Second-term member Russell Read (87), a retired educational psychologist, was elected to the board in 2013 but was unsuccessful in the next election round.
He was returned to the board at the last elections in 2022.
Mr Read was not at the meeting, but chairman Norman Dalley said Mr Read had resigned as he felt the community board was not able to perform as it once had and its decision-making authority had reduced significantly.
As there was less than a year to the next local body elections, Teviot Valley farmer and pilot Curtis Pannett was nominated to fill Mr Read’s place until then. He was elected unanimously.
In contrast to Mr Read, one of the younger, and definitely the newest, mayors in the country, Tamah Alley, who was appointed as interim Central Otago mayor last Wednesday, was at the meeting.
When it came time for the mayor’s report, Mrs Alley said with less than 24 hours in the role she did not have a lot to report on.
However, she was looking forward to attending the community board meetings and checking out the area’s unique places.
While Mrs Alley was not letting the grass grow under her feet, it seemed some Roxburgh homeowners were.
Last year the board decided to stop mowing the grass verges around the town and divert that money into maintaining other reserves in the Teviot Valley.
Mr Dalley said he had been fielding complaints from residents who had not got the message.
While there were a high proportion of older residents in the town, many had lawns and they managed to get them mowed and the verge could be done too.
Board member Mark Jessop said there could be some who did not have any lawn at all and they would be unlikely to have a mower.
Cr Sally Feinerman said she had been approached by a resident who could not mow their lawn and she was able to point them in the direction of a disability subsidy.
Mr Dalley said he felt for those who struggled but had no sympathy for those who chose to not mow their lawns because they were being ‘‘socially disruptive’’.
Board member Gill Booth said people were not being socially disruptive — the lawn did not belong to them and they did not want to mow it.
The board would send letters to Roxburgh residents reminding them of the change to mowing policy.
