Below is an article I penned for Strathmore Park Blog. It is titled The Life and Times of a New Councillor. It all commenced in October, and has been whirlwind of meetings, emails, proposals, workshops, facilities tours, introductions, orientation and induction, just to name a few of the many areas of a new councillor has to adapt to! Let’s get the good stuff on the table. The loves, and areas I enjoy the most are the vast people interaction and involvement. I was told the constituent portion of the role would be invasive. Concerned citizens would ring you at all hours I was told, and you will get collared at every event and activity. That has happened to a certain degree, however it has been reasonable. I enjoy resolving people’s concerns face to face. It all comes in phases. Pre Christmas it was Parking! Currently it is footpath safety, cycling ( We will get to that bit later), inner city speed zones, and proposed bus lanes. The council, and its operations are very diverse. There is always something in the mix. I knew I would thrive on the community related constituency involvement, and have not been disappointed. Pre-Christmas, and into February it was induction and orientation big time, and in fact it has not ceased, but isn’t quite as relentless. We new councillors attended workshops for Africa! There was a degree of duplication with what our council provided, and what Local Government New Zealand also placed on the agenda. A great amount of the information and advice was, and will be hugely useful. The speed of the up skill was immense, and information overload at times. The Council operation is complex. The Local Government NZ requirements, and the legislation which surrounds councils are immense! The up skill ranges from Governance to Speed Reading ( totally necessary to handle the amazing piles of reports and correspondence you need to keep up with! This has been made easier by the introduction of paperless reports, issued over a hub, and downloaded onto an I Pad!) The reading, while mostly interesting is sometimes tedious too, dependent on the writer! The acronyms are full on, and frenzied, with seemingly new ones evolving every few days to interpret. WREDA is the new favourite, being The Wellington Regional Development Agency, the merge of Positively Wellington Tourism, Positively Wellington Venues, Grow Wellington, and The WCC Major Events. A little insight as to how the Councillors operate. Generally we respect each other, and that is a big thing. There is quite often differing views of an issue, and with that diverse methods of handling situations. The skill sets of those around the table are actually complimentary when we work as a team, and believe it, or not, that happens frequently. There are other occasions ( usually widely reported) when there are certain councillors who feel they have to work independently, leak confidential information, play games, use spoiling and unsettling tactics, and upset the equilibrium. Some of the independent work achieved is impressive, while other aspects are counterproductive. I am glad to say, as yet the six new councillors have not got into some of the negative stuff that is applied from time to time. That was a mark of the last triennium. Generally we (The whole Council ) all get on, work hard, and have the occasional coffee, or meal together, which is a good thing. If there are a couple of things that I find “interesting” around the council table it is the games and contests played around debates. Quite often the decision is clear, and the outcome is common sense. Regardless certain councillors wish to enter the fray to see who can speak in the most articulate, and entertaining manner. Initially, and to me, this type of rhetoric combat started out as being mildly amusing. The competition is lively, and with some of the more experienced politicians, there are some great moments resulting in clever repartee! However it is getting to know what is solid info, as opposed to the clever “for the sake of it” stuff, that you need to assess quickly. You get to learn though that some of debate is superfluous, and a waste of good time, that could be devoted to other more useful and important matters. It does bring into question some of the chairing! Generally my colleagues are all good caring people, and capable. That counts for a lot. My working relationship with our Mayor is strong. We have very different political and philosophical views on many aspects of council. We also have many areas of common ground and agreement too. I am not sure the current committee structure is the right model, however it is early days, and with the right will we could just make it work. At times it has been a bit cumbersome. From a communication democratic decision making perspective a more whole of council approach might have been more user friendly. We are all giving the new process a good go, and the Mayor is receptive to constructive feedback, which may refine, or change things should we all feel similarly placed in the future. The consensus way in which we were involved in the committee structure, and the input into who would take on roles, particularly the Deputy Mayor position ensured a positive start to the triennium. It was a very open, and transparent process, which I was appreciative of. Time management in council and committee meetings is interesting, and has not been helped by the constant problems with the technology, and particularly the audio visual computer related area, where essentially every meeting we have some form of glitch or another. It holds things up, and is an embarrassment. It is especially disturbing and unprofessional when we have external contributors. To give you an idea of my workload. We all