ORANGE CITY COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE

Extraordinary Council Meeting

HELD IN via Online Conferencing Platform Zoom

ON 23 June 2020

COMMENCING AT 7.00pm

 1      Introduction

Attendance

Cr J Whitton, Cr R Kidd (Mayor), Cr S Romano (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr J Hamling, Cr J McRae, Cr T Mileto, Cr S Munro, Cr S Nugent, Cr M Previtera, Cr G Taylor

Chief Executive Officer, Acting Director Corporate and Commercial Services, Director Development Services, Director Community, Recreation and Cultural Services, Director Technical Services, Governance Coordinator, Manager Corporate and Community Relations

 

** As Chairperson of the Finance Policy Committee, Cr Whitton chaired the meeting. **

 

1.1     APOLOGIES

 

RESOLVED - 20/184                                                                                Cr R Kidd/Cr S Munro

That the apology be accepted from Cr R Turner for the Extraordinary Council Meeting of Orange City Council on 23 June 2020.

1.2     LIVESTREAMING AND RECORDING

Cr Whitton advised that the meeting was being livestreamed and recorded.

 

1.4     ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

 

1.5     Declaration of pecuniary interests, significant non-pecuniary interests and less than significant non-pecuniary interests

Cr S Nugent declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in item 2.1 as he is a Committee member of ECCO Orange and they had lodged three submissions.

Cr T Mileto declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in item 2.1 as he is the President of the Orange District Football Association.

Cr R Kidd declared a significant pecuniary interest in item 2.1 (Recommendation 5 that was later withdrawn) as he is the Mayor.

CR WHITTON DECLARED THE ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL ADJOURNED FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE OPEN FORUM AT 7.02PM

OPEN FORUM

 

Mr Nick King spoke against an allocation of the $500,000 towards the Mount Canobolas Bike Trail.

 

Dr Cilla Kinross spoke against the proposed Stage 2 Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Project and funding.

CR WHITTON DECLARED THE ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL RESUMED AT 7.14PM

2       General Reports

          The CEO advised the meeting that a memo had been circulated suggesting that part 5 of the recommendation be removed as follows:

          That the Councillor allowance be set at $21,888 and the Mayoral Allowance be set at $54,072 for 2020/21, being 10% below the maximum allowance for Regional Centre councils as determined by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal on 10 June 2020.

AMENDMENT                                                                                        Cr K Duffy/Cr S Munro

That Part 5 remain in the recommendation and that allowances be set at the top amount for regional centres.

THE AMENDMENT WAS WITHDRAWN

 

Cr Taylor moved that a new part 5 be added to the motion allocating $50,000 for a Perry Oval upgrade. It was accepted by the mover of the motion Cr Hamling.

 

2.1     Adoption of Operational Plan 2020/2021 and draft Budget 2020/2021 (Year 3 of the Current Delivery Program)

TRIM Reference:        2020/953

Cr S Nugent declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in item 2.1 as he is a Committee member of ECCO Orange and they had three submissions in, remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and voting on this matter.

Cr T Mileto declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in item 2.1 as he is the President of the Orange District Football Association, remained in the meeting and took part in the debate and voting on this matter.

 

** Cr Kidd left the meeting due to technical issues at 7.45pm and returned to the meeting with the time being 7.47pm**

 

MOVE THAT IT BE PUT                                                                       Cr K Duffy/Cr S Romano

For: Cr Duffy, Cr Hamling, Cr Munro, Cr Previtera, Cr Romano, Cr Taylor, Cr Whitton

Against: Cr McRae, Cr Mileto, Cr Nugent

Absent: Cr Turner, Cr Kidd (due to technical issues)

RESOLVED - 20/185                                                                                 Cr Hamling/Cr Taylor

That Council resolves:

1    In accordance with Sections 534, 535, 537 and 538 of the Local Government Act 1993, to adopt the following structure for rating purposes for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, and make the ad valorem rate in the dollar and base amount as detailed in the table below, noting that land value to be used is based on the valuation date of 1 July 2019 and supplementary information provided since that date, for the rateable land in the Orange Local Government Area, as follows:

Ordinary Rates

No. of assessments

Value of assessments

$M

Ad Valorem

Amount

Base

Amount

Base Amount %

of Total

Estimated Yield $

Residential

16,225

2,423

0.005056

714.20

48.61%

23,838,230

Residential – Rural Residential

 

509

 

244

 

0.002632

 

714.20

 

36.18%

 

1,004,906

Residential – Clifton Grove

 

230

 

77

 

0.003742

 

714.20

 

36.27%

 

452,922

Residential – Ammerdown

 

43

 

18.1

 

0.004016

 

714.20

 

29.65%

 

