Powerco and the library: Letters, 23 August

Power company a pleasure to work with

Do New Zealanders see the glass half empty or more positively half full?

In reading your editorial regarding Powerco (August 19), I was surprised to hear your comments.

I have been fortunate enough to have had only positive dealings with Powerco through both work and sport.

I have found them to pay particular attention to the little people.

Whenever they have been working outside our school they have communicated regularly as to what is happening and monitored the impact on everyone involved.

They have been a pleasure to work with and eased the disruptions as much as possible.

Powerco has also supported Greenpark school directly allowing purchasing of equipment to benefit all our students.

In 2011 they supported local age group rugby and have been only too willing to put their hand up and assist.

Look on the bright side.

The restaurant may not have unexpected power cuts in the future, saving them a heap of money. Improvise and get the gas barbecue, that's what the rest of us do.

Jason Mischewski, Deputy Principal, Greenpark School

Library solution

Dealing with the Greerton Library, the current approach is flawed. Forget any expensive upgrades or a renewal, move to eliminate Greerton as a branch with library books and give it satellite status which would see it operated via computerisation by, say, two library staff members. Library books could be ordered at and returned to the Greerton satellite by way of a one-day courier service, operated by council.

If anyone wishes to physically see or touch the library books then simply drive to or take a bus (superannuitants no cost between 9am and 3pm and also drops them outside the library doors) to the main excellent city library in Tauranga.

Currently the $8 million or 8.5per cent of total annual council rates spent on TCC libraries is outrageous and meaningful rationalisation is called for now, not an increase in the white elephants.

R Paterson, Matapihi

Savings needed

For a council struggling to contain debt to within $400 million along with rate rises to under 10 per cent, and failing, I am staggered at some of their spending decisions.

I refer to the tens of thousands of dollars recently spent on installing a roundabout on the intersection of 13th Ave and Christopher St. One would think this was done to assist in the control of traffic entering and leaving Foodtown but, when installed, the closure of Foodtown had already been announced. And the current widening of the kerb, on the 12th Ave/Christopher St intersection, which seems to be being done for no obvious reason whatsoever.

Over the past few weeks the vehicle exit onto Wharf St from the Harington St carpark has been removed and replaced by just a walkway, and a retaining wall has been built the length of the carpark. Why has this been done and why spend this money now when the council and the ratepayers are in such a poor financial position?

It seems to me that the council and the councillors just cannot stop themselves spending money and to any sensible person this must stop, and if they won't do it, then someone else must.

Mike Baker, Bethlehem

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