Commentary by Raglan Community Board member, Linda Cole, on the agenda for the RCB meeting on 8th February at 1pm in the Supper Room of the Raglan Town Hall. (Full agenda available by clicking here):
Hope you’ve noticed our Facebook page now has a shorter link – http://www.facebook.com/ragcombd It’d be great to get more feedback.
These are some of the items on the CEO’s agenda:-
- Correspondence – most agendas put this at the top, but on this one it’s at the bottom. Maybe indicates its importance to the CEO?
- Civil defence is top of the agenda, but only to say Vicki Blair will present an update. The Government recently found Waikato the least-prepared region for an emergency. Maybe that’s why there’s no report!
- A timeline for the wharf has been circulated to RCB, but, like the report to remove the trees on Te Kopua, has not been published. Tenders to repair the wharf should be advertised early this month. The building is still being designed. Despite wharf fees being in every annual plan and RCB asking in December for them to be charged, “staff are following up on this”.
- Extra parking in James and Stewart St using turf/gobi blocks and possibly a Thomas the Tank Engine type people mover to take drivers to the CBD.
- $15,000 for 87m of Wainui Rd footpath to allow for a bus stop diagonally opposite Raglan West Store. Is this really the priority for a footpath? There are safety issues at the stall at peak times as parking is totally chaotic and an accident will happen.
- Wainui Reserve is planned to have an upgraded sunny dunny, new farm workshop, sealed car park at the end of Riria Kereopa Memorial Dr and widening of the single lane bridge.
- An electric BBQ has been ordered for Te Kopua. I would have thought or hoped this would have been installed by now.
- To pay for the museum and rugby rooms WDC has tried to sell land since 2005! Yet another geotech assessment is needed for a drive to the Greenslade Rd house site. The offer for Kaitoke St was rejected. Long St is still ‘looking for offers’.
- Museum work started again – to be finished by August. “Some further discussions are under way with New Zealand Historic Places Trust regarding the site.” New Exeloo expected in February (agenda doesn’t say 2011!).
- In August 2009 Council decided on a bus shelter in Raglan West. In December RCB was told they couldn’t agree the design with Environment Waikato. The agenda repeats that, but we’ve still not seen a design, why is it so protracted – surely keep the designs the same or similar!
- Road reseals in 2011/12 will be chosen from Bow, Cliff, Cornwall, Gilmour, John, Long, Marine, Opotoru, Point, Stewart, Te Ahiawa (the hardly used road off Wainui Rd) and Te Hutewai.
- Top priority for minor work is the top of Cross St and Lily St to Wharf steps.$78,911 was in the 2010/11 plan for a walkway to Karioi. “Staff are investigating options and costs”, but only $70,000 is rolled over to 2011/12. $198,000 over 3 years is proposed for a Wainui-Whale Bay footpath.
- Whale Bay sewage “cost estimates are being sought”.
- Design for upgrade of the water treatment plant continues. Tender is out for water metering work and consent being sought from property owners to do the work. If they don’t consent, do they not get meters!
- More massive increases in burial fees are in the Annual Plan.
- The harbour beacons are to be renewed this year.
- Money to give away – $11,963 and no applications – the next deadline to apply is 11 Feb. WDC is giving $35,000 to the Rugby World Cup. $17,500 for Junior Soccer to have a storage shed may be considered in 2012/13. Annual Plan donations are proposed as $100,000 to tourism, $29,500 to surf lifesaving, $6,500 to coastguard and $10,000 to buy Harbour Care plants.
Attending the Water & Facilities Committee meeting on Monday after lodging an application for event funding on September 9th ( 5 months to be heard) his worship the mayor indicated he wasn’t in support of events getting funding through council on a regular basis – surely this is important, support of annual events! How do you feel?
- Community Boards have a national body and we’re asked to choose between our Alan Vink and candidates from Waihi and Whakatane as our rep on it.
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond.
Linda