Basic questions arising for the City, unpublished by the newspaper

Received from John Evans
Tue, 17 Jan 2017 at 7:47 p.m.

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From: John Evans
Date: Monday, January 16, 2017
Subject: KPI
To: ODT editor

The Editor, ODT

Sir,

We are often regaled by company directors, CEOs and bureaucrats with discourses on the importance of KPIs. KPIs?

Key Performance Indicators – one of many PR corporate speak Buzzwords.

Wikipedia’s definition is pretty broad but basically it means that certain measures designed by the company or board are measured against actual performances.

Recently, the term gained another meaning when KEY performance [was] reassessed in the light of John KEY’s resignation. Unfortunately his stellar career as Prime Minister seemed to be judged poorly by those political pundits doing the assessment.

The key word is Performance, the measure of which is judged in order to provide an increase in salary or measures which might lose the judged their position if they failed to meet the KPIs included as part of the employment contract.

The test is what performance is paramount and who is it paramount to.
These tests are important in worldwide businesses but is there a different reality in New Zealand? It seems to me that either the KPIs are set incorrectly or there is a disconnect because no one seems to fail, to not meet their predetermined KPIs.

[infront.com]

One example is the role of council lawyers. Why would council lawyers write in an employment contract a clause which gave the employee a golden parachute even if they failed to meet their KPIs? Or was it the employees themselves who wrote the KPIs for their own future benefit? Surely if this was so, the lawyers acting for the company or body they represent would refuse to condone the parachute for employees and directors after proven incompetence.

The Dunedin City Council and its management, and the council owned companies, are surely charged with KPIs and, one surmises, about the results of such indicators and the resultant effects on the council and its employees. Can we analyse a few actions of the council and what the KPIs may have been and whether they would meet them and perhaps the consequences of meeting them or not.

The first and most obvious one is the theft of 152+ cars.
What was the measure of acceptable theft? Was it 20 cars, 100 cars or was 150 cars sufficient to tip them over the edge. And as another example, what was the Police’s key indicator on this matter? Do they prosecute for the theft or conversion of 1 car or does it take 160 cars to prosecute somebody for being involved either in the theft or knowing receipt of a car or cars?

The next is the investment in land and development projects by Delta.
Was failure in one, two or three such projects acceptable or is the magic number 5 (Delta will do it again and we have not quite got there yet).

The Dunedin stadium KPIs. Is a running cost of some $20million acceptable as an annual loss to the ratepayers or should the losses be only $15million or shock horror only $5million. Or should the ratepayers be released from the financial burden which was never the choice of the majority?

Sewage Treatment KPI – Is it acceptable to process sewage to a point that it pollutes the ocean two kilometres out or are we entitled to potable water ex site at Tahuna?

Mudtank cleaning KPI – How many mudtanks cleaned would be an acceptable result, would a flood in South Dunedin suggest that measure was incorrect? Contractual performance and payment for same. Would a KPI for the DCC CEO include overall managing payments to contractors? If a contractor did not perform to those KPIs set within the mudtank cleaning contract, should the contractor be still paid?

Wastewater treatment – Is it an acceptable KPI for wastewater treatment that in high rainfall such overflows are discharged into the pristine Otago Harbour?

Delta KPI on pole replacement. Is 100 unreplaced tagged poles acceptable? Is 1000 acceptable? On suspect poles, is a KPI that the company changes so that they did not breach a previous KPI acceptable or should every company and council just change their KPIs to avoid failure, blame or the legal consequences?

Richard Healey, the “whistleblower” on Delta’s failures seems to have personal ‘built-in’ KPIs —including integrity, high quality job performance, peer safety and corporate responsibility. Just why do the CEO and directors’ KPIs apparently differ from these such that Healey has to resign for them to take note?

On Directors of the council owned companies, do their KPIs reflect their responsibility under the law or are they designed to protect the directors from prosecution under the law despite failure by other measures?

And where does the buck stop?

Just what are the KPIs upon which we judge the mayor, based? Is the only measurement his electability?

Are we the ratepayers not entitled to expect a KPI that includes retribution against failings in any DCC departments or DCHL companies? If we do not reward success and prosecute failure in some way are we not missing the whole point of Pavlov and his dogs? Should we not then close our prisons and let the perpetrators of violence, antisocial acts and any injustice roam free, surely this is the logical nett result of such an attitude of no judgement.

The analysis of John Key’s contribution would suggest that electability and performance may well be poles apart. Perhaps that is the greatest lesson we can learn from the errors of judgement of recent times in our city.

John P. Evans
Otakou

[ends]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

COMPLETE Dis-satisfaction with DCC, DCHL, DVML, DVL, Delta….

Fake it til you make it, and hey, don’t lift the marigolds.

Sorry Daaave, looks like a D for your council’s governance. —Actually, for the avoidance of euphemism, make that D- and lower for DIRE Performance, accompanying Drivel, and Diabolical treatment of Residents and Ratepayers in the aftermath of emergency situations.

Listening to Yes People and your dwindling voter base isn’t your best hope to resolve ongoing multimillion-dollar losses being sustained by a couple of the council-owned companies, to the point where the holding company led by chairman Crombie, fronts with a “qualified audit” only on presentation of its annual report(?) to Council.

[In July 2015 Graham Crombie was appointed to the Commerce Commission as an Associate Commissioner for a five year term.]

Damages to employment, liveability and opportunity in a No-growth city keep stacking.

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“It is also yet another example of good public service jobs being lost from our smaller towns and cities.” –PSA spokeswoman

### ODT Online Thu, 13 Oct 2016
ACC jobs to go in Dunedin
By Vaughan Elder
After consulting with staff since June, the decision had been made to relocate all the roles over the next 12 to 18 months to the larger Christchurch office and have “one centre for consistent customer and rehabilitation services across the Southern region”.
Read more

****

Asked about people who continued to be negative about the city, he said: “Negativity is an attitude, it’s not a fact.”

### ODT Online Thu, 13 Oct 2016
Survey ‘shows Dunedin on right track’
By Vaughan Elder
A survey showing Dunedin residents feel increasingly positive about their city shows the city is on the “right track”, Mayor Dave Cull says. […] the annual survey was not all good news. Last year’s June flood was picked as a reason for increasing dissatisfaction with the city’s stormwater system [down 13 points to 43%]. Satisfaction rates also fell when it came to public toilets, the suitability of the city’s roads for cycling and the availability of parks in the central city.
Read more

[Chief executive Sue Bidrose] said some of the areas where there had been negative results this year and in past surveys correlated to negative media coverage in the Otago Daily Times.

*1577 survey responses from 5400 residents randomly selected from the electoral roll,

The Talking Head (without helmet, unprepared)

█ Dunedin City Council (media release)
Residents’ Opinion Survey released 12 Oct 2016. Link

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: cdn.guardian.ng – marigold, tweaked by whatifdunedin

ODT: Vandervis v Cull

‘Mr Cull maintained he was correct to call Cr Vandervis a liar during a furious bust-up at a council meeting last December, telling the Otago Daily Times yesterday “a lie is a lie”.’

