Wednesday, August 08, 2012 • John Jones
BOOSTING returns from Gisborne District Council’s commercial assets will be a major focus for new chief executive Judy Campbell.
This was about being a smarter operator rather than selling any assets, Mrs Campbell said at a council deliberative session last week following her first 100 days in the job.
A report was being prepared and the council would look at how it organised its commercial assets at its September meeting, she said.
“As far as I can tell, my big task is to achieve the 10-year plan and to achieve that with less rates rises,” she said.
The commercial assets were a key part of this because they were the major source of income other than rates.
“We are looking carefully at how they are structured. Is that the best way to hold them and manage them?”
The main commercial assets were Tauwhareparae Farms, the vehicle testing station, Waikanae Holiday Park and community housing.
The other arm to limiting rates rises was reducing expenditure, by making the council as efficient as possible.
Both the efficiency review committee and the management team had gone through the organisation and looked for all the “easy money”.
“But as an outsider coming into the organisation, I think there are ways in which we can work smarter.”
Emphasis would also be placed on running a rule over the major projects in the council’s 10-year plan — including cycleways and walkways; upgrades to the War Memorial Theatre and city library; Cenotaph repairs; the navigation project; inner harbour redevelopment; and the new Olympic Pool complex.
These all involved significant investment and a minor efficiency could make a big difference to council finances.
Minor efficiencies in roading and infrastructure were also six-figure money. Procurement and contracting practices were an area to be looked at.
“All the major projects in the 10-year plan have been around for a long time. They have been backwards and forwards, round and round and there are major efficiencies to be gained in having clearer and crisper decision-making processes.”
The major projects steering group was put together to make sure they were scoped and initiated as well as possible.
“I think that is the way the money is saved — if you really determine what it is you are doing, and make sure all parties are on board, the build side of it becomes much easier.”
These were her early observations.
“I am still new and I don’t know a lot of things but these are the things that become obvious to a professional who comes into an organisation.”
Governance was another facet of the council she was looking at, although it was not up to her to change the committee structure.
Sitting at meetings, it was often quite hard to tell what the actual resolution was. There was sometimes tension between the staff reports and the council decisions.
“So I want to crisp up all of that side of things. It is the obvious stuff as opposed to anything structural.”
She would like to get to the point where resolutions were put on a screen so people were looking at them and could say, “Yes, I agree” or “No, I don’t agree.”
Talking to councillors and staff, she had heard more than two versions of what was decided.
How does she see the council after her first 100 days?
“I think it is a very good organisation. My ambition is to make it a great organisation.”