Girling to head community board promising open exchange with public prior to meetings

Te Awahou Foxton Community Board's new chairman John Girling takes over from council CEO Monique Davidson at the board's first meeting this term.

Te Awahou Foxton’s Community Board has had its first meeting and managed to chew through a large amount have rules and regulations to establish its way of working for the next three years. It also elected a new chairman, deputy chairman, and swore in its council-appointed member. Councillor Justin Tamihana and mayor Bernie Wanden attended the meeting.

Opened by council chief executive Monique Davidson, the meeting began with councillor David Allan sworn in as a member, by reading a prepared declaration.

Davidson then led the vote regarding the choices in voting systems available to the board, which opted for the simplest and quickest one, which meant only one round of voting was needed, with the item with the most votes going through.

Te Awahou Foxton Community Board at its first meeting this term, led by council ceo Monique Davidson, just after having sworn in David Allan as chair.

This system was then used to elect a new chairman, an item all members were more than ready for. Longstanding chairman of the board David Roache said he had plenty of other things to do and it was time for him to pass on the baton.

Roache and Trevor Chambers proposed and seconded John Girling for the chairmanship, while Brett Russell proposed Nola Fox, for whom there was no seconder, much to Mrs Fox’s disappointment. She got the most votes at the elections, 100 more than John Girling.

Nola Fox was the only one who voted against Girling being proposed as chairman.

Deputy chairman went to longstanding board member Trevor Chambers, who was proposed by David Roache and seconded by Brett Russell.

The board then worked through a list of standing orders, which established the functioning of the board at meetings. New is the availability for the public to attend any workshops the board may hold. Then the members’ code of conduct was voted on.

The last item on the agenda was the appointing of a board member to a number of community groups that had asked for a representative from the board.

A number of members are already board members of these organisations, so someone else needed to be chosen to represent the community board. The number of board members to be chosen for these roles was reduced at the meeting for a few.

Te Awahou Foxton Community Board representation at community organisations:

MavTech: Nola Fox

Foxton Tourist and Development Association: Trevor Chambers

Save Our River Trust: John Girling

Manawatū Estuary Trust: Brett Russell

Foxton Beach Progressive Association: Nola Fox

Manawatū River Loop Working Party: David Roache

Wildlife Foxton Trust: Brett Russell

Foxton Rugby Club: Trevor Chambers

Foxton Futures Governance Board: John Girling and David Roache

Horowhenua Camera Trust: Brett Russell

Something entirely new this term will be the option for the public to mingle with board members and discuss, ask or bring up any item they wish in the 30 minutes leading up to each board meeting.

“That will be held in the foyer of Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom and there is no need to register prior to the meeting,” said new chairman John Girling.