### ODT Online Sat, 7 May 2016
Threat to ‘double damages’
By Vaughan Elder
Councillor Lee Vandervis has threatened to “double the damages” from defamation action after Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull stood by calling him a liar. […] Cr Vandervis launched the defamation action this week, saying Mr Cull calling him a liar during a discussion on a new council procurement policy was incorrect and defamed him. A letter sent to Mr Cull by Cr Vandervis’ legal counsel, Alistair Paterson, said he would be willing to forgo defamation action if Mr Cull paid his legal costs and made a public apology in a full council meeting filmed by Dunedin Television and in the presence of Allied Press [Otago Daily Times] reporters.
Read more

Channel 39 Published on Dec [14]*, 2015
Councillor asked to leave meeting
Councillor Lee Vandervis was instructed by Mayor Dave Cull to leave a Dunedin City Council meeting today. The request came after Cr Vandervis alleged that tender contracts could not be secured unless a relationship was developed with staff. The Mayor rejected his claims, saying he had no proof. Cr Vandervis then proceeded to continue discussing the matter and was asked to leave.
Note: Incorrect date of meeting given at YouTube entry.

Dunedin City Council Published on Dec 15, 2015
[full meeting video – relevant segment near end from 2:07:19]

● Unconfirmed Minutes of Meeting (14.12.15)
No reason given for minutes as yet unconfirmed by Council.

Related Posts and Commments:
14.3.16 Cr Vandervis co-operates with investigators #mediaslant
20.12.15 More emails —DCC aftermath of full council meeting 14.12.15
19.12.15 Member of the public lays Conduct complaint against Mayor Cull
15.12.15 Santa Cull’s idea of standing orders 14.12.15 #xmasface

█ For more, enter the term *vandervis* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Election Year —this post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: dunedintv.co.nz – archivemash by whatifdunedin

More emails —DCC aftermath of full council meeting 14.12.15

Updated post
Mon, 21 Dec 2015 at 1:00 p.m.

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“I have told you personally of a relationship with a DCC manager where I had to pay a 10% backhander to get a contract.” –Cr Vandervis to Mayor Cull

### ODT Online Mon, 21 Dec 2015
Contract fraud call at DCC
By Chris Morris
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis’ actions will form part of a fresh fraud investigation inside the Dunedin City Council, after he claimed to have paid a backhander to secure a council contract. Council staff have confirmed his actions would be examined by the council’s internal auditors, Crowe Horwath, under the council’s new fraud prevention policy.
Read more

Otago Daily Times Published on Dec 14, 2015
Cr Lee Vandervis instructed by Mayor Dave Cull to leave meeting.
[Vandervis statement around 1.25 mark]

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Received from Lee Vandervis
Sat, 19 Dec 2015 at 10:56 p.m.

Re: Town Hall Redevelopment Project and Citifleet fraud allegations

—— Forwarded Message
From: Sandy Graham
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 02:37:27 +0000
To: “Council 2013-2016 (Elected Members)”
Cc: “Executive Leadership Team (ELT)”
Subject: Additional LGOIMA emails re Various matters related to allegations from Monday meeting

Councillors

Please find attached an additional PDF that was included in the information provided to the ODT but got missed in my earlier email to you.

Apologies.

Sandy

From: prncc209@dcc.govt.nz
Sent: Friday, 18 December 2015 12:48 p.m.
To: Sandy Graham
Subject: Message from KM_C454e

(1) Attachment:
█ SC454E0591715121812470 [683890] (PDF, 169 KB)
Lee Vandervis to Bidrose 28.6.15 [thread]

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Related Post and Comments:
19.12.15 DCC aftermath of full council meeting 14.12.15 (emails released)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC aftermath of full council meeting 14.12.15 (emails released)

Extraordinary times at Dunedin City Council in which no-one looks good. With what political mileage generated at mayoral level; and what questions of the chief executive, and ODT’s role and or complicity, in this sudden council release of information to the public realm.

Read the email threads attached to Sandy Graham’s email to Cr Vandervis.

More than ever, these exchanges show strong need for an independent Procurement manager position at Dunedin City Council with oversight of all managers of departments and divisions, as Cr Vandervis has been recommending for some time.

Unsurprisingly, belatedly, an investigation into alleged fraud at City Property should commence, along the lines of what happened for Citifleet —this time, with full accountability to the ratepayers and residents of Dunedin.

—

Received from Lee Vandervis
Sat, 19 Dec 2015 at 11:12 a.m.

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 10:02:42 +1300
To: Sandy Graham, Andrew Noone, Andrew Whiley, Chris Staynes, Doug Hall, Hilary Calvert, John Bezett, Jinty MacTavish, Kate Wilson, Lee Vandervis, Mayor Cull, Mike Lord, Neville Peat, Richard Thomson, David Benson-Pope, Aaron Hawkins
Cc: Sue Bidrose
Conversation: LGOIMA request – Various matters related to allegations from Monday’s meeting
Subject: LGOIMA request – Various matters related to allegations from Monday’s meeting

Dear Sandy,

Given the Deloitte comment “We do not have any objection to you sharing this letter with the Councillors.”
and my repeated LGOIMA and requests for other Deloitte information, why was this information not supplied to me well before now?!
Please state complete reasons and who was responsible for the decisions to withhold this information from me.

Regards,
Cr. Vandervis

On 18/12/15 12:03 pm, “Sandy Graham” wrote:

Dear Councillors

FYI. This is a response to a LGOIMA request that we provided to the ODT. It is likely to feature in the paper over the next day or two.

Regards
Sandy

—————————————

From: Sandy Graham
Sent: Thursday, 17 December 2015 4:33 p.m.
To: Chris Morris [ODT]
Subject: LGOIMA resposne – Various matters related to allegations from Monday’s meeting

Dear Chris

Further to your LGOIMA request, please find below and attached responses to your questions.

You stated:
At Monday’s council meeting, Cr Vandervis claimed he had paid a backhander to council staff to secure a contract prior to his time as a councillor. I’m told by the Mayor that this is believed to relate to a former staff member who no longer works for council.

Q Are staff investigating or considering the legal or other implications of Vandervis’ backhander claim?

Yes – all aspects of the transaction will be investigated.

Q If so, can you say what the implications of his statement are, and the possible options or actions that might follow? Does it, for example, trigger an investigation under the council’s anti-fraud policies, and would that look at the actions of the former staff member, Cr Vandervis, or both?

The internal auditors have been advised and they are following the process as per the Fraud Prevention Policy and Procedures.

Q What action might be taken as a result?
It’s too early to say what if any action will be taken.

Previous questions
1. What claims has Lee Vandervis made in relation to alleged fraud involving council?

See attached emails which provides documented details of recent fraud allegations. As discussed, these emails are the what we have been able to quickly identify over the past couple of years. We have not gone back further at this stage.

2. What evidence, if any, has he provided to back up those claims?
Please see emails as above

3. I’m told the DCC received a separate piece of information from Deloitte assessing the claims made by Lee Vandervis in relation to the Citifleet fraud. If possible, can I have a copy of that today?

A copy is attached with redactions to protect the privacy of certain individuals pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of LGOIMA.

