Life in the firing line

It’s safe to assume council staff won’t be popping the corks to celebrate the end of the first year of the Diva’s reign at Guyton St.

For many of them, the attacks began well before the election as the Chronicle published weekly tirades and threatened exposes, allegations of over-inflated salaries, over-staffing and IT scams, and a regular diet of Information Act requests - all of which Mr Maslin and his happy team mysteriously seem to eschew post-election.

Since the election Council staff have, for the most part, stoically coped with the daily roller-coaster ride and irrational outbursts that characterise life with the Diva and a bunch of inexperienced, largely inept councillors cutting their teeth on committee responsibilities way beyond their abilities.

Not all have stayed the distance. In the 12 months since October 2004 the senior staff line-up has been drastically rearranged with the loss of Richard Munneke (Environment Manager), Dean Taylor (Public Utilities), Dave Foster (Finance and Information) and the pending departures of CEO Colin Whitlock and his deputy Ian McGowan. Members of a new Praetorian guard have taken up duties after being recruited from outside or promoted from within.

LawsWatch hasn’t backed off from criticism of senior staff where our Watchers feel it is warranted, but we share the widespread concern around the city and in local government circles about this drastic loss of accumulated knowledge and understanding of what makes Wanganui tick.

In particular, we share the outrage of many staff at a recent series of unwarranted and untrue comments about staff to this blog that appear to be either inspired by, or the work of, the Diva himself.

Things reached a new low with a breakfast-time posting today claiming Laws "had incompetent managers pressured to leave (Foster/Munneke)". This followed an earlier comment claiming Laws had had Dave Foster sacked and another suggesting other senior managers are in peril as the new CEO sharpens his axe.

As many watchers will know, Dave Foster left the WDC after a prolonged period of personal and professional attacks by the Diva and was immediately hired by the Manawatu District Council. Shortly thereafter he was recruited by the Audit Office as a Local Government Sector manager, where his qualifications and 16 years experience in council financials are being put to use. This speaks volumes and puts the Diva’s hysterics firmly into perspective alongside his other smoke and mirrors sideshows.

Environment manager Richard Munneke was another big loss with his departure to Horizons Regional Council. He has won national recognition for his knowledge and work in an area of crucial importance in the age of the Resource Management Act and growing awareness of local authority responsibilities in the wise stewardship of resources.

Public Utilities Manager Dean Taylor has also gone, at a time when the demands of the city sewerage project are building to a peak. Taylor was also well-regarded, having been - amongst other things - the first recipient of an Association of Local Government Engineering (now Ingenium) Award for overseas study back in 1999.

McGowan and Whitlock are just a couple of months away from their farewells and the former has been coping with a huge, Diva-induced workload as the key council support person for the Sarjeant Gallery and now with the task of salvaging planning and consultation for the Heart of the City.

The Diva has gone quiet about Whitlock’s post-retirement book project but it’s hard not to feel some sympathy for a CEO who has devoted a huge part of his life to serving his town and its people, but now finds himself in the midst of an administrative maelstrom.

New CEO Dave Warburton has his work cut out restoring morale among remaining staff and giving them confidence that he will be able to teach the Diva the difference between governance and management. We can only wish him well and hope he succeeds in stemming the haemorrhage of valued Wanganui citizens.

(Our thanks to the Watcher who provided this piece)

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