Dunedin City Council staff appear to have changed their ways since a culture of cafe meetings - charged to ratepayer-funded purchase cards - was revealed two years ago.
Council chief executive Paul Orders gave the organisation an almost complete clean bill of health after releasing the latest breakdown of purchase card spending to the Otago Daily Times.
The release of the figures - following an official information request - showed the council's top 34 managers, five personal assistants and Mayor Dave Cull together accrued $336,403 in bills on their cards since July 2010.
The card spending drew on approved council budgets and covered everything from office stationery and equipment to flights, conference registration fees and accommodation for staff on council trips.
Figures released in 2010 showed senior staff spent $100,500 on food, coffee, entertainment and drink in the previous three years, including $7000 on meetings in city cafes.
The revelations came amid greater public scrutiny of spending by public officials nationwide, and prompted some council staff in Dunedin to apologise to then-chief executive Jim Harland and repay money.
The latest figures, released last week, showed a handful of cafe meetings and expensive dinners still featured, although numbers were well down on two years ago.
Mr Orders told the ODT cafe meetings between council staff had "to all intents and purposes ceased" in the past year.
While there were some examples in 2010-11, there had been a "marked change" since Mr Orders delivered a blunt message about his expectations upon arrival last September.
Some meetings between staff and outside parties could be tolerated, as could hosting obligations, but cafe meetings between staff were "unacceptable".
"My views are unequivocal on this."
Each card came with a monthly spending limit, and purchases required receipts, monthly reports and regular checks and approval by each staff member's manager.
Mr Orders was satisfied the spending drew on approved council budgets and in the past year, almost without exception, had been for legitimate business purposes.
"There will always be situations around the margin when it comes to areas such as hospitality, but my expectations around this have been made very clear to all staff," he said.
Figures released showed 201 staff had purchase cards in 2010-11. The number dropped to 173 staff in 2011-12.
Total spending across all cards over the period was $2.59 million, with 6776 transactions totalling $1,346,286 in 2010-11 and 5973 transactions totalling $1,251,818 in 2011-12.
The breakdown of transactions covered the top 40 cards, and showed five personal assistants, buying flights, accommodation, stationery and other necessaries for a range of staff, were the highest spenders.
Spending on courses and conferences, as well as associated flights and accommodation, featured prominently in the lists.
Mr Orders said in 2011-12 the totals spent were down, and well below budget, compared with the previous year, with about $100,000 of the $328,000 budget unspent in the past year, he said.
The previous year, in 2010-11, council staff had spent $332,000, about $32,000 more than was budgeted, he said.
Conference spending would be reviewed again while preparing next year's budgets, but it was important staff continued to pursue "appropriate" professional development events, he believed.
What's on the cards?
Cost: $1881
What: 22 people for artists and lenders dinner after exhibition opening
Where: Plato, Dunedin
Who: Elizabeth Caldwell, then-director of Dunedin Public Art Gallery
When: October 7, 2010
Cost: $146.10
What: Staff movie viewing, Inside Job (work-related)
Where: Rialto Cinema, Dunedin
Who: Peter Harris, DCC economic development unit manager
When: June 22, 2011
Cost: $69.38
What: Copies of "business-related" books, The No Asshole Rule and Good Boss, Bad Boss
Where: Whitcoulls Dunedin
Who: Grant Strang, DCC's then-customer services general manager
When: February 25, 2011
Cost: $1202
What: Dinner for Shanghai Yu Garden delegation (sister garden to Dunedin Chinese Garden)
Where: Golden Harvest Restaurant, Dunedin
Who: Margo Reid, Dunedin Chinese Garden manager
When: November 14, 2011
Cost: $62.80
What: Subway meals for councillors, staff, while debating ORFU bail-out
Where: Subway Restaurant, Princes St, Dunedin
Who: Athol Stephens, DCC finance and resources general manager
When: March 14, 2012
