DCC: Mosgiel Pool, closed-door parallels with stadium project (private profiteering)

Updated Post 12.2.14

### ODT Online Sun, 26 Jan 2014
Council signal on Mosgiel pool
By Debbie Porteous
The Dunedin City Council has sent a signal to the Mosgiel community. The council has no money for big new projects and while it will help out where it can, the community must drive the project to build a new pool or it will likely not happen, councillors cautioned.
Read more

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Since the above article was published the air has been thick with names of local business people who have been meeting behind closed doors, for months now, to push the Mosgiel Pool project —in some cases, for own private gain.

Problems with the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board continue. Decisions are being driven in non public meetings. The board’s discretionary funds endowed by the city council (through annual rates collection) are being diverted to the local business association to run community board business at armslength from public scrutiny. This is deliberate misuse of city council rates money sanctioned by board chairman Bill Feather and his cronies. When will transparency and accountability be imposed on these elected and non-elected cowboys? We demand that the city council investigates.

Community board member Maurice Prendergast in his letter to the editor today adds fuel to the fire. He is to be commended for speaking out.

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Copy supplied. ODT 4.2.14 Letter to the editor (page 6).

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Letter from Woman Hysteric. Copy supplied.
ODT 10.2.14 Letter to the Editor (page 8).

[click to enlarge]

Note 1: In the 2013 local body elections the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board had six vacancies, the six candidates were elected unopposed. The same applied for Strath Taieri Community Board (6 vacancies) and Waikouaiti Coast Community Board (6 vacancies). There is no point singling out Maurice Prendergast as if he is the only board member who did not have to contest his seat.

Note 2: It is difficult to reconcile the statement: “Public meetings about a new pool that I have attended, have been “standing room only”.” What meetings were these, when and where did they happen, and where are the minutes from these?

Note 3: “Yes, the board’s chairman has chjampioned the pool for the past six years, as did the board…” Where are the board minutes to confirm the board discussed this agenda item or if it was rasied in General Business?

The wench protesteth too much.

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Related Posts and Comments: (updated)
10.2.14 University of Otago major sponsor for Highlanders
5.2.14 Mosgiel pool sluts get their tops off for ex ORFU guy
4.2.14 DCC: Mosgiel Pool, closed-door parallels with stadium project…
30.1.14 DCC broke → More PPPs to line private pockets… [Syd darling]
25.1.14 Stadium: Some helped it along, or themselves! [or the new pool]
20.1.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 [see this comment & ff]
16.11.13 Community board (Mosgiel-Taieri) clandestine meetings
25.1.12 Waipori Fund – inane thinkings from a councillor
19.5.10 DScene – Public libraries, Hillside Workshops, stadium, pools
12.4.10 High-performance training pool at stadium?

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: odt.co.nz – Mosgiel Pool thumbnail [screenshot]