Planning and Environment Committee

MINUTES

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Planning and Environment Committee held in the Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, The Octagon, Dunedin on Tuesday 17 November 2020, commencing at 1:45pm.

PRESENT

Acting Chairperson	Cr Steve Walker
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Sophie Barker
Members	Cr Rachel Elder	Cr Christine Garey
	Mayor Aaron Hawkins	Cr Carmen Houlahan
	Cr Marie Laufiso	Cr Mike Lord
	Cr Jim O'Malley	Cr Jules Radich
	Cr Chris Staynes	Cr Lee Vandervis
	Cr Andrew Whiley

IN ATTENDANCE

Robert West (General Manager City Services); Simon Drew (General Manager Infrastructure Services); Nicola Pinfold (Group Manager Community and Planning); Paul Henderson (Acting Group Manager Customer and Regulatory Services); Ros MacGill (Manager Compliance Solutions); Scott MacLean (Acting Group Manager Parks and Recreation); Ashley Reid (Parks and Recreation Planner); Tom Simons-Smith (Coastal Specialist); Jeanine Benson (Group Manager Transport); Anna Johnson (City Development Manager)

Governance Support Officer                  Lauren McDonald

1          Public Forum

1.1       Public Forum

Mary O’Brien from CCS Disability Action and Chris Ford from the Disabled Persons Assembly advised their support for the one-way shared street option, which they considered provided the maximum flexibility, increased safety for those with disabilities, fitted with the central government transport policy statement and the Waka Kotahi Pedestrian Planning Guide currently under development.  Their preference was for an electric bus loop to operate in one direction and they saw George Street as a destination for the public and not as a transport thoroughfare.

Moved (Mayor Hawkins/Cr Garey)

That the Committee:

Extends the Public Forum beyond 30 minutes.

Motion carried.

Finn Campbell from Generation Zero spoke in support of the one-way design option, as it increased the scope of the project along to the Octagon, supported vulnerable users and provided people friendly useable spaces.  He considered the street design focus should be “people first” and for elected members to the ensure designs supported carbon reduction. 

Cr Carmen Houlahan left the meeting at 2:38 p.m. and returned at 2:41 p.m.

Michaela Waite-Harvey, University of Otago Students Association (OUSA) President advised that the OUSA focus was on student safety and supported a one-way design which was future proofed and provided environmentally friendly modernising of the streets. She advised that the OUSA considered wider community consultation was required on the interest and necessity of an electric bus loop service

Cr Rachel Elder left the meeting at 2:55 p.m. and returned to the meeting at 2:58 p.m.

Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Mayor Aaron Hawkins):

That the Committee:

             Adjourn the meeting for five minutes

             Motion carried

The meeting adjourned at 2:58 p.m. and recommenced at 3:05 p.m. Cr Houlahan was absent from the room.

2          Apologies

Apologies were received from Cr Hall for absence and Cr Benson-Pope for lateness.

Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Chris Staynes):

That the Committee:

Accepts the apologies from Cr David Benson-Pope for lateness and Cr Doug Hall for absence.

Motion carried (PLA/2020/028)

3          Confirmation of agenda
	Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Chris Staynes): That the Committee: Confirms the agenda with the following alteration to page 69, paragraph 21 revised criteria list of Item 11 – Review of George Street Upgrade Project as circulated to members. Motion carried (PLA/2020/029)

4          Declarations of interest

Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.

The Committee noted the update to Mayor Hawkins Register of Interest provided at the Infrastructure Services Committee meeting held 16 November 2020.

Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Marie Laufiso):

That the Committee:

a)     Notes the Elected Members' Interest Register and

b)     Confirms the proposed management plan for Elected Members' Interests.

Motion carried (PLA/2020/030)

5          Confirmation of Minutes

5.1      Planning and Environment Committee meeting - 22 September 2020
	Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Mayor Aaron Hawkins): That the Committee: Confirms the public part of the minutes of the Planning and Environment Committee meeting held on 22 September 2020 as a correct record. Motion carried (PLA/2020/031)

Part A Reports

6          Actions from resolutions of Planning and Environment Committee meetings
	The actions report outlined progress on the implementing of resolutions of the Planning and Environment Committee meetings from the start of the 2019 – 2022 triennium.
	Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Marie Laufiso): That the Committee: Notes the Open and Completed Actions from resolutions of Planning and Environment Committee meetings as at 17 November 2020. Motion carried (PLA/2020/032)