As we have withheld certain information, you are entitled to a review by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Regards
Sandy

Sandy Graham
Group Manager Corporate Services
Dunedin City Council

—— End of Forwarded Message

(4) Attachments:

█ SC454E0591715121715540 [546869]
Email thread Bidrose 16.12.15 – Community Housing Maintenance Contract LGOIMA

█ Email – 2015_02_25_Redacted]
Lee Vandervis to Grant McKenzie 25.2.15 In Confidence- Alleged Fraud

█ Email – 2015_02_25_Redacted [546867]
Email thread Grant McKenzie to Lee Vandervis 25.2.15 In Confidence- Alleged Fraud

█ SC454E0591715121715470_Redacted [546868]
Deloitte to Bidrose 4.8.14 – City Fleet Investigation – Matters raised by Councillors

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Citifleet: Coroner’s report out

### ODT Online Wed, 16 Dec 2015
Coroner rules on Citifleet manager’s death
By Chris Morris
The man at the centre of the Dunedin City Council’s $1.5 million Citifleet fraud took his own life after being approached about the fraud, a Coroner has ruled.
Brent Bachop, the council’s Citifleet manager, died on May 21 last year, nearly a week after first being approached about irregularities within his department on May 15.
Read more

█ For more enter the term *citifleet* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Santa Cull’s idea of standing orders 14.12.15 #xmasface

Mr Cull to Cr Vandervis: “You, sir, are a liar. Now leave.” [screenshot]

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Texts received from Lee Vandervis
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 at 7:48 a.m.

█ Message: Feel free to publicly contrast what I said to ODT reporter Chris Morris with what he said I said on today’s front page.

Lee, just checking – you planning on take big any action over the mayors comments today? Chris @ ODT

Not planning any action over Mayoral comments today because action over Mayor Cull previously defaming me as shonky’ finally got an unreserved apology from him but cost a lot of time and ratepayers money as did the farcical Code of Conduct sideshow. Shame that after all the evidence that I have provided especially what has been confirmed regarding my 2011 Citifleet allegations, that our new Procurement Policy still has not resulted in an independent Procurement manager position to oversee all individual managers’ contracting behaviour . Unfortunately my email programme died last Thursday and is still inoperative. Cheers Lee

—

REAL TIME
Otago Daily Times Published on Dec 14, 2015
Councillor Lee Vandervis asked to leave a DCC meeting

—

Exchange erupts on discussion of DCC’s new procurement policy and ‘historical’ kickbacks.

### ODT Online Tue, 15 Dec 2015
Cull, Vandervis cross swords at council meeting (+ video)
By Chris Morris
A furious bust-up saw Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull call Cr Lee Vandervis a liar and order him to leave yesterday’s Dunedin City Council meeting. The extraordinary scene saw both men on their feet, their voices raised as they roared over the top of each other, before Cr Vandervis packed up in silence and left with a parting shot.
Read more

█ Report – Council – 14/12/2015 (PDF, 143.8 KB)
Procurement Policy (Proposed), December 2015

—

Related Posts and Comments:
14.12.15 Epere arrested
14.12.15 ORC, DCC – must be the season, minus goodwill, plus fear! and generous pay!

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr (elf)

ORC, DCC – must be the season, minus goodwill, plus fear! and generous pay!

O me miserum, O Christmas Tree, WHYYYYY (Santa will look after us, won’t he)
THERE IS NO BULLYING, NOPE

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The survey showed staff were particularly unhappy about the council’s executive team of five directors and Mr Bodeker.

### ODT Online Mon, 14 Dec 2015
Unhappy at ORC, staff say
By Vaughan Elder
Otago Regional Council’s chief executive has denied there is a “culture of fear” in the organisation after top management were singled out for criticism in a staff survey. Peter Bodeker, who was appointed chief executive in 2012, made the comments after the “2015 Employee Survey”, which was answered by 123 staff (95%), was leaked to the Otago Daily Times.
Read more

—

Proposal in response to failed attempts at super councils in the North Island.

### ODT Online Fri, 11 Dec 2015
Councils may share services
By David Loughrey
A proposal to amalgamate some services of the six Otago councils is not a move to a super council, mayors say. […] Under the proposed system, local representation would stay as it is, but areas from payroll to IT, legal services, water, wastewater and roading services could be shared.

—

Steady stream of resignations and redundancies taking its toll.

### ODT Online Thu, 3 Dec 2015
‘Culture of fear’ at DCC
By Chris Morris
Morale within the Dunedin City Council is taking a hammering as criticism and upheaval fuel a “culture of fear”, staff say. The concerns come from past and present staff, who have told the Otago Daily Times about the impact of constant restructuring, stretched budgets and redundancies.
Read more

—

Related Post and Comments:
3.12.15 DCC factory crew issues, ELT, CEO….

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: westword.com – Charlie Brown Christmas, re-coloured by whatifdunedin

DCC factory crew issues, ELT, CEO….

Following Tony Avery’s departure, a “Ruthless” ‘direct, no-nonsense approach to changeover issues’. Sue Bidrose ‘appeared to lack leadership experience, which she said was “possibly” true’.

### ODT Online Thu, 3 Dec 2015
‘Culture of fear’ at DCC
By Chris Morris
Morale within the Dunedin City Council is taking a hammering as criticism and upheaval fuel a “culture of fear”, staff say. The concerns come from past and present staff, who have told the Otago Daily Times about the impact of constant restructuring, stretched budgets and redundancies.
Read more

So. Staff are at the mercy of the D’urbavilles. There’s a new CEO waiting in the wings if anybody wants to sign out.

—

Related Posts and Comments:
30.11.15 City council “justifiably proud of its fiscal discipline” —Cull…
19.11.15 DCC Proposed 2GP ridiculousness: formatting + plan content
● 16.11.15 DCC operating deficit $1M worse than budget
9.11.15 Citifleet investigation: Final police report 29.10.15
● 6.11.15 DCC non compos mentis
15.10.15 DCC Citifleet: Redactions redactions
● 18.9.15 DCC suddenly wakes up! *cough —after fleet car pointers…
8.9.15 DCC Citifleet: Council steered off SFO investigation
● 22.8.15 DCC cycleway$ now tied to more ‘urban de$ign’ $pend, after reha$h…
10.8.15 DCC AMAZE —oh, more fraud
4.7.15 DCC Citifleet, [a] Deloitte report leaked
25.6.15 DCC Citifleet COVERUP #screwy
9.6.15 City promotion: moral fibre
7.5.15 DCC staff numbers, trending down
● 24.4.15 DCC re Dr Bidrose’s time as most senior Citifleet Manager
● 17.3.15 DCC whistleblowing —what is open government ?
15.2.15 DCC reality check —‘CEO Bidrose confirms no Vandervis complaint…’
11.2.15 Dunedin Cycleways: Pet project staff, ‘entitlement’? #irony
● 27.10.15 DCC: South Dunedin flood | higher learning for chief executive
29.12.14 DCC gets QLDC talent…. the weft and warp deviously weaves
● 19.12.14 DCC: Limited Citifleet investigation about insurance
● 18.12.14 DCC: Deloitte report released on Citifleet
● 22.11.14 ODT puffery for stadium rousing ?
● 19.11.14 Forsyth Barr Stadium Review
● 3.9.14 Stuff: Dunedin council CEO won’t resign
28.8.19 DCC: Tony Avery resigns
26.8.14 DCC: Extraordinarily stupid appointment ~!!!
31.7.14 DCC: Services and development #staffappointment
● 1.7.14 DCC: Far-reaching fraud investigation Citifleet
3.6.14 DCC unit under investigation
2.5.14 DCC $tar-ship enterprise
28.4.14 DCC loses City Property manager in restructuring
24.1.14 Stadium: It came to pass . . .
6.1.14 DCC: New Year revelation on staff bonuses
● 28.12.13 Sue Bidrose, DCC chief executive
● 18.11.13 DCC: New chief executive

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: Sue Bidrose via Dunedin Television, tweaked by whatifdunedin

City council “justifiably proud of its fiscal discipline” —Cull The Delusional

ODT 30.11.15 (page 8)

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Comments received at other threads:

photonz
Submitted on 2015/11/30 at 9:34 am
Several more blocked drains seen later on Friday and also more on Saturday, including some so bad they were flooding right across the road.

