2011-2012 Annual Report - Full Version - PDF - Palmerston North ...

Overview How Do We Operate?ElectionsCouncil elections take place every three years, withthe most recent one being held in October 2010.The Council comprises 15 Councillors, electedfrom five wards, and the Mayor.The Council has to review its representationarrangements for the 2013 elections. This meansit has to decide on the number of Councillors,whether the Councillors should be elected Citywideor by ward, and whether there should beCommunity Boards. Currently voting is by wardand there are no Community Boards. The Councilincluded a poll on the number of Councillors andCity-wide or ward voting in the last elections. Citywidevoting had the most support (11,519 votescompared with 10,022 for ward voting). Mostpeople supported keeping the same number ofCouncillors (11,609 votes compared with 9,251for fewer Councillors and 628 for more). Furtherconsultation will happen in mid-2012.Council and CommitteeStructureThe Council reviews its committee structure aftereach election. The committee structure for the2010-2013 term of Council is unchanged fromthat set up at the beginning of the 2007 term ofoffice, namely three primary standing committees,being the Community Well-Being, Finance andPerformance, and Planning and Policy Committees.These committees meet monthly, with the fullCouncil meeting on the last Wednesday of eachmonth. The Audit and Risk Committee also hasscheduled meetings with other committeesmeeting on an as-required basis.Key tasks and functions for the primary committeesinclude:Community Well-Being Committee - CommunityDevelopment, Social Policy Development andIssues, Recreation and Leisure Policy Developmentand Issues, Arts Policy Development and Issues,Community Grants/Funding Schemes, CommunityEvents, Civil Defence, Social Housing, Sport, Parks,Community Centres, Libraries, Cultural Diversity(including people with a disability), CouncilControlled Organisations (non commercial),Bylaws, Public Health and Safety, CitizenInteraction and Information, City Marketing andSense of Place (including Destination Manawatu),Implementation of Strategies, Plans and Policies asappropriate.Planning and Policy Committee - EnvironmentalPlanning and Policy, Urban Design andControl, Legislation and Governance Issues/Policy, Implementation of Strategies, Plans andPolicies as appropriate, Economic Growth andDevelopment, Transportation and InfrastructurePlanning, Waste Management Planning, Approvalof Draft Strategies, Plans and Policies for publicconsultation, Recommend Strategies, Plans andPolicies to Council for adoption.Finance and Performance Committee - CityFinances, Annual Report, Assets and Investments,External Corporate Relationships and Initiatives -Vision Manawatu, Council Facilities Management,Energy Management, Implementation ofStrategies, Plans and Policies as appropriate,Waste Services, Council Owned Infrastructure,Commercial CCOs – Palmerston North Airport Ltd.The purpose of the meetings is to ensurethat Council affairs are being conducted inaccordance with Council objectives and legislativerequirements. The Council also has a monitoringrole in relation to the performance of CouncilControlled Organisations.The Council also convenes informal communitymeetings at least four times per year, throughoutthe wards of the City. The purpose of thesemeetings is to provide ward residents with theopportunity to discuss any issues they mighthave with their local representatives and a seniorCouncil officer.PUBLICASHHURST - AWAPUNI HOKOWHITU PAPAIOEA TAKAROFITZHERBERT WARD WARD WARD WARD WARDCommunityWellbeingCommitteeAudit & RiskCommitteeJoint StrategicPlanning CommitteePNCC/ MDCInformal community meetingsCOUNCILMAYOR & 15 COUNCILLORSFinance &PerformanceCommitteeCommitteeof CouncilCCNZ/Arts & CultureFund CommitteePlanning& PolicyCommitteeHearingsCommitteeGordon Kear ForestSub Committee20Palmerston North City Council Annual Report 2011/12