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Neither the ODT or Dscene want to print my opinion as below.

From: Lee Vandervis <lee@vandervision.co.nz>
Date: Sun, 06 May 2012 08:57:22 +1200
To: EditorDscene <editor@dscene.co.nz>
Conversation: OR FU
Subject: FW: OR FU

Dear Michael,

In response to ORFU revelations in the ODT, I sent the email below to Chris Morris last Wednesday, hoping that he might get it printed.

The ODT seem uninterested in printing what I believe to be an important overview from my perspective, so I send this now again in the hope that you may see some value in printing it.
If this comment is unsuitable, no worries, but it would be helpful for me to know why.

Kindest regards,
Lee

------ Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis <lee@vandervision.co.nz>
Date: Wed, 02 May 2012 19:40:48 +1200
To: Chris Morris <chris.morris@odt.co.nz>
Conversation: OR FU
Subject: OR FU

Dear Chris,

OR FU chairman Wayne Graham claims to not know a lot about;

1 - the defamation suit he is bringing to Mayor Cull and the ratepayers [now or last week]
2 – OR FU financial reports over years showing alarming levels of escalating debt
3 – the state of OR FU finances when organising an OR FU black-tie party last August with at least $25,000 worth of food and beverage
4 – how much guests paid for this sensationally expensive OR FU party
5 – where the money went that party guests paid or whether it was a profitable event

It is surprising that the OR FU Chairman knows so little about finances and costs, because the ORFU have a track record of remarkable financing ability.

The ORFU don’t just have business brains, they are unprecedented business geniuses, managing to suck $5 million in pokie funds from South Auckland [despite rules saying these funds must be spent in the area they are collected], and slurp up Dunedin ratepayer funding of;
$1 million for Carisbrook lights [master stroke - DCC Waipori Power should own the lights because they use so much electricity],
$1500 per week for over 10 years in reduced interest payments for their soft DCC $2 million loan,
$7 million bail-out for Carisbrook which has since proved difficult to sell and expensive to maintain,
$450,000+ in rents, rates, and Stadium hire costs defaulted on
and $25,000+ for just the catering cost of their last big ORFU party at the Stadium.

Bail-outs can go on forever, but ORFU bankruptcy would at least provide liquidator’s answers and the possibility of a genuinely new beginning for Otago Rugby.

Feel free to quote the above.

Cheers,
Lee

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DScene • April 4th, 2012

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Read the full opinion here.

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Garrick Tremain

http://garricktremain.com/gallery/Cartoons/4494-17-Mar-2012

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ntn-20120315-0925-dunedin_city_council_to_bail_out_the_otago_rugby_union-048.mp3 Listen on Posterous

15 March 2012

Nine To Noon with Kathryn Ryan (page)

With Lee Vandervis - Dunedin City Councillor opposed to the bail out of Otago Rugby.

Listen to the interview here: Integrated • MP3

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aft-20120302-1610-the_panel_with_islay_mcleod_and_richard_la_(trimmed).mp3 Listen on Posterous

The above is a trimmed version of the full interview.

2 March 2012

Interview with Islay McLeod and Richard Langston on New Zealand Radio about the ORFU liquidation. Use the direct links below to skip to ORFU interview. 

Listen to the full interview here: Integrated • MP3 (interview starts at 6 minutes.)

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The Octagon ‘artwork’ briefly acquired a complete and timely message highlighting Dunedin’s $800,000,000+ debt in the last RWC week of its $50,000 rate-paid rental. My most recent advice is that the DCC and Ngai Tahu are still trying to cobble together an after-the-fact ‘ownership’ agreement for the artwork, even though all of its internal screens and video players and sound system have been returned to the hire business that provided them.

The ODT photographer took photos similar to below, but management apparently decided that it was better that most Dunedin people never get to see what was on the Occupy Facebook site as below.

Perhaps it was all a bit too much...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Dunedin/141220149310691#!/photo.php?fbid=273962369311407&set=p.273962369311407&type=1&theater

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Why Iceland Should Be in the News, But Is Not

By Deena Stryker

An Italian radio program's story about Iceland’s on-going revolution is a stunning example of how little our media tells us about the rest of the world. Americans may remember that at the start of the 2008 financial crisis, Iceland literally went bankrupt. The reasons were mentioned only in passing, and since then, this little-known member of the European Union fell back into oblivion.