sit on The Whole of Council, and Governance, Finance and Planning. I also sit on the Transport Urban, The Community, Sport and Recreation, and The Risk and Audit Committees. I have two advisory group positions with the Multicultural Advisory Group and The Youth Council, and I have two Board Positions with Positively Wellington Venues, and Positively Wellington Tourism. I then have my own portfolio of Community Engagement, which is a huge and infinite area. I have more responsibilities than most. There have been numerous timetable clashes which are hugely frustrating. I find that by reading the relevant info, and paperwork you can prioritise, if conflicts occur. There are also numerous community, and “in council” meetings, events and activities ( many after hours and in weekends) which brings me to how does one handle their own family and business interests? Well it has been a juggle! Family time revolves around quality, not quantity. I have a young family, and it has been hard for us all to adapt. We now get away totally for family only time! After Christmas I realised that from a business perspective I was only spending about 15% of my week with my business, and something was going to give. We have a great staff, experienced and generally very loyal. To support them we have employed just the best consultants in Motif Agency, to apply transitional changes. That transition is still happening. Generally any actual photography I am involved in is very limited, and is mostly after hours, or on weekends. There have been exceptions, with the recent Royal Tour being one of only a few times I have requested permission to take on an assignment during what would have been Council time. That was a win/win situation for the city. Some of the photography I have been involved in has been council related, and occurred as a result of recording council activities, constituent issues, eg broken drains, uneven footpaths, and slips on roadways. I have also photographed other councillors involved in their day to day activities. It allows councillor work to be communicated more effectively. Photography is a useful skill to have on Council. My photography of Wellington will never cease, and my city and landscapes will continue to promote one of the most stunning regions in the world. Generally the type of photography I am talking about is at dawn and dusk, and hasn’t impacted in any way on my council work, except in a positive sense. A huge advantage is that it takes me all around the city, and I get to meet up with many different personalities in my travels. People keep saying to me: Are you enjoying it? Mostly the answer is a resounding yes! Council can be seriously entertaining, educational, and perplexing all within the same minute! You need to keep your wits about you at all times too. It is a steep learning curve. I especially enjoy the people contact, and troubleshooting constituent problems and issues. There are tedious and frustrating times too, however generally I am thriving on the challenges. That’s a self-assessment, and others may have a differing view. Another question that pops up all the time is “ How do you work with those people? Well to date I have had little difficulty with either Councillors, or The Officers. I have mentioned the Councillors in a general sense, but not The Officers. The Executive Leadership Team are impressive. How they maintain continual patience and professionalism defies belief. Their frustration at times must be immense, and especially dealing with political whims. They often get asked, or directed to put work into an area, do so, and then the political climate changes. The work is then done for nothing! There is a dollar value on that time! Some councillors are particularly hard on staff too, which does not help. In my career I have worked with, and among some pretty amazing, and inspirational people, and especially in the business, corporate and government world. Our cities Executive Leadership team are as impressive as any team I have been involved with. It is not pandering, it’s purely a strong view. Don’t get me wrong, our council has a way to go, and we have some weak points that need addressing. Areas such as Open for Business, Consents and Compliance, Transport, Communication ( both externally and internally), the way we engage and consult (… or don’t), and a myriad of other areas, are parts of council which need improving, and addressing. We actually know it, and there are great people in each of those areas working to achieve successful outcomes. If there is one thing I can say about our new CEO, is he is aware of most of the problem areas, and is working hard to promote a positive, productive and proactive culture within Council. We have some stars within Council. Housing, and Parks and Reserves, are best practice components of a huge organisation. In the areas I have direct involvement with, and have inherited by legacy, Positively Wellington Venues, and the Youth Council are the diamonds. The two Councillors who preceded me in both areas, ( Ngaire Best and Simon Marsh respectively ) left me with tough acts to follow. Positively Wellington Venues was established only a short time ago, and with a very precarious, and “interesting” business model re attaining a good financial outcome. They have achieved solid results in a relatively short space of time through great leadership, which is loyal, and motivating. The Board is a good blend of experience and expertise. The actions of the board are all about what is best for Wellington in relation to how we promote, and ensure our venues are fit for purpose. The venues Board is cohesive, and individually members are not afraid to ask the hard questions, or get involved in robust