Selwyn_Times: September 27, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday September 27 2023
4
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Community board members called
• From page 1
It could cost ratepayers a
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May said what finally led to his
resignation were issues around
the Springfield Donut, which
the district council has copped
criticism for bad paint leaving it
looking tatty.
Between 2020 and 2022 the
donut has been painted four
times at a cost of $17,864.
“Calvin ‘no brain’ Payne went
up to Springfield because there
were problems with the donut
and came up with a whole lot of
bs about the donut. That it should
be encased in scaffolding and it
was dangerous, the stand behind
it was unsteady.
“Then the other no-brainer
Sharn Nu’u got onto it and made
some comment about how she’d
taken her kids up there once and
it felt unsafe and that she might
hurt herself,” May said.
Payne confirmed he had raised
safety issues with the donut, but
he had no response for being
called a “no-brainer”.
“I suggested that should be a
risk exercise carried out by the
council and that is where my
discussion came from and emails
behind that in our discussions,
there may be some safety issues,”
Payne said.
ELECTED: The Malvern Community Board in happier days – Sharn Nu’u (left), Sean Ellis,
Ken May, Bruce Russell and Calvin Payne.
Nu’u also confirmed she had
raised the issue of feeling unsafe
on the donut in a conversation
outside a public meeting.
Nu’u said May’s comments
were an example of what they
were dealing with.
“The board lost confidence in
the chair.”
She said May’s comments were
unacceptable and unprofessional.
During a community board
meeting, May had been forced to
apologise for calling West Melton
residents opposed to the moving
of the tennis courts to a different
part of the West Melton Reserve
who were not present at the
meeting “Nimbies”.
NIMBY is an acronym for the
phrase “not in my backyard”.
May said he was aware there
would be a cost for a by-election.
But it wasn’t a consideration
in his decision,
saying his mental
health was his
priority.
May claimed
Payne had been
going around
other board members
calling for his
resignation. Payne
said that wasn’t correct.
Lydia
Gliddon
“I did not want Ken to resign.
Not from the board, no,” Payne
said.
Nu’u also said May’s claim was
incorrect.
Malvern Ward district
councillor Lydia Gliddon, who
has been the council appointee
on the community board for a
month, was “gobsmacked” by
Ellis’ resignation.
Gliddon said she had a
conversation with Ellis following
the adjournment of the August
28 board meeting in which
he resigned, to discuss his
resignation and make sure it was
what he wanted to do.
Gliddon said there should have
been more guidance for the new
community board members who
were elected in October 2022.
“There probably needed to be a
bit more guidance at the start of
what the role of the community
board is and what their role in
the community is and their role
with council.
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