Late last week, the popular What’s On signboard outside the Raglan library went missing. The signboard was mounted on the building a few years ago as part of a WEL Networks sponsorship organised by Raglan Community Board Chairman, Peter Storey. Initially the signboard had a Christmas message from WEL Networks to the people of Raglan. After that first Christmas, the board sat unused for many months. The Raglan Community Arts Council offered to run the signboard as a paste-up and sign area for arts and community events. Since then the signboard has been used as a What’s On noticeboard for events around town. Before the signboard went missing last week, it had signs publicising the next Creative Market, Raglan ArtoWear and the exhibitions at the Combined Artists Gallery.
We asked local Waikato District Council Manager, Steve Soanes if he knew anything about the missing signboard. He said, “The board broke loose from the wall during a storm last week so for H & S reasons I had it removed. I am not intending to put the board back, firstly it was only ever there as a temporary backing for the WEL Xmas sign, not as a Community Sign Board. (I talked to Peter Storey who put the board up originally, and he agrees that it is now superceded by the one on the reservoir hill site.) Secondly it was the subject of a number of complaints due to it’s messy nature. Thirdly kids were using the board as a handgrip to climb on the Library roof.”
Not withstanding Mr Soanes comments, Raglan is now left without a What’s On signboard in the main street and local event organisers will have to rely on the goodness of retailers to display posters. For a Council that has a slogan of, ‘Your Community Partner’, their action in removing the signboard without consultation appears to be the opposite of how a community partnership would work.