And today in the ODT we have the Mayor slapping ratepayers across the face again with the laughable claim that rate rises are due to rises in the cost of bitumen and pipes.

Considering how much is spent on bitumen and pipes, compared to wages and interest, that sounds [like as] big a lie as “the drains are properly maintained”.

The ODT should call Mayor Cull on this – because blaming year after year of rate rises on the costs of bitumen and pipes sounds like a big fat lie.

[Published in abridged form at ODT Online: Your Say:
DCC not responsible for flooding? Yeah right]

photonz
Submitted on 2015/11/27 at 9:26 am
Just posted to the ODT website –

“Taking the kids to school this morning, the drain at the end of our road is blocked and water is flowing across the street. So I started counting blocked drains on my short journey to Queens and Tahuna schools. Grand total – 14 blocked drains, including three bad enough for large amounts of water to be flowing right across the street.

Similarly a relative’s business in town has been flooded several times, every time because of blocked drains. Often they are left with the choice of going out in the rain to unblock it themselves, or hiring a private contractor to suction-pump it.

Because even though the DCC know it’s a problem, they still don’t maintain it.

Do the DCC not realise that all they do is make themselves look like either incompetent fools or liars, when they make the laughable claim that the drains are well maintained and do not contribute to flooding?”

photonz
Submitted on 2015/11/27 at 11:36 am
Several more blocked drains seen on the way into town, including two so bad the water is flowing right across the road. And it wasn’t even raining very hard at that stage.

At least three of those flood across the road very time it rains hard – ie 10-20 times a year.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

[Stuff] Citifleet: court proceeding

Updated (via Hamish McNeilly/Fairfax Media)
Wed, 18 Nov 2015 at 3:20 p.m.

█ Court date pushed back to February.

Civil proceedings against Maria Frances Smith were due to be heard at the High Court in Dunedin tomorrow morning, with the council listed as the plaintiff, but the case has been adjourned until February 4.

—

Link received from Fairfax Media.

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 14:07, November 18 2015
Dunedin City Council to take widow of sole Citifleet suspect to court
By Hamish McNeilly
The Dunedin City Council has launched civil proceedings against the widow of the man believed to be responsible for the $1.5 million Citifleet fraud. The council lodged the proceedings against Maria Frances Smith, the widow of Brent Bachop, with the Dunedin High Court. A hearing, understood to be about Bachop’s estate, was originally set down for Thursday but will now happen in February.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Citifleet investigation: Final police report 29.10.15

(via OIA) Copy of final report of the NZ Police investigation into Citifleet.
The information released is the same as given to media outlets on Thursday, 5 November.

[poor copy as supplied; heavily censored]

█ CITIFLEET POLICE REPORT Final 29.10.15 (PDF, 2 MB)

█ For more, enter the terms *citifleet*, *bachop*, *bidrose* or *vandervis* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC non compos mentis

### ODT Online Fri, 6 Nov 2015
Hope for closure over Citifleet fraud
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council hopes to turn the page on the $1.5 million Citifleet fraud after taking a public hammering in the eyes of ratepayers. Council chief executive Sue Bidrose expressed that hope after the police yesterday released their final report into the Citifleet investigation, which concluded no charges would be laid over the fraud.
Read more

No comments allowed at ODT.

I don’t accept from Ms Bidrose that everything is now in the past. She was GM for Citifleet and Citipark, and latterly CE when this all started to unfold, and ultimately responsible for staff —in that the risk of loss of life as a possible outcome once DCC started (much belatedly) its internal investigation should have been better managed.

—

Related Post:
24.4.15 DCC re Dr Bidrose’s time as most senior Citifleet Manager
[via LGOIMA request initiated by Cr Lee Vandervis]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: pixgood.com – Dog Playing Dead Who should be playing dead – text overlay by whatifdunedin

Stuff: Police release final Citifleet report

Updated.
Fri, 6 Nov 2015 at 2:40 p.m.

Over an 11-year period, 152 vehicles were unaccounted for, while more than $100,000 was misappropriated on a council fuel card.

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 16:21 05/11/2015 | 11:34 05/11/2015
No-one charged with $1.5m Dunedin council fraud case
By Hamish McNeilly
No-one will be charged with the $1.5 million Dunedin City Council Citifleet fraud, a final police report reveals. Dunedin Police have released the final report into the fraud, involving the theft of more than 150 council vehicles and misused fuel cards, after the earlier release of an investigation report to Fairfax Media. That report was reviewed by Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Inglis, who concluded there was “insufficient evidence to charge any of the purchasers of the vehicles with the offence of receiving”.

“No other charges have been identified.” –Police report

Deloitte interviewed 62 people in relation to the theft of the vehicles from the council and the “majority of those persons were council employees”, the police report said.
● The council was expected to release a response to the police report on Thursday afternoon.
Read more

ODT: Police review backs Citifleet decision
No comments allowed.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Citifleet: Redactions redactions

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Det Snr Sgt Inglis’ review (February 2015) stretched to four pages, but about half its contents were blacked out prior to being released.

### ODT Online Thu, 15 Oct 2015
Citifleet review findings blacked out
By Chris Morris on Thu, 15 Oct 2015
An internal review of the initial police investigation into the $1.5 million Citifleet fraud has made several findings, but exactly what they are remain under wraps. Months after the conclusion of the investigation Dunedin police last week released a heavily redacted copy of the review to the Otago Daily Times.
Read more

█ For more, enter the terms *citifleet*, *deloitte*, *bachop* or *bidrose* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: eliseblaha.typepad.com – enJOY it by Elise Blaha Cripe [detail]

DCC dirty laundry/fleet cars #LGOIMA

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Related Posts and Comments:
18.9.15 DCC suddenly wakes up! *cough —after fleet car pointers from years back
● 16.9.15 DCC: Know your council ‘chair-leaders’ #pillowtalk [THE EMAILS]
4.8.15 Hundreds of DCC Staff receive fraud detection/prevention training #OMG
21.7.15 DCC: LGOIMA requests for the last month
24.4.15 DCC re Dr Bidrose’s time as most senior Citifleet Manager

Belatedly….
19.9.15 ODT: Information requests irk councillors

The latest salvo came after Cr Lee Vandervis made public an email exchange with Crs Benson-Pope and Richard Thomson, copied to other councillors and staff, earlier this week.

