The Waitaki District Council has heard from the public on its draft annual plan document.
A hearings panel convened on Tuesday for verbal submissions to the plan, approved for community consultation in March.
The submissions will be reviewed before any decisions are made.
Vivienne Smith Campbell pleaded with the council not to make short-term decisions.
"I want to see Waitaki district have a strong future with options available."
She complimented the way the council had outlined information in its consultation document.
"I really liked the honesty of the document. The reality of some of the costs can seem to be a bit daunting for communities."
Waitaki Ratepayers Association chairman Ray Henderson asked the council to cut staff numbers.
"In these times we must trim the cloth, jettison some staff.
"If the government can do it ... why not here, too?"
He recommended the council open a second two-storey building in the town centre for residential accommodation.
"In the 1970s I lived above a CBD shop, thus it is an existing use.
"The use of the upper level for tenancy makes a lot of sense ... make it happen. Don’t let the staff be bureaucratic."
The panel also heard on more specific issues.
Geoff Keeling, on behalf of Duntroon District and Development Association, asked the council to consider lowering the speed limit through the town to 50kmh.
With the close proximity of the town’s school, hotel, garage, domain, blacksmith and the Alps2Ocean track, there was a lot of traffic and changing the speed limit needed to be considered.
Mark Samuel Smith, of Living Wage Waitaki, asked the council to pay staff a minimum of the living wage, $26 an hour.