As one European country after another fails or risks failing, imperiling the Euro, with repercussions for the entire world, the last thing the powers that be want is for Iceland to become an example.

Here's why...

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Also published in the Otago Daily Times on 23rd September 2011.

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Emails resulting in Acting CEO Athol Stephens advising staff under General Manager level to no longer communicate with Cr Vandervis.

Alleged breach of Code of Conduct #1

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Tuesday, 16 August 2011 10:27 a.m.
To: Athol Stephens; Tony Avery; Sue Bidrose; Kevin Thompson; Sandy Graham
Cc: mayor@dcc.govt.nz; kwilson@dcc.govt.nz; cweather@dcc.govt.nz; rthomson@dcc.govt.nz; cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz; tstevens@dcc.govt.nz; anoone@dcc.govt.nz; phudson@dcc.govt.nz; jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz; ncollins@dcc.govt.nz; fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz; sbrown@dcc.govt.nz; jbezett@dcc.govt.nz; backlin@dcc.govt.nz; Lee Vandervis
Subject: DCC ABUSE OF MOTORISTS
Importance: High

Staff of the DCC.

Get our parking wardens off the streets IMMEDIATELY! NOW!!

My most embarrassing complaints yet from citizens this morning describe our parking wardens issuing tickets to owners of snow-stranded cars all over the city.

Failure to respond by return with the decision to call the DCC dogs off our hapless motorists WILL RESULT IN AN ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE PUBLIC ESCALATION.

Cr. Vandervis

From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:03
To: Dave Cull <dcull@dcc.govt.nz>, Athol Stephens <astephen@dcc.govt.nz>, Tony Avery <tavery@dcc.govt.nz>, Sue Bidrose <sbidrose@dcc.govt.nz>, Kevin Thompson <kevin.thompson@dcc.govt.nz>, Sandy Graham <sgraham@dcc.govt.nz>
Cc: Mayor Cull <mayor@dcc.govt.nz>, kwilson@dcc.govt.nz, cweather@dcc.govt.nz, rthomson@dcc.govt.nz, cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz, tstevens@dcc.govt.nz, anoone@dcc.govt.nz, phudson@dcc.govt.nz, jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz, ncollins@dcc.govt.nz, fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz, sbrown@dcc.govt.nz, jbezett@dcc.govt.nz, backlin@dcc.govt.nz, lvanderv@dcc.govt.nz
Subject: Re: DCC ABUSE OF MOTORISTS

Your Worship,

I apologise for having sent an inappropriately strong email to staff re ticketing of snow-stranded vehicles.

Having spent some time over the last two days rescuing snow-bound ratepayers caught out by fiendish conditions, I over-reacted this morning when faced with complaints of DCC parking staff adding to the considerable misery of snow-bound motorists by being out in force at 9am ticketing obviously abandoned vehicles. Why parking officers were out at all, given plenty of parking available, is another question.

Acting CEO Stevens response that parking services are “business as usual” as the CBD is ice-free this morning is only reasonable if you forget that many vehicles belong to people still stranded in hill suburbs, some of whom I delivered there yesterday in my 4WD for safety reasons.

I recognise that I have no right to give staff orders, and that the calling off the dogs phrase was an unacceptable way of suggesting how we might avoid very adverse publicity.

If any staff member felt personally abused by my email, I would appreciate the opportunity of apologizing to them individually.

Kind regards,
Lee

Alleged Code of Conduct Breach #2

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Friday, 19 August 2011 05:46 p.m.
To: XXXX
Cc: John Bezett; Syd Brown; Chris Staynes; Dave Cull
Subject: Lease - 54 Moray Place

Dear XXXX,

The minutes of the Property Subcommittee 2/8/11 suggest that the reason for leasing the new Moray Place Carpark to [commercial operator] is because [commercial operator] will return an additional net gain to Council of approximately $150,000 every year for the next 3 years. [Curiously precise figures were minuted]

Our poor management of buses compared to what PT are capable of was an unfortunate implied admission from DCHL, but I wonder if our management of carparks is the reason [commercial operator] can return so much more to us and still make commercial profits on top.

Is our management of carparks so much less efficient than [commercial operator], or is there some other reason they can return +$150Kpa+GST+commercial profits on the near-new Moray Place building?

Does this have implications for the other significant investments we have in other carpark buildings and carparks?

