Minutes of Council Meeting - 21 September 2017

Council Meeting

21 September 2017

Minutes of Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 21 September 2017

Meeting commenced at 6.30pm

Present:
Darcy Byrne Julie Passas Marghanita Da Cruz Mark Drury Colin Hesse Sam Iskandar Tom Kiat Pauline Lockie Victor Macri Lucille McKenna Rochelle Porteous Vittoria Raciti John Stamolis Louise Steer Anna York Rik Hart Peter Gainsford	Mayor Deputy Mayor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Councillor Interim General Manager Deputy General Manager Assets and Environment
Michael Tzimoulas	Deputy General Manager Chief Financial and Administration Officer
John Warburton	Deputy General Manager Community and Engagement
Ian Naylor	Manager Civic and Executive Support
Katherine Paixao	Business Paper Coordinator (Minute Taker)

The Interim General Manager acted in the role of Chairperson until the election of the Mayor.

1. Acknowledgement of Country by Chairperson

“I acknowledge the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation on whose country we are meeting today, and their elders past and present.”

2. Notice of Live Streaming of Council Meeting

The General Manager advised that the Council meeting was being streamed live on Council's website and members of the public must ensure their speech to the Council is respectful and use appropriate language.

DISCLOSURES OF INTERESTS: Nil.

C0917 Item 1 Oath or Affirmation of Office for Councillors

Councillors Passas, Raciti, Iskandar, McKenna, Macri and Stamolis read out an Oath of Office during the meeting.

Councillors Drury, York, Byrne, Lockie, Hesse, Steer, Da Cruz, Kiat and Porteous read out an Affirmation of Office during the meeting.

C0917 Item 2 Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

The Interim General Manager advised that the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act and Regulations.

The Interim General Manager advised that he has received nominations for the position of Mayor for Councillor Byrne and Councillor Lockie.

RESOLVED (DRURY/HESSE)

THAT in the view of openness and transparency the election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor be conducted by a show of hands.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Interim General Manager asked all Councillors who support Councillor Byrne being the first nomination received, for the position of Mayor to raise their hands.

Councillor Byrne received 8 votes

The Interim General Manager asked all Councillors who support Councillor Lockie being the second nomination received for the position of Mayor, to raise their hands.

Councillor Lockie received 7 votes

The Interim General Manager declared that Councillor Byrne to be elected Mayor.

The Mayor, Councillor Byrne assumed the Chair.

The Interim General Manager advised that he has received nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor for Councillor Passas and Councillor Hesse.

The Interim General Manager asked all Councillors who support Councillor Passas being the first nomination received, for the position of Deputy Mayor to raise their hands.

Councillor Passas received 8 votes

The Interim General Manager asked all Councillors who support Councillor Hesse being the second nomination received, for the position of Deputy Mayor to raise their hands.

Councillor Hesse received 7 votes

The Interim General Manager declared that Councillor Passas to be elected Deputy Mayor.

MATTER ARISING – TERM OF DEPUTY MAYOR

RESOLVED (BYRNE/MCKENNA)

THAT in accordance with the provisions of Section 231(2) of the Act, the Deputy Mayor be appointed for a term of 1 Year and the Deputy Mayor be elected annually.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

C0917 Item 3 Amendment to Council Meeting Schedule

RESOLVED (DRURY/MCKENNA)

THAT the Ordinary Council Meeting scheduled for 26 September 2017 be replaced with an Ordinary Council Meeting on 12 October 2017.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

C0917 Item 4 Panel of Code of Conduct Reviewers

MOTION (DRURY/MCKENNA)

THAT Council appoint as its Code of Code of Reviewer Panel for a period of 4 years (expiring on 21 September 2021) the following:

Name	Organisation

Phil O’Toole	Centium Group Pty Ltd
Peter Moroney	Nemesis Consultancy Group Pty Ltd
John Renshaw / Kelvin Kenney	O’Connor Marsden & Associates Pty Ltd
Wayne Gilbert	PKF Forensic and Risk Services Pty Ltd
Monica Kelly	Prevention Partners
Kath Roach	SINC Solutions
Rob Ryan	Strategic Risk Solutions
Kathryn Thane	Train Reaction Pty Ltd
Council’s Internal Ombudsman*	Internal Ombudsman Service

AMENDMENT (PASSAS/HESSE)

THAT this matter be deferred to allow background information on the panel members to be provided to Councillors.

For the Amendment were Councillors Da Cruz, Hesse, Kiat, Lockie, Macri, Passas, Porteous, Raciti, Stamolis and Steer (10).

Against the Amendment were Councillors Byrne, Drury, Iskandar, McKenna and York (5).

The Amendment was declared carried and the Motion lapsed.

C0917 Item 5 Referral of Draft 30 June 2017 Financial Statements for Audit

RESOLVED (DRURY/MCKENNA)

1. That Council refer the draft 2016/17 financial reports for audit pursuant to S413 of the Local Government Act 1993

2. That Council be provided with a summary report of all merger costs for the Ordinary Council Meeting on 24 October.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

URGENCY MOTION – AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE LAW POSTAL SURVEY

RESOLVED (KIAT/DRURY)

That Council consider an urgency motion in relation to the Australia Marriage Law Postal Survey.

For the Motion were Councillors Byrne, Da Cruz, Drury, Hesse, Iskandar, Kiat, Lockie, Macri, McKenna, Porteous, Stamolis, Steer and York (13).

Against the Motion were Councillors Passas and Raciti (2).

The Mayor declared the matter to be urgent.

RESOLVED (Kiat/Drury)

That Council:

Supports the right of LGBTQI couples in the Inner West and across Australia to marry;

Accepts the responsibility to support our local LGBTQI community by supporting the “Yes” campaign in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey;

Undertakes as a matter of urgency to design and obtain banners in support of the “Yes” campaign for immediate display in prominent, high-traffic locations across the Council area, with at least three banners to be erected in each of the five Council Ward areas, in locations and in languages chosen in consultation with local LGBTQI community groups where they exist (for example, the Summer Hill Rainbow Crossing group);

Actively promote support of equal marriage and a "Yes" vote in the survey prominently through the Council's website, social media and other relevant electronic communications;

Send a letter to the Prime Minister which expresses the concerns of the Inner West community about the Postal survey as an approach to seeking a response to marriage equality rights.

For the Motion were Councillors Byrne, Da Cruz, Drury, Hesse, Iskandar, Kiat, Lockie, Macri, McKenna, Porteous, Stamolis, Steer and York (13).

Against the Motion were Councillors Passas and Raciti (2).

URGENCY MOTION - M4-M5 LINK ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

RESOLVED (PORTEOUS/PASSAS)

THAT Council consider an urgency motion in relation to the M4-M5 Link Environmental Impact Statement.

CARRIED UNAMOUSLY

The Mayor declared the matter to be urgent.

RESOLVED (PORTEOUS/STEER)

That the Mayor and General Manager immediately write to the Minister for Planning and request that a further 30 days be added to the exhibition period for the WestConnex Stage 3 M4-M5 Link EIS.

CARRIED UNAMOUSLY

Meeting closed at 8.01pm.