MINUTES OF Central
HAwkes Bay District Council
Emergency Extraordinary
Council Meeting
HELD AT THE Council
Chamber, 28-32 Ruataniwha Street, Waipawa
ON Friday, 20
March 2020 AT 12:00 PM
PRESENT: Mayor Alex Walker (Chair)
Deputy Mayor Kelly Annand
Cr Tim Aitken
Cr Gerard Minehan
Cr Brent Muggeridge
Dr Roger Maaka
Cr Jerry Greer
Cr Kate Taylor
Cr Exham Wichman
Cr Monique Davidson
IN ATTENDANCE: Joshua Lloyd (Group Manager, Community Infrastructure and Development)
Doug Tate (Group Manager, Customer and Community Partnerships)
Ian Macdonald (Hawkes Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group)
Bridget Gibson (Governance Support Officer)
1 Prayer
Dr Maaka opened the meeting with karakia.
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Resolved: 20.18 Moved: Mayor Alex Walker Seconded: Deputy Mayor Kelly Annand That the apologies for absence from Cr Tim Chote be accepted. |
3 Declarations of Conflicts of Interest
Nil
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Resolved: 20.19 Moved: Cr Tim Aitken Seconded: Cr Gerard Minehan THAT the following standing orders are suspended for the duration of the Meeting: · 21.2 Time limits on speakers · 21.5 Members may speak only once · 21.6 Limits on number of speakers · THAT 22.4 Option C under section 22 General procedures for speaking and moving motions be used for the Meeting. |
BRIEFING FROM THE CHief executive
Ian Mcdonald gave a regional briefing via audiovisual link. Mr Macdonald outlined that the DHB is the lead agency and source of information for the Covid-19 response and that Hawke's Bay Emergency Management (HBEM) and Council's role is to support them.
Mr Macdonald informed Council there is a detailed HBEM contingency plan for managing the Drought and Covid-19. A situation report is communicated to the Joint Committee regularly, in conjunction with stage reports delivered to Mayors and Council daily. The Action Plan is a living document reviewed at least weekly.
Mr Macdonald impressed that building resilience in the community is imperative and making sure the community has processes and systems in place to prepare for self-isolation where necessary. Civil Defence communication plans are in place.
Mr Mcdonald recommended that Council continues to reassure and support communities, providing the right routes to the correct information.
Regarding coordination of the Drought response, Mr Macdonald informed Council that the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is collaborating with the Rural Advisory Group and the Ministry of Primary Industries, in conjunction with Civil Defence, in providing a coordinated response.
LOCAL RESPONSE BRIEFING
Mr Tate briefed the Council on local response to the Drought and Covid 19 situations, and CHBDC's intent to lead and support with clarity and focus, informing Council that:
· An Incident Management Team (IMT) has been established and implemented. Focus and priority is and will continue to be given to both the Drought and Covid-19 situations.
· Mr Doug Tate is the leader of the Incident Management Team.
· The Covid-19 Business Continuation Plan planning has been put into the Incident Management structure.
· Information Services and communication with our communities, reiterating key messages, and how to find correct information, are in place.
· Advice regarding economic stimulus and recovery packages has been received from Central Government.
· Local Lead for community welfare is Mrs Christine Renata, and there is already a considerable amount of local coordination in place.
· The Action Plan is a living document reviewed intermittently and often.
· The role of Elected Members is in advocacy and support in continuing to pass messages from the community to Management and Council. Elected Members can email Mr Tate with any queries, recommendations and messages in regards to the response.
Councillors requested that the community is informed of key people and groups available for contact and support in the community.
Dr Roger Maaka informed Council that a meeting between Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea and the DHB had taken place and a response plan being formulated collaboratively. Dr Maaka's key points:
· The Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea office will be the coordinating centre, and a coordinator will be appointed and stationed there.
· Champions in each community will be named.
· A Centralised communication system to streamline and prioritise communications through Ngati Kahugnunu Incorporated will establish. Communications will be prioritised, centralised and coordinated.
· Voiced concern of the complacency of young people; therefore, there is a focus on communicating key messages through to this age group.
· Marae committees will be supported and given the confidence to make calls in regards to relaxing Māori Tikanga protocols in the interest of ensuring the safety of our people and implementing social distancing.
· By the end of the day, an action plan will be finalised as a living document reviewed and updated according to need.
· Coordination between Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea and Council is occurring and is essential.
