Editor,
D’Oyley Carte would have applauded a highly articulate ratepayer’s rendition (KCDC Environment and Community Development Committee meeting of 14 April) of Councillor Michael Scott’s now public domain ‘Hi Sue’ letter.
Dismissed by Councillor Scott (Michael) as a ‘Mikadoesque performance’, this rendition, in my view, showcased the puffery and sarcasm implicit in this Councillor’s penmanship traits too often obvious in his behaviour within the Council Chamber to certain of his elected colleagues.
Rather than address the points raised, Councillor Scott (M) launched, by way of deflection, into an interrogation of the ratepayer whose speaking time it was.
Councillor Gaylor who as Chair had taken considerable pains at the outset of the meeting to remind members of the ratepaying public present of their responsibility to respect the Council Chamber and elected officers made no attempt to check her colleague’s behaviour, resorting quickly instead to the edict ‘both parties have gone into debate’.
In his lacklustre ‘Dear Blanche’ response of 5 May to an articulate letter that highlighted the very real need for an alternative access/egress across the rail corridor to Waikanae East, Councillor Scott (M) rapidly dissociated himself from the current lack of priority attributed to an underpass solution (despite his elected roles on both KCDC and the Waikanae Community Board), plus had the temerity to end with the admonishment ‘a less aggressive presentation would be appreciated in the future’.
Mayor Church, who is routinely quick to sanction any ratepayer behaviour that is perceived as inappropriate, is strangely silent in terms of Councillor Scott’s (M) behaviour.
Come October, the ratepaying public will have opportunity to apply their own sanctions.
Margaret Stevenson-Wright
Waikanae