Looking forward to learning where all the available value/returns are on all our carparks.

Kind regards,
Lee

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Monday, 22 August 2011 09:42 p.m.
To: XXXX
Cc: mayor@dcc.govt.nz; kwilson@dcc.govt.nz; cweather@dcc.govt.nz; rthomson@dcc.govt.nz; cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz; tstevens@dcc.govt.nz; anoone@dcc.govt.nz; phudson@dcc.govt.nz; jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz; ncollins@dcc.govt.nz; fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz; sbrown@dcc.govt.nz; jbezett@dcc.govt.nz; backlin@dcc.govt.nz; Lee Vandervis; Athol Stephens; Sandy Graham
Subject: Re: CARPARKS Incl 54 Moray Place

Thank you for your reply XXXX and for suggesting the implications regarding all the other carparks we currently own.

My main query remains unanswered though.

How can our management of carparks be so dysfunctional that [commercial operator] can give us an extra $150,000+per year + GST + make a commercial profit themselves on a custom-made carpark that the DCC have only recently built to its own specification?

[commercial operator] are big no doubt, but what specialist efficiencies can they have that the DCC do not, given that the DCC have been running many car-parking buildings here for years, have local knowledge, have economies of scale with local security covering many other properties, have control of competing parking fee levels, and have a parking monopoly here in Dunedin?

If we can’t run something as basic as a parking monopoly efficiently, is there any business that we can run properly?

My business experience suggests that the fundamental debt-causing DCC problem is massive overheads with far too many staff - a self-serving bureaucratic culture with little specific expertise.
The DCC has 687 FTEs, but no engineers, no lawyers, no tax specialists, no employment specialists, no Mac/Apple expertise, no survey specialists, and now it seems no parking business expertise either.

Today’s ODT lead story ‘DCC staff bonuses not part of savings’ suggests that our fundamental debt-causing staff problem will be the last area to be looked at, after we have sold our assets, shoved water and solid waste etc into CCO’s, compounded decades of extra interest, and continued screwing rates sky-high all the way along.

If the carparks have no business case to keep, is there a strong business case for keeping anything else in the property portfolio?

Kind regards,
Lee

From: Lee Vandervis <lee@vandervision.co.nz>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:44
To: XXXX
Cc: Mayor Cull <mayor@dcc.govt.nz>, "kwilson@dcc.govt.nz" <kwilson@dcc.govt.nz>, "cweather@dcc.govt.nz" <cweather@dcc.govt.nz>, "rthomson@dcc.govt.nz" <rthomson@dcc.govt.nz>, "cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz" <cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz>, "tstevens@dcc.govt.nz" <tstevens@dcc.govt.nz>, "anoone@dcc.govt.nz" <anoone@dcc.govt.nz>, "phudson@dcc.govt.nz" <phudson@dcc.govt.nz>, "jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz" <jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz>, "ncollins@dcc.govt.nz" <ncollins@dcc.govt.nz>, "fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz" <fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz>, Syd Brown <sbrown@dcc.govt.nz>, "jbezett@dcc.govt.nz" <jbezett@dcc.govt.nz>, "backlin@dcc.govt.nz" <backlin@dcc.govt.nz>, Lee Vandervis <lvanderv@dcc.govt.nz>, Athol Stephens <astephen@dcc.govt.nz>, Sandy Graham <sgraham@dcc.govt.nz>, Bruce Miller <bmiller@dcc.govt.nz>, Athol Stephens <astephen@dcc.govt.nz>, 'Sandy Graham' <sgraham@dcc.govt.nz>
Subject: Re: CARPARKS  Incl 54 Moray Place

In that case XXXX we are both appalled.

My apologies for getting the wrong Moray place carpark, but the question of why we are getting so much less from operating our carparks than [commercial operator] are obviously capable of remains unanswered.

Dunedin’s ratepayers have a great deal invested in our many carparks, we have recently just bought another one and jacked up its parking fees, and now we are looking at leasing them off.
Are you suggesting that I should be directing my question to Citi Park, and if so to whom?