debate. Any of those board members would make fantastic councillors and civic leaders. I hope that is taken as compliment. In relation to councillors, a jewel for council, and an area so undervalued, is our cities Youth Council. Our Youth Councillors are generally exceptional. Their thought processes exercise good will, expertise, the lateral, initiative, and a common goal. They are seriously harnessed by the structures and processes that council have placed upon the group over a period of time. They generally get around the red tape, and achieve, however it is frustrating for them at times. I see talented youth, as displayed by the leadership and innovation shown from our Youth Council, as being great for succession planning in the future. If there is one area I have learnt a heap from, and in a very motivational manner, it is via The Youth Council. I hate ( and I don’t use that word lightly) missing any of their meetings or activities. I find being in their midst is totally refreshing. The officers responsible for the Youth Council, are excellent, and guide them exceedingly well. There is a healthy mutual respect. They deliver the goods big time, and with little resource. I would love for the city, to resource the Youth Council properly, and then unleash them! What is my take on my work programme? Well it has been hectic. Council is continually fighting fires, and councillors get brought into the fray, and usually late. It seriously erodes the ability to get on and provide vision and direction. I have a number of projects on the go, which I am developing rather more slowly than I had hoped. As councillors we get briefed on most of the big concepts, and decisions. We also get drawn into issues, some of which come out of left field, and at a moment’s notice. The Island Bay Cycle lane debacle is one such example, of left field! Totally poor council handling, and planning, has resulted in vast unhappiness. Some of the systems and process around council engagement and consultation are seriously flawed. Island Bay has two issues on its back door, which have highlighted inadequacies. It is a big aim to create some influential, and positive changes in this area in short order. It is being worked on! I am going to get myself into trouble here. The Island Bay Cycle lane issues have highlighted many aspects which are holding up Wellington’s progress. The biggie is we have a small minority of Wellingtonian’s who are selfish, and do not take a wider view of a situation. They are strung up with self-interest, and take a live for today approach. There is no compromise, no generosity to work with others, and little, if any good will. All three sides in the first stage of the Island Bay Cycle Lane process have people guilty of self-interest, who are slowing things down, with some personalities working with the intent of not allowing any progress at all! The way in which the second stage has been handled is the absolute opposite, and the Citizens Advisory Panel has worked well by all accounts. You have to ask the question: Why did we handle the initial process so poorly? At least we learnt a bit, got the right experts involved, for the second stage (both from a council, and external perspective) and moved things ahead using a vastly different model. The self-centred bit is not just an Island Bay problem. It is city wide, and if Wellington is to move ahead in good time, certain individuals and groups will need to be shown strong leadership by the majority of the community. My biggest concern about where Wellington is heading, is that Economic Growth is a very distant priority, relative to Social, Environmental Sustainable/Green policies, and areas of discretionary spend. If we do not promote and progress our Economic Growth more effectively, our population will diminish both residentially and commercially. Our quality of life options will be limited. Our rating base will decline as a result. Simply, we will then have difficulty funding the other areas! It is for that reason I know we have to do the work, and ensure the deal we do with respect to the Hilton Conference Centre is mutually beneficial for all. We then need to get The Film Museum over the line. Wellington needs some good economic wins, and particularly to compete with Auckland and Christchurch. Solid wins will be a great boost for our economy, and will be a catalyst for job creation, and additional business opportunities. There is no “I” in Team, and for Wellington to get ahead we all need to work effectively as a team. The fragmented divisive negativity of the past needs to be buried. The council, its partners, stakeholders, ratepayers and supporters, all need to work much more cohesively, considerately and collaboratively. We are on sharp edge. A false move and we tip over! While with the undoubted potential Wellington has, enhanced goodwill, some inspired management and leadership, and with a bit of luck, we can move forward, and maybe even at a more than reasonable pace! My aim for the first year on council is to learn the ropes, not seek profile, but work solidly with projects and policies Wellington could benefit from in the future. The objective is that with the right research, homework and preparation some of those projects and policies can be worked into the next Draft Annual Plan, and also the Long Term Plan. This Council has kicked off far more effectively and cohesively than the last triennium as far as I can gather. An aim is that should continue. If we can bring a few people along for the ride, and get more Wellingtonian’s working for a common goal all the better! Simon Woolf
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:50:02 +0000
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