Probably not.
The council, which has been in the limelight for much of the past year over mayoral and chief executive conflicts, a proposed vote of no confidence in the mayor and a double-digit rates rise, is meeting on Wednesday over crabapple trees.
Acting Mayor Keith Hovell said in a statement an emergency meeting of the council had been called for on Wednesday to consider a letter from A B Gray and Associates.
The letter challenges the legitimacy of a council resolution regarding the planting of crabapple trees in Gore’s Main St, passed unanimously at a meeting held on Tuesday.
The letter was from Gore lawyer David Gray, acting on behalf of Peter Woods.
Mr Woods presented a petition to the council last month, which resulted in delaying the planting of the five crabapple trees in the Gore town centre until business owners and the public were consulted.
The crabapple trees proposal came after the council had got rid of redwood trees which were getting too big.
Mr Woods collected more than 140 signatures from business owners and staff in the Gore business area, pushing for carparks and not trees.
But on Tuesday, the council backed a resolution tabled by Cr Glenys Dickson.
The amendment was to immediately start planting the trees, given the costs already incurred and being incurred daily on the project.
It was costing the council $300 a day as everything lay idle.
Council parks and recreation manager Keith McRobie said the council was acutely aware of the need to restore the parks and main street before the Christmas retail rush began.
It was planned to start yesterday but the letter from Mr Gray led to a halt.
It is hoped the emergency meeting will resolve any issues.
The trees were bought at the start of the year and the holes were dug about two months ago.
Safety barriers have been up around each site since work stopped.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency instructed the council yesterday to extend the barriers to take up another parking space, as it had concerns about the recent publicity and health and safety, Mr McRobie said.
That had led to the loss of three parking spaces instead of two.