Kind regards,
Lee

My response to Mayor Cull's demand for further apology:

From: Lee Vandervis <lee@vandervision.co.nz>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:03
To: Dave Cull <dcull@dcc.govt.nz>, Athol Stephens <astephen@dcc.govt.nz>, Tony Avery <tavery@dcc.govt.nz>, Sue Bidrose <sbidrose@dcc.govt.nz>, Kevin Thompson <kevin.thompson@dcc.govt.nz>, 'Sandy Graham' <sgraham@dcc.govt.nz>
Cc: Mayor Cull <mayor@dcc.govt.nz>, "kwilson@dcc.govt.nz" <kwilson@dcc.govt.nz>, "cweather@dcc.govt.nz" <cweather@dcc.govt.nz>, "rthomson@dcc.govt.nz" <rthomson@dcc.govt.nz>, "cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz" <cstaynes@dcc.govt.nz>, "tstevens@dcc.govt.nz" <tstevens@dcc.govt.nz>, "anoone@dcc.govt.nz" <anoone@dcc.govt.nz>, "phudson@dcc.govt.nz" <phudson@dcc.govt.nz>, "jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz" <jmactavi@dcc.govt.nz>, "ncollins@dcc.govt.nz" <ncollins@dcc.govt.nz>, "fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz" <fbutcher@dcc.govt.nz>, Syd Brown <sbrown@dcc.govt.nz>, "jbezett@dcc.govt.nz" <jbezett@dcc.govt.nz>, "backlin@dcc.govt.nz" <backlin@dcc.govt.nz>, Lee Vandervis <lvanderv@dcc.govt.nz>
Subject: Re: DCC ABUSE OF MOTORISTS

Your Worship,

I apologise for having sent an inappropriately strong email to staff re ticketing of snow-stranded vehicles.

Having spent some time over the last two days rescuing snow-bound ratepayers caught out by fiendish conditions, I over-reacted this morning when faced with complaints of DCC parking staff adding to the considerable misery of snow-bound motorists by being out in force at 9am ticketing obviously abandoned vehicles. Why parking officers were out at all, given plenty of parking available, is another question.

Acting CEO Stevens response that parking services are “business as usual” as the CBD is ice-free this morning is only reasonable if you forget that many vehicles belong to people still stranded in hill suburbs, some of whom I delivered there yesterday in my 4WD for safety reasons.

I recognise that I have no right to give staff orders, and that the calling off the dogs phrase was an unacceptable way of suggesting how we might avoid very adverse publicity.

If any staff member felt personally abused by my email, I would appreciate the opportunity of apologizing to them individually.

Kind regards,
Lee

From: Lee Vandervis <lee@vandervision.co.nz>
Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:04:24 +1200
To: Dave Cull <dcull@dcc.govt.nz>, Chris Staynes <staynesc@es.co.nz>
Subject: Code of Conduct complaints

Dear Dave and Chris,

Further to our amicable discussion the other day, I have reviewed the complaints made by Crs Wilson and Brown and taking your Worship’s lead, will address the highlighted offending emails separately.

I agreed to apologise for the ABUSE OF MOTORISTS email, noting that I had already apologised prior to the code of conduct complaints being made. The apology that I had already sent to all Councillors and staff as below seems to me now to be quite comprehensive and I do not know what else could be added to it.  Staff may have complained to you, but no staff member has complained to me and no staff member has responded to my offer to personally apologise to them individually.  [“If any staff member felt personally abused by my email, I would appreciate the opportunity of apologizing to them individually”]

Under these circumstances, resending the apology would be pointless.

Regarding my emails exchange with XXXX, my review of this series of emails has highlighted my measured questioning on behalf of the ratepayer on a wide-ranging and serious issue, and XXXX’s failure to provide the information required. The consequent goading that I readily admit to, is simply a response to XXXX’s stonewalling. The apparent fact that I should have directed my enquiries to the management of the parking department turns out to be a red herring as I have since learned that XXXXs ultimate responsibility to ensure that all DCC [assets], including carparks, are run in a fiscally prudent manner, which they appear not to be. I do not believe there are any code of conduct issues for me to defend here. I don’t care for the ‘tone’ of many of my fellow Councillors either.

A number of other issues which need investigation on behalf of ratepayers also now seem to fall in XXXXs area of responsibility, but his responses so far do not bode well for getting any of the required information directly.

The best I am able to offer you as far as XXXX is concerned, is my promise not to further question XXXX directly about a raft of [DCC] issues. This promise is easy for me to make as it is clear that I will get none of the information that I seek from him anyway, in the manner of YYYY or ZZZZ.

