Invercargill Mayor uses casting vote to side with SDE
Wednesday, 5 June 2019
Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt used his casting vote to side with SDE and go against a WasteNet Advisory Group's recommendation for another preferred tenderer for its recycling contract.
Southland disAbility Enterprises currently holds the contract, although WasteNet has identified another preferred tenderer for the contract.
Invercargill City councillors Lindsay Abbott, Toni Biddle, Graham Lewis, and Allan Arnold voted against WasteNet's recommendation at a meeting at the council chambers on Wednesday night.
Councillors Lindsay Thomas, Darren Ludlow, Rebecca Amundsen, Lloyd Esler, and Alex Crackett voted in support of WasteNet's recommendation.
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It left Shadbolt with the deciding vote and he opted to vote against the recommendation, much to the delight of SDE supporters in the public gallery.
The Gore District and Southland District councils have also held meetings, but it has yet to be confirmed as to which way its councillors voted.
The Invercargill council vote followed a tense public meeting in front of a packed public gallery at council chambers.
Families of workers at SDE spoke spoke passionately to councillors about their concerns over the prospect of the workers losing their jobs if SDE was to lose Southland's recycling contract.
Councillor Toni Biddle then put forward a motion to try to ensure the council's WasteNet tender debate and decision-making be carried out in public.
Councillors sought legal advice when trying to decide what the ramifications would be if the meeting was held in open public.
The advice was that the council's reputation could be damaged in terms of potential tenderers for other contracts, and the council could also potentially be liable for costs from another tenderer if information was debated public.
Biddle's motion suggested that the financial and commercial information be debated behind closed doors but the rest of it remain open to the public.
The advice was that there was little that could be debated in public that was not financial and commercial information.
Earlier in the meeting chief executive Clare Hadley read a statement from councillor Ian Pottinger who stated he was away on a pre-planned trip.
He initially planned to join the meeting via teleconference, but given he was holidaying with SDE chairman Stephen O'Connor he felt it was best to avoid any received bias and refrain from voting.
When the motion was put to the vote councillors Biddle, Lindsay Abbott, Graham Lewis, Allan Arnold and Alex Crackett voted for the discussions on the contract to remain in public.
Six councillors - Karen Arnold, Lloyd Esler, Lesley Soper, Darren Ludlow, Lindsay Thomas, and Rebecca Amundsen voted against the motion.
It left Shadbolt with the casting vote and he said yes to the discussion to remain in public, which was greeted with some puzzled looks from the WasteNet legal advisor and council staff.
Given the legal advice Biddle decided to amend the motion, which was to hold the discussions behind close doors but open it back up for the public to see which councillors voted which way.
That was again voted in favour.
Soper decided to step away from the discussion and not vote because she has a close family member working at SDE.
The meeting went into public excluded at 6.15pm for councillors to start their discussions before it was re-opened to the public at 8.45pm for the vote.
The vote was held but without any discussion.
Councillor Karen Arnold was not at the table when the meeting was opened back up to the public for the vote.