Cr Vandervis did not respond to ODT requests for comment yesterday.

In his emails, published online, he blamed a lack of information coming from council staff for the “tedious” need to resort to Information Act requests.

Biblical proportion…. [thanks RMN]

Matthew 23:23-25
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence….

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr (online)

DCC suddenly wakes up! *cough —after fleet car pointers from years back

Oh wait, this is a new discovery. Pigs what fly.

Limp wrists, institutionalised rip-offs, with yet another trumped up (managerial) job title: “organisational development and performance group manager”.

Photo: RNZ/Ian Telfer

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About 60 council staff had access to council cars to take home, but the review showed many no longer needed to.

### ODT Online Fri, 18 Sep 2015
DCC tightens up on private car use
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council is tightening control of its vehicle fleet after finding dozens of staff have been taking cars home at night for no valid reason. The finding came after a review launched earlier this year which found “ad hoc” processes governing the personal use of council cars by some staff.
Read more

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█ Sample comments dredged up from What if? Dunedin archives (from 36 of 134 pages pertinent to the site moderator’s search, is all….):

Phil
Submitted on 2014/12/30 at 11:49 am

Mick, the investigation brief to Deloitte, as weak as it was, was not limited to Citifleet. Of course Citifleet was the main focus, but the opportunity was given to carry out a general stocktake of DCC internal practices. Many of the internal interviews conducted had no relationship to Citifleet. Bad practices within other departments were identified with the help of staff, and recommendations given. As you say, the value of the report will be in how effectively the recommendations are enforced.

Phil
Submitted on 2014/12/29 at 9:21 pm

Terribly unfair. How will current Assistant department managers be able to get cheap maintenance from DCC contractors on their home air conditioning systems cheaply installed by DCC contractors now ? Or get their kitchen remodelled for half of the market rate ? How are these highly valued public servants supposed to survive if they have to live like normal people ?

I remember a few years ago when a (former) department manager telephoned all the contractors and asked them not to send Christmas gifts into the DCC offices. He offered instead to drive out to each contractor (presumably in a DCC fleet car) and collect the gifts himself. That’s going the extra mile.

Phil
Submitted on 2014/11/18 at 9:22 pm

Still on the list are the remainder of the senior staff who have been identified by Deloitte as being involved in serious and ongoing conflict of interest business dealings. Awarding uncontested contracts to family members with no internal checking, identifying a need for specialist equipment or services within their DCC department, buying the equipment/services privately, and then hiring it back to their own department. Most of the managers identified to date are long term managers with 20 years in the role. It seems that the younger staff elevated to management roles have a higher professional integrity level than their elder colleagues. I suspect a few more early retirements are on the horizon.

Phil
Submitted on 2014/10/30 at 3:43 am

I’m more impressed (or depressed) by the revelation that there are 43 current DCC staff members who earn in excess of $100k a year. Given that there are nowhere near 43 departments within DCC (more like half that number) that means that ridiculous salaries are not merely confined to heads of departments.

Phil
Submitted on 2014/08/22 at 6:17 pm

Cars, the number of vehicles actually required by DCC is being included in the process. Specifically mentioned in the internal memo released to staff by the CEO today was the private use of DCC vehicles by staff, which is a positive and overdue move. DCC assets are no longer available for direct purchase by staff or elected officials. Any and all potential conflicts of interest are now required to be formally registered. I think that Sue Bidrose is handling this as well as anyone faced with such a situation could. She could not have foreseen this mess. It was interesting in discussions last night that one of the few people within the organisation who spanned the entire fraud period, which pre dates Brent Bachop, was Athol. How did he miss this, given that he had the finance portfolio the whole time ? Not suggesting that Athol is involved but when you are talking about $1.5m, the buck has to stop somewhere.

Phil
Submitted on 2014/08/09 at 10:27 am

Well there’s an interesting development. In 2006, former DCC Group Manager, Grant Strang, buys a 1996 Hyundai Sonata for $2,500 from City Fleet. Hands a “Non Negotiable” stamped cheque to DCC Finance Department for said amount, and receives a receipt.

I have a couple problems with this story. In 2006 I was also working at the DCC. I was employed in a managerial role in the Civic Centre building although, to be fair, not at the level that Grant Strang was employed. But enough to see a few things. In 2006, Grant Strang ordered a $5,000 office chair for his room. I know this because I was shown the receipt by the 2 staff members who took delivery of the chair. I even took a spin in it. If you see a $5,000 office chair, you simply have to know what it feels like. Feels pretty good, I have to say. Anyway, the same man who thought he deserved a $5,000 chair, thought it was a good idea to buy a 10 year old Hyundai. Not knocking Hyundais, but sound like the same person ? We’ll get back to that.

As I said, I worked in the Civic Centre building in 2006. In the course of my duties, I had cause to be in the City Fleet garage about 4 times a week. For a few years either side of 2006. Most often I was there to make use of a City Fleet vehicle. Pretty uneventful stuff like going grocery shopping, taking the dog to the vet, picking up kids from school. Typical car pool activities. But one observation from that time bugged me today. Bugged me enough to contact a few of my former DCC colleagues. We all came to the same conclusion. In all our trips out in City Fleet vehicles, over all our years combined, not one of us could recall ever driving a fleet vehicle that was 10 years old. We struggled, in fact, to think of an instance when we drove a fleet vehicle that was more than 5 years old. How many companies find it economical to have 10 year old cars in their fleets ? Especially a company with the discount buying power like DCC. Sure, we had driven Hyundais, but they were all new models. We could only come up with one Sonata during that period and that was a car which, for some weird reason, was especially reserved for use only by one Rodney Bryant. We won’t get into that one.

The cheque. First up, how many people write cheques in this age of electronic bank transfers ? To the same company that you work for. In the same building. Grant Strang’s office was on the second floor of the Civic Centre building in 2006. Finance lived on the third floor. According to Grant Strang, he walked up one flight of stairs and delivered them a cheque for $2,500. He was so worried about the 15 metre internal journey, and so mistrusting of the staff in the Finance Department of the same company in which he was a senior manager, that he felt the need to cross the cheque as Non Negotiable. Seriously ? I worked probably 50m away from Finance and I knew them all by first name.

Now, I have no doubt that Grant Strang wrote a cheque for $2,500 and gave it to DCC Finance Department. And I have no doubt that he received a receipt for that $2,500 as the payment for a 1996 Hyundai Sonata. I’m sure that the financial paperwork is very clean and deliberate. My question is, what car did he drive away in that day ?

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{Link: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/312126/cars-staff-and-councillor -Eds}

Phil
Submitted on 2014/06/26 at 7:11 pm

I’m trying to get my head around the numbers as well. I’m assuming that the Citifleet stocks include for the likes of the Water Dept, Library buses etc. From memory there are about 300 people working in the Civic Centre, so 200 vehicles is a hell of a lot to service just the Civic Centre. Some vehicles were permanently reserved for particular people, but even so.