If all of this response from me inclines you to proceed with a code of conduct complaint investigation, then I look forward to the opportunities that this will present.

Kind regards,
Cr. Lee Vandervis 

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Hi Lee

I don't understand how this happened.

http://www.ch9.co.nz/content/funding-approved

Elizabeth

From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:38:13 +1200
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Re: ?????

Hi Elizabeth,

I do not believe most Councillors understand what they have voted for in approving raising $170million worth of overdraft for DVL&DVML,- the stadium management/ownership organisations. In item #4 of the FS&D agenda of 5/9/11 approved today, the Councillors tried to save money by deferring the $6,359,000 Stadium maintenance fund for at least 5 years. [safely 2 elections away] In the very following item #5 of the same agenda they today approved giving DVL&DVML Stadium managers an unbelievable overdraft of $170,000,000 which included the $6,359,000 maintenance fund they had just voted to defer!!

Worse, this new $170m ‘increase in capital’ [=overdraft facility], included some rather specific numbers suggesting that if not spent already, it very soon will be;

• $29,089,000 to guarantee and pay interest on the so-called private sector funding which is expected to dribble in over the next ten years,
• $105,061,000 Stadium construction cost
• $6,359,000 maintenance fund [which Councillors had just voted to defer]
• $4,450,000 additional items [unspecified but presumably some of the ‘extras’ for the Stadium approved already this year]
• $3,600,000 Academy of Sport [new building on Stadium north wall]
• $1,400,000 relocatable Seats [more Stadium ‘extras’]
• $500,000 Additional Items [unspecified], leaving a balance of
• $20,040,500 which after I probed for an answer was described as ‘contingency’!

I stridently pointed out the obvious $6,395,000 double dip of the maintenance fund, and the insanely high $20million ‘contingency’ figure, and how interest on ‘private funding’ was costing us, but few Councillors seemed to understand.

The justification from Cr. Brown for giving the Stadium managers this obscene new overdraft, was that “Stadium warrantees means there is no need for a maintenance fund, and that because Stadium managers are required to spend within the limits of their Statement of Intent means there is no risk to Council whatsoever”. ! 

And then 11 out of 15 Councillors voted for it!!

That is how it happened.

Kind regards,
Lee

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From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Thursday, 23 June 2011 10:42 p.m.
To: Dave Cull

Your Worship,

My misgivings about the constitution of and direction of the Art in Public Places Subcommittee have reach a head with the proposed attached budget.

The Subcommittee seems to me to be driven by minority agendas resulting in proposals for which I can not see wide public support, or even narrow public support.

In a sub-quorum meeting today it became evident that there is majority subcommittee support for a peep-hole haka artwork which I consider to be excessively expensive, temporary, technically fraught, elitist, and time-challenged.

I have today voiced some of my concerns, especially my technical concerns [based on hire of similar electronics experience, and the fact that today’s demonstration could not be rebooted to go] and find this countered with claims of high art [yet to see any content evidence] Ngai Tahu approval [+$30,000], and contained hostility.

Since I have few art credentials [BA Otago Aesthetics] and have discharged as much of my technical opinion as I dare, I feel I have done all I usefully can on this Subcommittee and would like to now be officially released from it.

I can not agree to the spending level that is now proposed.

I can not agree that there is sufficient public good in the proposal or the work of the Subcommittee to warrant DCC support.

I am concerned that a narrowly focused Subcommittee has lost contact with its funders and function.

Although politeness and respect has held thus far I am concerned that my continuing to serve on this Committee may progress to destructive levels of hostility and become personal. [I live in a wooden house]

I look forward to your confirmation of my resignation from this Subcommittee.

Kind regards,
Lee

On 24/06/11 9:53 AM, Dave Cull wrote:

Noted Lee,

I am happy to have you drop off the committee and that will take a resolution of Council. So Tai ho and remind me so that we can get it onto the next agenda.

Dave

From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:10:34
To: Dave Cull

Many thanks Your Worship.

If there is any other job or issue that you think I could more fruitfully undertake please let me know. I do not wish to appear work-shy.

I am sorry that I am so ill-disposed towards the Art in Public Places Subcommittee current direction, especially when I am personally very keen on Art in Public Places.

Kind regards,
Lee

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A row is escalating between two Dunedin city councillors over the controversial Haka Peep Show art work in the Octagon, as tit-for-tat complaints of broken council rules begin to mount.

