A change to the public forum was the first order of business as the newly elected Council worked through their first full agenda for the triennium.

Mayor Southgate has a more relaxed approach to the public forum process as she wants to enable greater public participation and give elected members the opportunity to ask questions. Three public speakers took the opportunity to address the Council on topics in the agenda.

Draft Hamilton Gardens Management Plan

The Draft Plan went out for public consultation in April this year and included a proposal to repurpose the Rhododendron Lawn to ease challenges around parking, access at busy times and better linkages to public entrances. The Council has deferred a decision on the Draft Plan, to allow more time for staff to provide information to elected members on the legal considerations relating to consultation and decision making as well as other options that respond to submitter feedback. A report on the Draft Plan will be brought back to the Community Committee in early 2020.

Proposed fenced dog exercise area at Innes Common

A petition was presented to Council against the proposed fenced dog exercise area at Innes Common. The Council approved the recommendation to put the project on hold for alternative site options to be brought back to Council in the new year, along with a plan to engage the community on the preferred locations. Funding for the fenced dog exercise area was approved in the 2018-28 10-Year Plan.

Other items included:

• adopting the Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw 2019
• making Plan Change 3 operative (Temple View boundary alteration)
• approving the temporary extension of an alcohol ban for the HSBC NZ Sevens
• confirming next year’s meeting schedule for Council and its committees for the 2019-22 triennium.

The next Council meeting is on 12 December 2019, 9.30am. Full minutes will be available at www.hamilton.govt.nz/minutes

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