The issue of “take home” vehicles has always annoyed me. The Chief Building Inspector does not need to take a DCC car home every night. He is not on the roster for after hours call-outs. Neither is the head of the Environmental Health department. On the subject of call-outs themselves, I would say that 80% of those who work in the Civic Centre live no more than a 10 to 15 minute drive from their home. Should they be required to attend something out of hours, it is not unreasonable to expect them to drive their own car to the Civic Centre, park it in the Civic Centre garage, and then take out a DCC car. It’s not a Health and Safety issue as they use private transport to get to their place of work every day. There is absolutely no reason why the car pool needs to get emptied out at 5pm every evening. Part of the problem, I believe, is that the majority of vehicles are unmarked. People would be far less likely to park up in the Countdown carpark on a Saturday evening if there was a thumping great DCC logo painted on the side.

Phil
Submitted on 2012/07/16 at 5:42 am

If Paul Orders is hunting for more suggestions, he can take a look at the ridiculous “retention” money being paid to lower and middle DCC managers over and above their listed salary. Bumping up the gross income to between 30 and 50% higher than the salary listed for them. No staff member in the DCC is that indispensable. Likewise to the staff members receiving 105% of their graded salary, year after year, supposedly reserved for a “one off action”. This practice has been going on for so long now that staff are expecting it as a right.

Phil
Submitted on 2012/07/13 at 9:01 am

Speaking of DCC and transport, I heard a big grizzle from inside the hallowed halls a couple of days ago. Paul Orders’ latest economy drive (pardon the pun) effort has been to put the brakes (another goody) on the practice of staff routinely taking home DCC cars at night. Good on you, Paul, and not a day too soon. A bouquet from me. This blatant abuse used to annoy the hell out of me. 50 cars in the DCC car pool that would disappear at 5pm every evening. You would get mowed down if you dared walk in front of the garage driveway at 30 seconds past 5pm. The majority of cars are now unmarked (big mistake), removing the ability to monitor private usage of publicly funded vehicles. They should all be marked. The only area potentially requiring stealth is noise control, and that’s carried out by private contractors (in their own MARKED vehicles, I might add). There is no reason why staff members need to take DCC cars home at night and weekends. 99.9% of the staff are not on a 24 hour callout. Of those who might be called out (once every 6 months), the majority live no more than 15 minutes from the DCC garage. They can easily drive to the Octagon and collect a DCC car if they need. The Chief Building Inspector does not need a DCC 4wd car parked up in his Wakari driveway every night. No one from the I.T. department should be driving to and from Fairfield to work in a DCC car. City Property staff do not need free undercover carparks 2 minutes from the Octagon. Rodney Bryant did not need a dedicated unmarked DCC car which no other staff member was allowed to use (although that may have been a passive smoking Health and Safety issue to protect the rest of the staff). My alltime favourite was the Environmental Health Officer who used to schedule his restaurant inspections for 8am every day (every day), so that he would “have” to take a DCC car home the night before. It’s childish behaviour and good on the CEO for doing what these supposed professionals should have had the decency to do themselves.

et cetera

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Know your council ‘chair-leaders’ #pillowtalk

It’s with some fascination if not repulsion that Whatiffers can observe bullying by standing committee chairmen continuing unabated on the mayor’s watch.

Cr Thomson’s historical on camera stunts of addressing or referring to Cr Vandervis as “my good friend” are, how shall I say, unchaste and deceptive in the context of what follows below.

Two emails received tonight.

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Received from Lee Vandervis
Wed, 16 Sep 2015 at 9:26 p.m.

█ Message: Differing Councillor views that may be of interest.
Cheers, Lee

—

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2015 22:41:19 +1200
To: Richard Thomson, Grace Ockwell, Sue Bidrose, Sandy Graham
Cc: Dave Cull, Kate Wilson, Chris Staynes, Jinty MacTavish, David Benson-Pope, Hilary Calvert, Aaron Hawkins, Mike Lord, Andrew Whiley, John Bezett, Doug Hall, Neville Peat, Andrew Noone, Ruth Stokes
Conversation: OIA Request
Subject: Re: OIA Request

Actually Richard, the Lamborghini has become symbolic of many other very visible excesses, but let us stick to Council issues.

For many years I used to make all the information I had available in very candid discussions with staff, who often then failed to investigate appropriately. Citifleet is a prime example, and this and other examples has taught me that a publicly funded organisation is poorly motivated to investigate itself.
Without my LGOIMA requests the incredibly belated Citifleet ‘investigation’ might never have happened, as it did not happen for over a decade before. Have you counted the cost of that multimillion dollar fraud as a percentage of the cost of processing my LGOIMA requests?
Do you not realise that most of my LGOIMA request arise from questions and allegations from members of the public that I represent?

Even when an internal investigation does prove that for instance over quarter of a million of public funds was paid to a contractor to clear mudtanks and none were cleared, nothing appropriate seems to happen at the DCC without publicity. Hence my now having to get the public involved when things are not sorted internally.
When you claim that needing information “of how the information relates to possible wrong doing” is necessary to get information, this is absurd. It is much easier to simply search ‘Stihl chainsaws’ and forward what DCC files information appears. Similarly a vehicle registration number. Just search the registration number and forward the files – easy, quick, no thinking required, little time wasted considering whether ‘particular staff have been involved in possible wrong doing’ etc.

Why is it that our staff can have all this information, but not want to share it with us the supposed decision makers when we request it?
Answer – information is power – and bureaucracies generally do not want to share it, especially with supposed decision makers.

Don’t you dare suggest that I do not give a toss, as you have no way of knowing the state of my mind or the work that I do, and don’t you dare suggest that my approach has failed to identify fraudulent behaviour, as you similarly do not know what has gone into, for instance, Citifleet, Jacks Point/Luggate, mudtanks, Noble, Town Hall redevelopment, or the almost complete turnover of senior managers at the DCC in the last few years.

I will continue to carry on in the manner I believe to be appropriate, and I do not seek any advice on my manner from of you.

Regards,
Cr. Vandervis

———————————

On 15/09/15 9:48 pm, “Richard Thomson” wrote:

Actually Lee my concern is quite the opposite. If there is fraud taking place I want to see it caught. That is why in the Otago DHB when someone came to me with an anonymous tip off and no evidence to back it I initiated a full investigation within half an hour. And I know what some of the consequences are of taking action. They include having to have endless questioning of your integrity/intelligence/ etc by people such as yourself and your fellow travellers on the likes of What If. You have no idea how terribly amusing it is to regularly be accused, because you did the right thing, of “failing to notice the Lamborghini in the carpark”. Never mind that I never had a carpark so didn’t go in the carpark building, or that the fabled Lamborgini was only owned for a few days. Or indeed, had I gone in the carpark building for a random look around and spotted a Lamborghini I would probably have assumed it belonged to a surgeon anyway. So bearing that personal history in mind here is what really pisses me off.

When you make accusations but when virtually begged to make the information available to the CEO so it can be investigated you respond that the “only way you will be making the information available will be through the pages of the ODT”. As you did at the Audit Committee meeting.

When you put in OIA requests and refuse to give any indication of how the information relates to possible wrong doing. Lets think chain saws here. So in the end the only way the OIA can be responded to is to make general inquiries all over the place thereby pretty much ensuring that if there has been dishonesty the person involved will have plenty of time to bury any evidence.

When you seek “all documentation” about a motor vehicle without giving a toss whether the inquiries around that might harm any investigation if there has been wrong doing because the people responding to the request will have no idea if they are going to tip off unknowingly a suspect.

