Emergency Council Meeting

25 March 2020

Northland Regional Council Minutes

 

Emergency meeting held in the Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Wednesday 25 March 2020, commencing at 9.00am

 

Present:

Chairperson, Penny Smart

Councillors:

John Bain

Justin Blaikie

Jack Craw (via electronic link)

Amy Macdonald (via electronic link)

Marty Robinson

Rick Stolwerk

Joce Yeoman (via electronic link)

 

In Attendance:

Full Meeting

Chief Executive Officer

GM - Corporate Excellence

Governance Support Manager

Part Meeting

GM - Customer Service/Community Resilience

GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement (via electronic link)

 

Secretarial Note: 

·         Prior to the Chair opening the meeting, the GM - Customer Service/Community Resilience provided  an update on the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) COVID-19 response.  The Northland CDEM response must be consistent with the national response and key messages were for people to self-isolate, be supportive and maintain community networks without compromising isolation.

·         The Chair opened the meeting at 9.12am and proceedings commenced with a karakia by Councillor Macdonald.

·         The Chair addressed the meeting.  Key points included:

-            Appreciation was extended to the CEO/staff for the NRC COVID-19 response and it was stressed the team had council’s full support.

-            Over 100 staff were working remotely, continuing business as usual, and as such would receive full remuneration.

-            The CDEM team would remain in the office during the four weeks’ lock down period.

-            It was stressed that COVID-19 was bigger than NRC/Northland/New Zealand and ‘business as usual will be no longer’.

 

Apologies (Ngā whakapahā) (Item 1.0)

 

Moved (Stolwerk/Bain)

That the apologies from Councillor Kitchen for non-attendance be received.

Carried

Declarations of Conflicts of Interest (Nga whakapuakanga) (Item 2.0)

It was advised that councillors should make declarations item-by-item as the meeting progressed.

 

Verbal Briefings (Item 3.1)

ID: A1298484

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Robinson/Stolwerk)

That the report ‘Verbal Briefings’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 23 March 2020, be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:

·         The GM - Corporate Excellence provided a financial update, focussing on:

-        Rates remissions and postponements given the current volatile situation; and

-        Modelling and planning for different financial scenarios.

·         The Chief Executive Officer and GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement provided an update on council’s internal pandemic response, focussing on:

-        Business continuity and ensuring essential levels of service were maintained;

-        Confirmation of council support to retain the original consultation period/timeframes for the Annual Plan process;

-        Alignment of NRC’s pandemic plan with the Crown response; and

-        Ensuring the resilience of the CDEM team as a whole as well as individual staff welfare/support.

 

Clarification of Emergency Decision Making Delegations (Item 3.2)

ID: A1298311

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Stolwerk/Robinson)

1.         That the report ‘Clarification of Emergency Decision Making Delegations’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 23 March 2020, be received.

2.         That council’s delegation to make an urgent/emergency decision (in accordance with Part 6 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA)) be amended to specifically include reference to a pandemic event (where it is difficult to convene a council or subcommittee meeting) as included in Attachment One (pertaining to Item 3.2 of the 25  March 2020 Emergency Council Meeting agenda).  For the avoidance of doubt this delegation is made pursuant to clause 32, Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act and includes all powers and functions of council other than those listed in clause 32(1), Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act.

 Carried

 

Emergency Delegations (Item 3.3)

ID: A1298396

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Bain/Blaikie)

1.         That the report ‘Emergency Delegations’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 23 March 2020, be received.

2.         That, in the event the Chief Executive Officer is unable to fulfil his duties due to COVID‑19, the GM - Environmental Services/Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Howse, is appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer and must perform all the responsibilities and duties, and may exercise all the powers, of the Chief Executive Officer.

2b.      That, in the event the Deputy Chief Executive Officer is unable to fulfil such duties (resolution 2) due to COVID-19, the Chief Executive Officer’s delegated authority and powers will transfer to the next designated Group Manager, as follows:

·     GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement – Jonathan Gibbard

·     GM - Customer Services/Community Resilience – Tony Phipps

·     GM - Regulatory Services – Colin Dall.

3.         That in the event one of the Group Managers is unavailable to fulfil his duties due to        COVID-19, their Deputy GM must perform all their responsibilities and duties; and may          exercise all their powers.  In the event the Deputy GM is unable to fulfil these duties due to COVID-19 these will be delegated to the officer nominated in the table below:

Group Manager

Deputy Group Manager

Nominated Officer

GM - Customer Services/Community Resilience

Customer Services Manager, Sue Brookes

Civil Defence Emergency Management Manager, Graeme MacDonald

GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement

Strategy, Policy and Planning Manager, Ben Lee

Strategic Policy Specialist, Justin Murfitt

GM - Corporate Excellence

Information Services and Technology Manager, Carol Cottam

Finance Manager, Simon Crabb

GM - Regulatory Services

Compliance Monitoring Manager, Tess Dacre

Natural Resources Monitoring Manager, Jason Donaghy

GM - Environmental Services

Land Manager, Duncan Kervell

Rivers and Natural Hazards Manager, Joseph Camuso

 

Carried

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was further moved (Bain/Robinson)

That in the event neither the Chair or Deputy Chair (of council) are able to fulfil their duties due to COVID-19, Councillor Stolwerk (being Chair of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Committee and Chair of the Investment and Property Subcommittee) be appointed Acting Chairperson and must perform all the responsibilities and duties, and may exercise all the powers, of the Chairperson.

Carried

 

Amendment to Subcommittee and Working Party Quorums (Item 3.4)

ID: A1298519

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Stolwerk/Robinson)

1.         That the report ‘Amendment to Subcommittee and Working Party Quorums’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 23 March 2020, be received.

2.         That the quorum for the Investment and Property Subcommittee and the Audit and Risk Subcommittee be reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic response to two members.

3.         That the quorum for all council working parties be suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

4.         For the avoidance of doubt, recommendations 2 and 3 (above) remain in force until the pandemic is declared over by central government agencies or by council resolution.

Carried

 

Conclusion

The meeting concluded at 10.15am