103,593

Residential – Village

190

24

0.003385

423.89

49.74%

161,926

Farmland

373

334

0.001366

714.20

36.88%

722,400

Business

1,293

606

0.012151

714.20

11.14%

8,289,402

Business – Village

19

2

0.003652

390.00

49.51%

14,968

Special Rates

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Central Business Area

 

327

 

175

 

0.004065

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

713,186

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

$35,301,533

2    To adopt the Schedule of Fees and Charges as listed in the exhibited draft Delivery/Operational Plan for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, provided that such changes may be varied by any alteration to the Local Government Act 1993 or Local Government (General) Regulation as directed by the NSW Government and subject to Council having the right to vary fees charged during the year subject to the required exhibition processes being observed. The fees and charges for the Companion Animals Act are yet to be published and circulated by the NSW Government. These fees and charges will be amended and adopted as soon as they are received from the NSW Government

3    That the following expenditure for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 be voted in accordance with the requirements of Clause 211 (2) of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005:

 

2020/21

General Fund

Water Supply

Sewer Operations

All Funds

Operational Expenditure

$77,430,103

$21,936,975

$10,919,696

$110,286,774

Capital Expenditure

$58,729,492

$14,087,863

$6,240,110

$79,057,465

Loan Repayments

$4,825,469

$285,469

$155,908

$5,266,846

TOTAL

$140,985,064

$36,310,307

$17,315,714

$194,611,085

4    To adopt the:

a     2018/19 – 2021/22 Delivery/Operational Plan

b     Resourcing Strategy incorporating the Long-Term Financial Plan, Workforce Management Plan, Asset Management Policy and Strategy

5    That $50,000 be allocated to the upgrade of Perry Oval.

 

** Cr Kidd returned to the meeting prior to the vote being taken. **

 

For: Cr Kidd, Cr Duffy, Cr Hamling, Cr McRae, Cr Mileto, Cr Munro, Cr Nugent, Cr Previtera, Cr Romano, Cr Taylor, Cr Whitton

Against: Nil

Absent: Cr Turner

 

Cr Nugent asked would water data be made available to the public in relation to the proposed Stage 2 Blackmans Swamp Stormwater Harvesting project. The Director of Technical Services advised that the final modelling was being developed and the data would be made available at the appropriate time.

 

Cr Nugent asked would the Mountain Bike Park Project on Mt Canobolas be able to achieve approval following the $500,000 funding.

The CEO advised that the Plan of Management of the site had changed to allow mountain biking and work would now be carried out as part of that funding to establish that a series of trails could be built undertaken without serious environmental impacts.

 

Cr Munro asked could Fees and Charges be suspended 12 months for building activity and road access charges. The CEO advised that the fees had been adopted as part of the budget and the matter would need to come to a later meeting of Council as a notice of motion.

 

3       Closed Meeting

In accordance with the Local Government Act 1993, and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005, in the opinion of the General Manager, the following business is of a kind as referred to in Section 10A(2) of the Act, and should be dealt with in a Confidential Session of the Council meeting closed to the press and public.

In response to a question from Cr Whitton, the Chief Executive Officer advised that no written submissions had been received relating to any item listed for consideration by the Closed Meeting of Council.

 

RESOLVED - 20/186                                                                              Cr J Hamling/Cr R Kidd

That Council adjourn into a Closed Meeting and members of the press and public be excluded from the Closed Meeting, and access to the correspondence and reports relating to the items considered during the course of the Closed Meeting be withheld unless declassified by separate resolution. This action is taken in accordance with Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act, 1993 as the items listed come within the following provisions:

3.1     Support for Local Businesses and Sporting Groups

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (c) information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

 

Cr Whitton declared the Extraordinary Meeting of Council adjourned for the conduct of the Closed Meeting at 8.03pm.

Cr Whitton declared the Extraordinary Meeting of Council resumed at 8.05pm.

4       Resolutions from Closed Meeting

The Chief Executive Officer read out the following resolutions made in the Closed Meeting of Council.

3.1     Support for Local Businesses and Sporting Groups

TRIM Reference:        2020/1034

RESOLVED - 20/187                                                                               Cr S Nugent/Cr R Kidd

1        That Council purchase Shop Orange vouchers to a value of $50,000 to be distributed through a giveaway program to residents within Orange City Council boundaries.

2        That $50,000 be allocated to volunteer sporting clubs (non-school) that are recommencing winter sports activities with the funding to be distributed on a pro-rata basis based on player membership.

For: Cr Kidd, Cr Duffy, Cr Hamling, Cr McRae, Cr Mileto, Cr Munro, Cr Nugent, Cr Previtera, Cr Romano, Cr Taylor, Cr Whitton

Against: Nil

Absent: Cr Turner


 

The Meeting Closed at 8.06PM

 

This is Page Number 6 and the Final Page of the Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Orange City Council held on 23 June 2020.