Their task was as heavy as the clouds - to consider more than 100 submissions on the future of local government in Central Otago.
The two main issues up for discussion on Friday concerned how Central Otago district councillors should be elected - at large or as is, by ward - and whether the number of councillors should be reduced from 10 to eight.
As the councillors and mayor gathered with council staff and a public gallery that waxed and waned, three councillors were noticeably absent.
Of those present, only about half were vocal when presented with submitters' views.
They questioned some, thanked others and often grew defensive when the subject of parochialism was raised.
It was one of the common arguments against elections at large, but some councillors said despite public opinion, parochialism did not exist at their meetings.
"Parochialism doesn't exist in our minds, it exists in their [public] minds," Cr John Lane said.
Another common argument against elections at large was that the smaller wards, Maniototo and Roxburgh, might end up without an elected member from those areas because the bulk of voters resided in the Vincent and Cromwell wards and were thought likely to vote for their local representatives.
Former Central Otago mayor Malcolm Macpherson spoke to his submission citing his experience of Southern District Health Board and Central Lakes Trust elections.
He said both organisations held at-large elections and members covered a wide geographic area, not just larger centres such as Dunedin or Queenstown.
He thought, regarding at-large elections, the council was likely to get "more electable" members who would feel a greater responsibility to be accountable "for the common good".
It seemed that Cromwell-based councillor Gordon Stewart had received a reminder of his duties after actively speaking out about his feel-ings on the change. He was the only councillor to do so and whether related or not, two thirds of the submissions came from Cromwell residents.
Most of them were of his line of thinking - to keep the status quo.
Cr Stewart was criticised for seemingly not approaching the review with an open mind.
John Rowley, a member of the independent representation review panel which initiated the ideas for the changes, said with a ratio of one elected member to 500 voters, Central Otago people were over-represented and to retain the status quo was, in his opinion, not an option.
Thirteen people spoke to their submissions at the meeting, and councillors dealt quickly with remaining written submissions.
They will meet again on Wednesday to decide their own fate.
• Councillors also considered submissions on a proposal to act as a loan guarantor for irrigation projects in Central Otago.
They had received 32 submissions after asking two questions - should the council create a loan guarantee policy and should it support an application for a bank loan guarantee worth about $7 million (20% of the capital cost) for Tarras Water Ltd.
Most submitters thought the council should decline the policy and the application, though some councillors said it seemed people did not fully understand the questions being asked or the details behind them.
Many submitters seemed to think all Central Otago ratepayers would be disadvantaged if there was ever a call on the guarantee.
Conditions in the proposed guarantee would see money recouped from the direct beneficiaries of the Tarras irrigation scheme, about 40 farmers, through targeted rates if there was ever a call on the guarantee.
Eight submitters spoke on the issue at the meeting.
The council will also discuss this issue on Wednesday.