Councillors discussed the delivery of critical messages to kaumatua, and other vulnerable individuals, who may have little to no internet access. Officers advised that other tools, such as mail drops, would be further investigated, utilised and implemented with the DHB's support, to look after and inform vulnerable individuals in the community.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN (BCP)
Mr Brent Chamberlain gave a briefing on the Council's BCP highlighting the following key points:
· IT systems and the ability of staff to work from home is being tested in increments, with groups of staff working from home over the last few days to test and feedback any issues with systems to ensure Council is prepared.
· Key staff have been identified, and roles within the BCP clarified.
· Access to essential work tools such as computers and mobile phones for staff will be assessed, and availability assured.
· The opportunity to redeploy staff to different areas of the business is being explored.
· Professional deep cleaning of the office undertaken.
· Staff are following all health advice from the Ministry of Health and Central Government with support from Council management.
· The BCP document is a living document, reviewed and updated regularly in line with communications received.
· Council have contacted contractors to ensure they have response plans in place and are implementing these plans.
· CHBDC is remaining pragmatic and taking advice in regards to local centres and public places.
· It is business as usual while maintaining a heightened alertness, limiting meetings, limiting travel and implementing social distancing.
At 1 pm the Meeting adjourned while Council received an important Central Government television broadcast.
The Meeting resumed at 1:10 pm.
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6.1 Emergency Fund to manage COVID-19 and Drought response and recovery |
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PURPOSE The purpose of this report is for Council to consider resolution on the allocation of an emergency fund to ensure Central Hawke's Bay District Council is equipped to manage the response and recovery associated with COVID-19 and the drought adverse event declaration.
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Resolved: 20.20 Moved: Mayor Alex Walker Seconded: Cr Tim Aitken That having considered all matters raised in the report: a) That Council establish a fund which is to be loan funded, up to the value of $200,000 to be utilised if required to enable a response to the evolving and unprecedented COVID-19 and Drought situation. b) That the Chief Executive or Local Controller be given full delegations to utilise the fund up to a value of $200,000. c) That Council note that any money spent from the fund will be reported through to Council at a future Council meeting. d) That Council reviews the use and status of the fund at the next ordinary or extraordinary Council meeting. |
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Mrs Davidson presented the report highlighting the importance of balancing community need with the BCP by making sure Council and Management have the delegations and resources to plan and implement the response to the Drought and Covid-19.
At the request of Council, the recommendation was amended to include d) That Council reviews the use and status of the fund at the next ordinary or extraordinary Council meeting.
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PURPOSE The purpose of this report is for Council to consider an amendment to the postponement of rates for natural calamities policy.
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Resolved: 20.21 Moved: Cr Gerard Minehan Seconded: Cr Jerry Greer 1. That having considered all matters raised in the report, the amended Postponement of Rates for Natural Calamities Policy be adopted. 2. That Council notes that in adopting this Policy, the current Remission of Rates for Natural Calamities Policy be deleted. 3. That Council note that further work will continue on additional rates levers to be considered as part of a wider Economic Recovery workstream for both Covid-19 and drought, and that this work be reported back to Council in time. |
Mr Chamberlain presented the report and the proposed amendments to the Policy.
Councillors requested assurance that the attached disclosure form is relevant and functional to farmers. Officers informed Council that the form as an appendix to the Policy could be amended to suit the needs of the farming community.
Communicating the decision to the community – Mrs Davidson assured Council that the decision would be delivered to the community via the Council's communication team, and leveraged through RAG & RST. Mrs Davidson confirmed that all information received via the form would be confidential to protect the privacy of applicants.
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Resolved: 20.22 Moved: Cr Tim Aitken Seconded: Cr Jerry Greer That Central Hawke's Bay District Council acknowledges the extreme economic and social pressure on our rural communities in light of the Drought and COVID-19 situation, and request that the Hawke's Bay Regional Council give clear guidance to communities and CHBDC on their regulatory approach towards implementation of the Tukituki Catchment Plan and associated consenting deadlines. |
Nil
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Resolved: 20.23 Moved: Cr Kate Taylor Seconded: Cr Brent Muggeridge That the next meeting of the Central Hawke's Bay District Council be held on 9 April 2020. |
The Meeting closed at 2:05pm.
The minutes of this Meeting were confirmed at the Ordinary Meeting of the Central Hawke's Bay Council held on 9 April 2020.
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CHAIRPERSON