It ought to be of some concern to you by now that your methods and approach have failed to catch any fraudulent behaviour but that the methods of Mr McKenzie that you so disparage have caught a number. Perhaps the fact that people do come to you with info might actually result in people being caught if you worked with people instead of carrying on in the manner you do.

R

[contacts deleted]

———————————

From: Lee Vandervis
To: Richard Thomson; Grace Ockwell; Sue Bidrose; Sandy Graham
Cc: Dave Cull; Kate Wilson; Chris Staynes; Jinty MacTavish; David Benson-Pope; Hilary Calvert; Aaron Hawkins; Mike Lord; Andrew Whiley; John Bezett; Doug Hall; Neville Peat; Andrew Noone
Sent: Tuesday, 15 September 2015 8:59 PM
Subject: Re: OIA Request

Re: OIA Request

I note Richard, that you and some others are quite happy to get on with running a city without knowing who is stealing what or how much things cost to run the city.
My regular voting against Council spending motions often arises because there is simply not enough information made available to justify voting for.
If staff reports provided adequate relevant information, and if rate-paid reports like the $300,000 Deloitte investigation information were made available to us who need to make related decisions, none of this tedious LGOIMA process would be necessary. It is a shame that I have to go to so much effort just get basic information, and that so few others can be bothered.

Cr. Vandervis

———————————

On 15/09/15 5:27 pm, “Richard Thomson” wrote:

Hi,

Could I please file an official information act request asking what the cost to Council has been of answering Cr Vandervis’s official information act requests over the last year.

on second thoughts, please don’t. I’d prefer you got on with running a city..

R

[contacts deleted]

—— End of Forwarded Message

—

Received from Lee Vandervis
Wed, 16 Sep 2015 at 9:27 p.m.

█ Message: And this…

—

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:50:07 +1200
To: David Benson-Pope, Richard Thomson, Grace Ockwell, Sue Bidrose, Sandy Graham
Cc: Dave Cull, Kate Wilson, Chris Staynes, Jinty MacTavish, Hilary Calvert, Aaron Hawkins, Mike Lord, Andrew Whiley, John Bezett, Doug Hall, Neville Peat, Andrew Noone
Conversation: OIA Request
Subject: Re: OIA Request

You might well have stopped for a moment David, to consider the cost of not making LGOIMA requests, or of the enormous savings to ratepayers had LGOIMA requests been honestly and promptly complied with as required by the LGOIMA Act.
It has been recently proven that ex CEO Harland misled Councillors making LGOIMA requests to find out what Farry and Co were up to with Stadium planning/funding, by falsely claiming that the Carisbrook Stadium Trust were not subject to LGOIMA information disclosure requirements. Ex-CEO Harland did this despite having two legal opinions, one local and one ex Wellington, saying that the CST were absolutely subject to LGOIMA information requests. Harland’s deceptions have only come to light as a result of many subsequent LGOIMA requests.
Had Harland processed LGOIMA requests as legally required during his tenure it would highly likely have saved ratepayers many millions in a variety of areas, if not hundreds of millions wasted on our Stadium liability.
If all my 2011 LGOIMA requests for Citifleet information, including all credit card information had been made available as requested under LGOIMA, think how many subsequently stolen vehicles would have been saved and perhaps even the life of a bent manager. Put a price on that David and make sure to request the full cost thereof.
The horrendous cost of not having required relevant information on which to make decisions is the reason we have LGOIMA.
In my opinion, not using the LGOIMA process suggests that you are not doing your job as an elected representative.

Regards,
Cr. Lee Vandervis

———————————

On 15/09/15 6:04 pm, “David Benson-Pope” wrote:

While I agree with the sentiment … If he won’t I wil

This is therefore a request for full details of all lgoima requests made to the dcc by any councillor in the current triennium and the full cost thereof
Yours etc
David Benson-Pope
Sent from my Windows Phone

———————————

From: Richard Thomson
Sent: 15/09/2015 5:27 p.m.
To: Grace Ockwell; Sue Bidrose; Sandy Graham
Cc: Dave Cull; Kate Wilson; Chris Staynes; Lee Vandervis; Jinty MacTavish; David Benson-Pope; Hilary Calvert; Aaron Hawkins; Mike Lord; Andrew Whiley; John Bezett; Doug Hall; Neville Peat; Andrew Noone
Subject: OIA Request

Hi,

Could I please file an official information act request asking what the cost to Council has been of answering Cr Vandervis’s official information act requests over the last year.

on second thoughts, please don’t. I’d prefer you got on with running a city.

R

[contacts deleted]

—— End of Forwarded Message

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: toonpool.com – Cat Whisperer by Goodwyn (tweaked by whatifdunedin)

DCC Citifleet: Police finishing final report

### ODT Online Wed, 16 Sep 2015
Final Citifleet fraud report not finished
By Chris Morris
Dunedin police are still working to finalise a report into the $1.5 million Citifleet fraud, despite announcing in June no charges would be laid, it has been confirmed. The development came as it was confirmed an earlier police report into the Dunedin City Council’s long-running fraud was released to media despite internal concerns from senior police it was out of date, emails showed.
Read more

● The Department of Internal Affairs was keeping a close eye on the Dunedin City Council’s handling of the Citifleet fraud investigation, documents show. (ODT)

█ For more, enter the terms *citifleet*, *bachop*, *bidrose* or *vandervis* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Citifleet: Council steered off SFO investigation

Link received.
Mon, 7 Sep 2015 at 9:47 p.m.

█ Message: Spot the difference – a Maori group gets the SFO while Dunedin Ratepayers get a lowly detective.

—

### NZ Herald Online 3:59 PM Monday Sep 7, 2015
Tertiary funding probe: SFO called in as centre agrees to pay back $7.5 million
By Steve Deane
A senior manager is dead and a Serious Fraud Office investigation has been launched following a probe into an agricultural college that uncovered millions of dollars of unjustified taxpayer funding.
The results of a Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) investigation into funding irregularities at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre were released this afternoon following investigations by the Herald.
Taratahi’s former chief executive, Dr Donovan Wearing, died suddenly in January – three months after the TEC confirmed it was undertaking a ‘targeted review’ of the organisation.
The Herald has been told Dr Wearing addressed staff at the sprawling campus just outside Masterton about the investigation on January 21. The 52-year-old father of six was later found in a critical condition in a shed on campus grounds. He was taken to Wellington Hospital where he died at 10.30pm.
Dr Wearing’s death has been referred to the coroner.
Read more

█ For more, enter the terms *citifleet*, *deloitte*, *vandervis*, *detectives* and *bidrose* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Piss-take (?!) | DCC non comprende ORC and POL

[cold night shrinkage]

ODT brings WHAT EXACTLY to the working desktop —(surprise!)

The city council with one of the largest per capita ratepayer debt levels in New Zealand, and a superlative track record of POOR BUSINESS DECISIONS (costing ratepayers HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in the last 10 years), thinks it can preach to Otago Regional Council and Port Otago Ltd.

Sheer folly – tied to the MISGUIDED mission to sell out to the 1%er Chinese. CARGO CUL_TISM. [Would someone be pushing something small down the throat again, to secure yet another dowry for a hotel.]

