Yesterday, he asked Dunedin City Council infrastructure services general manager Simon Drew to consider whether a new approach to cleaning the city’s mud tanks perhaps would be more efficient than the current practice.
Ponding in the street near the grand Olveston Historic Home was indicative of a larger problem, Cr Vandervis said.
"I’ve complained about these things many times and it’s just one that seems never to be cleaned properly. Or if it is cleaned it blocks up again so quickly that some other solution needs to be found," he said after yesterday’s infrastructure services committee meeting.
"Do we simply do the mud tanks that don’t comply, or should we not clean them all as they do in other cities?"
Cr Vandervis said he understood regular cleaning made for lighter work.
The transport activity report tabled at the committee meeting yesterday noted 1780 mud tanks were cleaned in the first two quarters of the 2019-20 financial year.
"Routine cleans were delayed from March 2018 following the discovery of low-level asbestos traces in mud tank waste. Routine works have re-commenced with the contractor averaging 18 tanks per day. It is forecasted that approximately 4000 tanks, 48% of the network, will be cleaned this financial year."
Mr Drew told councillors the city kept a register of "hot spots" where there were issues and those tanks were cleaned proactively when required.
He told Cr Vandervis he would discuss his question with staff.
In 2016, a report released by the council into the 2015 flood found 75% of mud tanks in South Dunedin were not properly maintained.
The report was critical of the council’s contractor at the time and of the oversight of that contract by council staff.
Following its release, then mayor Dave Cull said he was "outraged" at the "dual failure" by the contractor and council staff.
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Why the heck isn't Cr Lee Vandervis the Mayor of Dunedin, He asks the difficult questions that none of the other councillors ever ask and gets ridiculed for it by others who are obviously there for just the morning teas, and to build there own castles. he is not a follower and more of a leader than the last two Dunedin Mayors put together. I guess people don't like him because he. calls a spade a spade, calls it how it is. Doesn't the DCC departments have a lessons learnt register or an internal suggestion ideas, which Departmental Managers comment on the ideas with the CEO having final sign off? with justification of why it was approved or not, those types of things help make people accountable rather than just saying no because they can.
Complain, complain, complain that is not what makes a leader in my book and in the book of a majority of Dunedin voters!
The city has spoke, get over it.
If everything Vandervis complained about was done the Council would have to double it's staff and then he would complain about that.
Thankfully the people of Dunedin voted to distance him for being mayor. Leaders do things, they do not sit back and complain!
Kezza The problem is it needs to be done otherwise you have floods, the man is making sense - its called Preventive Maintenance, Routine Maintenance. Competent Maintainers sign it off the job as being done and being completed to the standard as laid down in the instruction. if the Job is not done in time it becomes a backlog of jobs. When completed the job ticket or works order, is then re triggered in the future depending how often it needs to be done. it is not rocket science. If the task is not done for any reason it needs to be flagged and that manager needs to decide if the manager doesn't get it done in time and xxxx hit the fan they are held accountable as to why it wasn't done. Failure to keep up with the routine jobs lands you in what Dunedin is experiencing now.
The boy who cried wolf....
Vandervis's continued complaining and his inability to work with anyone has an effect of his words just being noise in the background.
He is not running the ship and it seams that he can not grasp that. He needs to step up and actually work with people forming working relationships instead of bickering every little obsticial.
What people need to look at is the successful projects that the council has undertaken while Vamdervis hampered progress. I guessing he was against the stadium and look at the bucks that brings in. I guessing another safe bet would be that he opposed the art work in the city. That gives visitors something more than most cities can offer.
Adding alternative transport options into the city. Although the benefits are not realised now, they will be one apparent when the hospital build starts and traffic and parking becomes more of an issue.
The list goes on... complaining about everything is the easiest job in the world and you are always right because it always could have been done better in some way shape or form.
Vandervis engages in simple politics that appeals to people that want something to complain about.
As is all to often the case, poor management of a property, this case the Dunedin City, is put down to stupid reasons and money wasted.
Any Dunedin landlord will tell you the same. Cleaning and basic maintenance protects a property from adverse events. Cleaning drains and cleaning waste is always critical but it’s way easier to blame poor outcomes on fantasies than endanger someone’s emotional state.
Good work councillor!!! Your passion for reality is always appreciated.
The reality is that he complains about everything. The boy who cried wolf...
Kezza - CR Lee Vandervis says it how it is and what a lot of other people think. Look at all the others on council nothing but followers, no matter what Mayor Dunedin has they would all follow to look good and not cause friction and they will never ask the difficult questions. This is proven with the likes of Benson Pope, look at all the newbies on Council They were all that and a bag of chips, but as usual they are following the leader to fit in.
As I've said above.
The way to get things done is to work with people not going against everything that is raised. Vandervis can not work with others and his crys fall on deaf ears as he is always complaining. He is not a leader and he can not work with others, a bad combo.
The city spoke and he was not elected Mayor for very good reasons.
After the election he was offered a roll in a minor department as a deputy but turned his chance down because he thinks he is bigger and better than that.
Sayers and doers in this world and Vamdervis dosent seam to be doing anything except complaining.
Eyes Wide Open Bang on - well said, anybody who says different is looking for there long lost village.
Let's all follow the bloke that complains all the time.... No thank you said the population of Dunedin.