Read the Otago Daily Times article here.

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Dunedin ratepayers have spent $50,000 to rent an art work, Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis says.

Read the Otago Daily Times article here.

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Comment by Elizabeth Kerr on the What If? Dunedin… forum:

Elizabeth
September 2, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Dunedin City Councillors must put a specific question to Malcolm Farry, chair of the Carisbrook Stadium Charitable Trust, on the existence or not of private donations ASAP. No better day for it than 5 September 2011, at the meeting of the Finance, Strategy and Development Committee.

My response in an email to Elizabeth:

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Sunday, 4 September 2011
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Stadium donations?

Hi Elizabeth,

Re the question of Stadium donations, I have asked this question every few months in all the time I have been on Council.

As I see it, claimed donations amount to nothing or at best negligible Stadium funding.

What little that has not been paid for by the Dunedin ratepayer has been paid for by the tax payer [us in all cases], with the promised private funding a mirage of purchased products paid for [in forty years time hopefully] by us. My 2007 estimate of a $500,000,000 real Stadium cost is beginning to look conservative.

In 2007 the figure of just $30 of donations was printed by the ODT, but many months later denied as untrue by Malcolm Farry who claimed that donations had been much larger but that he could not identify Donators or quantify donation amounts. At one point Malcolm Farry responded to one of my donations questions by saying that many businesses had made their ‘donations’ by purchasing expensive suites and boxes at the Stadium, and that they made this kind of ‘donation’ for tax purposes. Bev has made a good job of skewering Farry’s demented definitions of donation.

I have consistently maintained that sales of Stadium seats or suites can not be considered as donations or considered as private funding, as this ‘private funding’ is simply the sale of seats and products that have been already been paid for [or more accurately borrowed for] by Dunedin ratepayers.

Malcolm Farry has again this year refused to quantify Stadium donations, but in an FS&D meeting several months ago [I could probably track down the date if necessary as I kept notes] David Davies was more forthcoming with a donations figure of $330,000. Pathetic however you look at it, and still not clear if this donation amount was unencumbered, namely as an inducement for receipt of some Stadium contract or related good. An early [2006?] $1million Stadium donation offer much crowed about by Malcolm Farry turned out to be a $1 million offer conditional upon getting a substantial demolition/cartage contract in return, and although its existence was much heralded By Malcolm Farry, it obviously never came to anything as evidenced by much later donation total amount confirmed by David Davies above. 

I can ask again tomorrow, if there has been any advance on the $330,000 last offered by David Davies, but the point has been well hammered by me already, even if it has been largely ignored in the media. [I note that DScene are seldom able to attend Council meetings for want of reporting staff]

I hope the above answers your donation questions, but look forward to providing further details if required.

Kind regards,
Lee

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 Dear Athol and Councillors,

The escalating trajectory of numbers of bonus payments represents yet another un-healthy un-businesslike DCC escalation statistic where for the last two years more than half our 687 staff have received bonus payments.

In my opinion our former CEO has left us an unhelpful legacy of buying compliance with excessive numbers of bonuses.

EMT dishing out such large numbers of bonuses can easily become a manager’s power trip with bonuses being paid for compliance or plain flattery rather than for an exceptional effort.

If more than half the staff get bonuses, it is not possible for the bonuses to be reward for exceptional effort.

When a clear majority of staff get bonus payments they get taken for granted, and the minority of staff who do not get bonuses feel aggrieved.

The current financial situation finally beginning to be acknowledged represents an excellent opportunity to scrap this ubiquitous bonus system which is rapidly trending towards everyone getting a ‘bonus’.

Union driven pay rates and conditions for DCC staff are above market in most areas already.

It would be awkward for our new CEO to have to begin by stopping this practice of most staff getting bonuses.

It should be stopped now.

Kind regards,
Lee

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8 August 2011

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/20110808

Dunedin ratepayers are facing the prospect of even higher rates to pay for the $200 million stadium. Rates next year could go up by nearly 12 per cent because of a looming budget shortfall. Jim talks to former Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin and project critic Dunedin City Councillor Lee Vandervis.

Listen to the interview here: Integrated • MP3

For more information and related articles visit this page.

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Forsyth_Barr_Stadium_Opening_Events_Extract.pdf Download this file

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