Suggestions Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive Adam Feeley was being disrespectful by looking at his cellphone while people spoke at a public forum in Wanaka last week have been rejected by the council.
At yesterday's Wanaka Community Board meeting, several members of the public again raised concerns about the proposed staff cuts at Wanaka and Queenstown libraries.
One speaker, Nicola Martinovich, levelled criticism at Mr Feeley, who she said was using his phone during most of the public forum on the staff cuts at last Friday's full council meeting. Her remarks prompted a chorus of support from the public gallery yesterday.
Board chairman Lyal Cocks said her comments were ''not appropriate'' in the public forum.
However, Mrs Martinovich maintained it was an observation many people had made.
''And if our youth did that in school they'd be told off because it's disrespectful,'' she said.
When approached for a response on the matter, QLDC communication manager Meaghan Miller said there was a ''perfectly legitimate explanation'' for Mr Feeley's attention being focused on his phone at the meeting.
''The chief executive has sworn off hard copies of agendas. Having commuted from Christchurch that morning in order to be on time for public forum, he inadvertently found his iPad battery had run out,'' Ms Williams explained.
''He plugged this in to charge but that left him with the option of having to read agenda papers on his iPhone. He is an experienced multi-tasker and I can assure you has a very firm recollection of the points raised in public forum. No disrespect intended.''