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### ODT Online Sat, 5 Sep 2015
Waterfront the next big thing?
By Chris Morris
Dunedin’s waterfront is the city’s biggest missed opportunity, but the planets could be aligning for development, advocates say. Depending on who you talk to, the waterfront around Dunedin’s Steamer Basin is either a cold, windswept industrial hub or the city’s next big thing. Where some see room for only the existing cluster of industrial businesses and dilapidated buildings, others imagine a waterfront like Wellington’s – populated by cafes, bars, restaurants, apartments and hotels.
Read more

● ODT: Harbourside views in conflict
● ODT: ORC denies hindering development

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Fairfax Media: Police release Citifleet investigation report

Updated post
Wed, 12 Aug 2015 at 4:50 p.m.

██ CITIFLEET POLICE REPORT (PDF, 4.41 MB) —via Fairfax Media

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The detective, who has since left the police force, also noted the council did not supply Bachop’s credit card or fuel card statements as requested.

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:08, August 12 2015
Police raised possibility of others involved in Dunedin City Council Citifleet fraud
By Hamish McNeilly
It had been billed as the work of a sole suspect, but a police file into the investigation of the theft of 152 cars from the Dunedin City Council fingers the “highly suspicious” activity of another unnamed person. Police have released to Fairfax Media their investigation report into the Citifleet fraud.
Read more

Previous articles:
18.12.14 Stuff: Car fraud pinned on dead man
3.6.14 Stuff: Dunedin council unit under scrutiny

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[screenshot – click to enlarge]

█ For more, enter the terms *citifleet*, *conduct* and *vandervis* in the search box at right.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC AMAZE —oh, more fraud

DCC CULTURE OF ENTITLEMENT
‘Enormously disappointing’ —And Enormously Expected.
‘ONE MAN’ did it. An outright fairytale.
DOLLY didn’t, either. More to come !!

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### ODT Online Mon, 10 Aug 2015
Further cases of fraud at council
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council says the discovery of five more examples of fraud and theft inside the organisation is “enormously” disappointing. […] Details of the smaller incidents emerged last week, in response to Otago Daily Times questions, a year after the discovery of the Citifleet fraud.
Read more

█ ODT blocks public comments to this item.

ODT 10.8.15 [Source: DCC]

[screenshot]

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Related Posts and Comments:
7.8.15 MOU DCC and TCFT New Aquatic Facility #MosgielPool
4.8.15 Hundreds of DCC Staff receive fraud detection/prevention training
28.7.15 DCC tender fraud includes Citifleet —not for discussion
23.7.15 Publicise: laudafinem.com
207.15 Noble property subdivision —DELTA #LGOIMA
13.7.15 Jeff Dickie: Edinburgh tough, Dunedin (DUD)
4.7.15 DCC Citifleet, [a] Deloitte report leaked
25.6.15 DCC Citifleet COVERUP #screwy
17.6.15 Citifleet: ‘Checkpoint’ interviews Dave Cull
4.5.15 Cr Lee Vandervis: Why I continue to vote. #email
1.5.15 Cr Vandervis unlikely to quit several missions #coverup #naturaljustice
24.3.15 Noble property subdivision —DELTA
23.3.15 Noble property subdivision: “Denials suggest that we have not learned.”
17.3.15 DCC —Delta, Jacks Point Luggate II….
3.1.15 DCC: Street talk NEVER HAPPENED
28.4.15 Today at DCC in pictures
24.4.15 DCC re Dr Bidrose’s time as most senior Citifleet Manager
23.4.15 DCC severely FAILS councillor #naturaljustice #contempt
18.3.15 Lee Vandervis releases emails #Citifleet investigation
13.3.15 Cr Vandervis: LGOIMA request – Citifleet … Deloitte Report
24.12.14 Dunedin: Watching the detectives
1.12.14 Stadium Review: LGOIMA request and 2009 Town Hall speeches
18.12.14 DCC: Deloitte report released on Citifleet
21.11.14 Stadium Review: Mayor Cull exposed
19.11.14 Forsyth Barr Stadium Review
1.9.14 DCC Fraud: Further official information in reply to Cr Vandervis
30.8.14 DCC Fraud: Cr Vandervis … urgent need for facts and record to be public
27.8.14 DCC whitewash on serious fraud, steals democracy from citizens
22.8.14 DCC: Deloitte report referred to the police #Citifleet
3.7.14 Stuff: Alleged vehicle fraud at DCC
1.7.14 DCC: Far-reaching fraud investigation Citifleet
28.5.14 DCC: Audit and risk subcommittee
20.3.14 Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General
19.3.14 ORFU: Black-tie dinner, theft or fraud?
26.2.14 DCC: New audit and risk subcommittee a little too late !!
14.2.14 DCC: Broadband AND bicycles #fraudband speed
1.12.13 Secret Commissions Act aka ‘Backhanders Law’

█ For more, enter the terms *deloitte*, *citifleet*, *fraud*, *conduct*, *vandervis*, *delta*, *orfu* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC tender fraud includes Citifleet —not for discussion

Mayor Cull is papering over cracks.

QUESTION
Where did the Deloitte report on Citifleet disappear to after it was leaked to ODT? Somewhere deep in a mud tank, at South Dunedin?
Deloitte produced three Citifleet reports; at least two of these show people are liable (present tense) for prosecution.

Where has ODT been to not take the cover off said blocked mud tank.

What makes Dunedin Police so reluctant to prosecute.

Cull and Bidrose “say” just one man, Bachop, is guilty of the +$1.5million Citifleet fraud, which included +152 fleet vehicles lost as well as trade in tyres and parts, and vehicle service contracts (tenders, black market, yawn)….

No wonder Deloitte investigator Kyle Cameron is pissed off at DCC.
No prosecutions ~!!

But back to Monday’s thrashing on tender fraud.
Cr Vandervis has already provided enough evidence to DCC officials, in non public, to add to or start investigations. They don’t want to know.
This is local government at Dunedin, refusing transparency and accountability.

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Cr Vandervis hit back, telling the meeting he had provided other evidence to Mr Cull in confidence in the past, and could produce it publicly at the meeting, if needed.

### ODT Online Tue, 28 Jul 2015
Vandervis told to produce ‘evidence’
By Chris Morris
Mayor Dave Cull and Cr Lee Vandervis locked horns yesterday after the latter claimed to have “plenty of evidence” of tender fraud involving the council. The comment, as councillors at yesterday’s full council meeting signed off on a new sensitive expenditure policy, prompted a point of order from Cr Jinty MacTavish, who labelled his comment “disrespectful” and challenged him to produce evidence.
Read more

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█ Report – Council – 27/07/2015 (PDF, 164.6 KB)
Sensitive Expenditure Policy and Procedures

The new policy covered everything from travel and accommodation to entertainment and hospitality, but not contracts and tendering, which Cr Vandervis wanted included as well. (ODT)

About cemetery contracts….

5.3.15 ODT: Praise for council from outgoing manager

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: LGOIMA requests for the last month

Received from Lee Vandervis
‎Tue‎, ‎21‎ ‎Jul‎ ‎2015 ‎at 8‎:‎24‎ ‎p.m.

[screenshot — click to enlarge]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr