An angry ratepayer walked out, and the confrontational style of others, angered councillors, as the heat in submissions rose during the second day of the Dunedin City Council annual plan hearings yesterday.
The subject of many of yesterday's submissions remained the same as Monday, returning again and again to thorny issues including the contentious Lovelock Ave realignment and changes to the way some rural properties and bed and breakfast establishments were rated.
However, after a relatively calm start to the three-day hearing on Monday, the tone of many of yesterday's submissions featured a noticeable return to a more confrontational style from some submitters.
Dunedin man Phillip Day walked out moments after confronting councillors over shambolic changes to city parking introduced last year, saying he had not been consulted, before cutting his submission short and leaving.
Geraldine Tait, of Waitati, caused anger after criticising perceived council inaction over the development of a South Dunedin library.
She claimed "definite plans" for a South Dunedin library in 2007 had been replaced by a "suspicious silence" among councillors this year, as a plan to relocate the central library from Moray Pl to the former Chief Post Office building was considered.
"Is this the case of the mysterious disappearing library?"Personally, I smell a very large rat," she told councillors.
Testy exchanges followed after Ms Tait asked councillors to respond to her concerns.
Cr Bill Acklin pointed out rules meant councillors could only ask questions, not debate submitters' opinions, to which Ms Tait retorted: "I will just let you contemplate that late at night, with your conscience."
That prompted an interjection from Cr Fliss Butcher, who asked Mayor Peter Chin: "Why do we have to sit here and be browbeaten year after year by this submitter? It's just rudeness."
Mr Chin allowed Ms Tait to continue, despite her submission running over time, but the tone continued when submitter Arthur Heenan accused the council of being "dishonest" in changing his property's rating classification from farmland to residential.
"For the DCC, or any other agency, to designate our farm as anything other than farmland is totally dishonest, and they would have no moral or legal right to do so," he declared.
And the elected representatives even sparred with themselves, when Mr Chin prevented Cr Michael Guest from debating a point with a submitter concerned about the Lovelock Ave realignment.
Cr Guest protested he was only attempting to clarify points of fact: "Why don't you allow us to get to that stage, and then I will shut up?" Cr Guest asked Mr Chin.
"No, I would rather shut you up now," Mr Chin replied.
Councillors sitting for 21 hours over two days have now heard from 127 submitters.
The submissions conclude today.
