Nobby Clark acknowledged it had been a challenging year for the Invercargill City Council that included a Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) probe and a report highlighting a "leadership void".
However, he wanted to highlight "the good things"it had delivered.
Those included the resolution of the recycling contract for the region, the sale of a forestry estate and approval for the city block development.
"I can’t deny that we have faced some serious issues ... but collectively we worked to get across the line projects which had been on the table for quite some time."
That assessment was echoed by independent evaluator Richard Thomson, who was engaged by the council to complete a review of the council’s governance standards following the concerns raised by the DIA.
In his findings he said the council’s infrastructure was well maintained and its debt was not excessive.
"In and amongst all these issues it would be easy to forget that ICC is actually well placed relative to many councils," he stated in the document.
Mr Clark described the inner-city block development achievements as "the biggest impact for the city in a generation".
The completion of the Chinese garden, following years of debate, and the approval for strengthening Anderson House were also mentioned.
Mr Clark believed the increase of "only 2%" in rates following the Covid-19 pandemic and the AA+ financial rating were good indicators of the council’s work.
"We are only one of three councils in New Zealand who achieved that rating.
"This is an indication that we have a good balance between service delivery, debt and rate income. The good thing is we can borrow cheaper than the marketplace as we look to fund future projects."
Despite the positivity and the "collegial" tone, Mr Clark acknowledged he and his fellow councillors still had a lot of challenges to get through — including the council’s long-term plan.
"We have a number of projects in the front end of the long-term plan that we are now working on.
"In my view, the most urgent is to resolve the future of the pyramid museum [Southland Museum and Art Gallery] and get it reopened."
The work around Rugby Park, Surrey Park and the civic building was also on the list.
"We have a lot things going on, but I honestly believe we are already working better with more open debates and frank discussions."
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Comments
Yeah right. What about the staffing issue at the council? Why is it that staff moral is at an all time low and people are leaving with no one replacing them? Why does the council need to use contractors being paid big money, from out of Southland, to fill the huge gaps in their staff?
People do not leave jobs where they have good steady top management who they can trust. The place is imploding.