Workshops, today to be added to the integration program
This reflects the council’s continued efforts to strengthen the council’s partnership with mana whenua, said Dunedin City Council chief executive Sandy Graham.
The results of the elections will be announced in mid-October.
The council already runs a comprehensive induction program designed to give new and returning councilors a detailed understanding of the key requirements of their role, as well as informing them of the strategic and operational issues facing the council and the city.
“It starts with a dedicated program until Christmas, focused on what advisors need to know
first, before their inaugural meeting, including initial training on standing orders and meeting protocols,” Ms. Graham said.
“We then focus on a wide range of detailed training and operational updates, involving field visits and briefings on key projects, facilities and strategic issues, as well as legislative responsibilities of the council, its businesses, its budgets and its business planning, including the 10-year plan and annual plan.
“It also includes additional training on standing orders and mock meetings, so advisers can practice using standing orders.
“They also receive a code of conduct briefing.”
Despite all the training councilors have received, a shaky understanding of meeting protocols has been a striking feature of the last term.
First-term adviser Carmen Houlahan continued to receive instructions on the parameters of the questions for much of the triennium.
At an Infrastructural Services Committee meeting last week, Cr Houlahan was told by the chairman of the meeting, Cr Jim O’Malley, that she had to ‘show respect for the chamber’ after trying to discussing a decision on a point of order and that she apparently intended to review the content of a statement she had been asked to withdraw.
The board’s bylaws document states that decisions on points of order are final and not subject to discussion.
A mitigating circumstance for Cr Houlahan was that she was participating in the meeting remotely and had difficulty hearing the proceedings.
Cr Rachel Elder, in her second term, was repeatedly told that political judgments on draft board submissions are for the councilors to make, not the staff, and so the way to change them is to propose amendments.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins has repeatedly, and often patiently, provided clear guidance on protocol when chairing meetings.
Cr Sophie Barker – who has shown no signs of struggling to grasp council processes – nevertheless described her first term as a huge learning curve and said the issues facing the city were complex.
Ms Graham said regular training was provided.
“We are also doing a mid-term review to make sure these are still best practices and to see what improvements we can make before the start of the next triennium,” she said.
“We also offer training designed to meet the specific demands of elected officials.
“Community council members received a lite version of the same training, but it also includes standing orders and meeting protocols.”
Standing orders are reassessed nationally.