council meetings. Cr Rowan said the Council could conduct all the affairs of the Council and the ratepayers by conducting the meetings in a business-like way. The deputy-Mayor said every shilling of expenditure had to be watched, and the only way was to have at least fortnightly meetings. Councillors owed a duty to the people who elected them in expectation that they would be well served. Cr Brookes said the only flaw could be through over-expenditure by the works committee. If that committee adhered definitely to the estimates nothing could go wrong. Cr Montefiore’s remarks were not convincing. Cr North said he would vote for fortnightly meetings. To the deputy-Mayor, Cr Brookes said the works committee would have to adhere to the estimates- To say the committee would not adhere to the schedule was to imply a lack of confidence. The deputy-Mayor urged that fortnightly meetings should be continued for at least three months. The motion in favour of monthly meetings was put and carried, the deputy-Mayor and Cr North recording their votes against the motion. It was agreed to hold monthly meetings for the finance committee and fortnightly meetings of the works committee. Cr Rowan remarked that if the alteration did not work satisfactorily the situation could be reviewed.