7          Planning and Environment Committee Forward Work Programme
	The report from Civic provided a regular update of the Planning and Environment Committee forward work programme for the 2020-2021 to show areas of activity, progress and expected timeframes for decision making across a range of areas of work.
	Cr Houlahan returned to the meeting at 3:07pm.
	Moved (Cr Rachel Elder/Cr Marie Laufiso): That the Committee: a)     Notes the Planning and Environment Committee forward work programme as at November 2020. Motion carried (PLA/2020/033)

8          Planning and Environment Activity Report for the Quarter Ending 30 September 2020
	The Community and Planning and Customer and Regulatory Services report provided an update on activities including city development, resource consents, building services, alcohol licensing, environmental health, animal control and parking enforcement for the three months ending 30 September 2020.
	The Group Manager Community and Planning, Nicola Pinfold; Acting Group Manager Customer and Regulatory Services, Paul Henderson and Manager Compliance Solutions, Ros MacGill spoke to the report and responded to questions from elected members.
	Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee: Notes the Planning and Environment Activity Report for the three months ending 30 September 2020. Motion carried (PLA/2020/034)

9          Workplan for Reserve Management Plan reviews 2019-2027
	The Parks and Recreation report outlined the forward work programme for the review of all reserve management plans administrated by the Parks and Recreation Services.
	The Acting Group Manager Parks and Recreation, Scott MacLean and the Parks and Recreation Planner, Ashley Reid spoke to the report and responded to questions from elected members.
	Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Marie Laufiso): That the Committee: Notes the reserve management plan review forward workplan. Motion carried (PLA/2020/035)

10        St Clair - St Kilda Coastal Plan mid-engagement update
	The 3 Waters report provided an update on the St Clair – St Kilda Coastal Plan project and highlighted emerging themes from community feedback and coastal management plan implications ahead of the draft St Clair – St Kilda Coastal Plan being delivered to Council in the first quarter of 2021.
	The General Manager Infrastructure Services, Simon Drew and Coastal Specialist, Tom Simons-Smith spoke to the report and responded to questions from elected members. Cr Carmen Houlahan left the meeting at 3:41 p.m. and returned to the meeting at 3:43 p.m. Cr Benson-Pope entered the meeting at 3:50 p.m.
	Moved (Cr Lee Vandervis/Cr Marie Laufiso): That the Committee: Notes the St Clair – St Kilda Coastal Plan mid-engagement update. Motion carried (PLA/2020/036)
	Moved (Cr Walker/Mayor Aaron Hawkins): That the Committee: Adjourn the meeting for 10 minutes.  Motion carried
	The meeting adjourned at 3:55pm and recommenced at 4:03pm.   Cr Lee Vandervis was absent from the room.

11        Review of George Street Upgrade Project
	The Community and Planning and Transport report outlined the independent review of the preliminary design and community engagement for the George Street upgrade project (completed by Kobus Mentz of Urbanismplus). The General Manager Infrastructure Services, Simon Drew; Group Manager Community and Planning, Nicola Pinfold and the City Development Manager, Anna Johnson spoke to the report and responded to questions from elected members.
	Cr Lee Vandervis returned to the meeting at 4:08 p.m.
	Moved (Mayor Aaron Hawkins/Cr Steve Walker): That the Committee: a)     Notes the the findings of the independent review by Kobus Mentz of the Dunedin Retail Precinct (George Street upgrade) project. c)     Revokes the Planning and Environment Committee resolution (PLA/2019/025) from 11 June 2019 which endorsed the preliminary design for the George Street – Central City Plan project. Motion carried (PLA/2020/037)
	Moved (Mayor Aaron Hawkins/Cr Steve Walker): That the Committee: b)        Approves proceeding to detailed business case and developed design with a one–way design with flexibility to go to two-way shared street design for the Dunedin Retail Precinct George Street upgrade. The Committee voted by division: For:                  Crs Sophie Barker, Christine Garey, Marie Laufiso, Mike Lord, Jim O'Malley, Chris Staynes, Steve Walker, David Benson-Pope and Mayor Aaron Hawkins (9). Against:          Crs Rachel Elder, Carmen Houlahan, Lee Vandervis, Jules Radich and Andrew Whiley (5). Abstained:    Nil Motion carried (PLA/2020/038) by 9 votes to 5

12        Items for Consideration by the Chair
	A request was made for City Services staff to review the compliance rules in regard to size of signage on shop frontages, canopies and verandas and to provide report back on the enforcement process and any enforcement action that has been taken, with particular focus on the George Street and Princes Street retail areas.

The meeting was declared closed at 6:10 p.m.

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C H A I R P E R S O N