Cheerful smiles, handshakes and hugs set the tone as community board members gathered for their inaugural sessions with Dunedin City Council (DCC) staff.
After official photos, DCC chief executive Sandy Graham opened proceedings, welcoming board members and acting as chair so the first task — electing a chair and deputy — could be completed.
She congratulated newcomers and returnees, then invited members to sign their statutory declarations, formally constituting each board and enabling it to make decisions.
Boards were reminded of the key statutes governing their work, including the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968, sections of the Crimes Act 1961, the Secret Commissions Act 1910 and the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.
The Waikouaiti Coast Community Board was sworn in during a straightforward inaugural meeting on Tuesday.
Board members Andy Barratt, Anna Knight, Geraldine Tait, Sonya Billyard, Danny Hailes, Alasdair Morrison and DCC representative Cr John Chambers were welcomed by council chief executive Sandy Graham.
Each read a declaration of their commitment to work on behalf of their community through the board, before proceeding to elect a chair and deputy chair.
Long-serving chairman Mr Morrison was nominated unopposed and returned to the chair by unanimous vote.
New board member Ms Knight was nominated unopposed as deputy chair and was also confirmed by unanimous vote.
There were four nominations for chairperson — Mr Hodson, Ms McErlane, Ms Olah and Ms Poole.
This necessitated several rounds of voting from which the candidate with the fewest votes was excluded on each round.
This led to Mr Hodson voted chairman of the West Harbour Community Board, with Ms Olah as deputy chairwoman.
Voting was straightforward for the Otago Peninsula Community Board as Paul Pope and Hoani Langsbury were nominated as chairman and deputy chairman unopposed.
Mr Pope welcomed new board members Hugh O’Neill and Emma Strybosch, as well as returning members Stacey Kokaua-Balfour, Hoani Langsbury and Cheryl Neill, before making a quick acknowledgement of long-serving board members Edna Stevenson and Lox Kellas who stood down at the end of the last triennium.
"You will be surprised at what people will tell you when you are on a community board and the information that is gleaned from them about their private and personal life, but that is what makes it enjoyable, because you get to know people much closer from that perspective," Mr Pope said.
After Saddle Hill Community Board members Tracey Boerboom, Lianna MacFarlane, Barry McLellan, John Moyle, Vianney Santagati and Paul Weir were sworn in, Mr Weir was voted chairman with Ms Boerboom as deputy chairwoman.
Strath Taieri Community Board members Ken Bain, Terina Geddes, Donna Hall, Quentin MacLeod, Bruce Thomas and Robin Thomas were sworn and the board members paid tribute to David (Jock) Frew and Tony Markham who were not successful in the election. Ms Geddes was voted as chairwoman with Mr Bain as deputy chairman.
After being sworn in, Mosgiel Taieri Community Board members Austen Banks, Rose Finnie, Brian Peat, Rebecca Shepherd, Andrew Sutton and Steve Wilson voted for the two leadership roles.
Mr Banks, was nominated for chairman by Mr Peat and Mrs Shepherd was nominated by Mr Wilson.
Mr Banks offered to split the chair position by serving about half the term, therefore providing an opportunity for another chair later.
Ms Graham clarified that voting at present was for a chairperson. It was not possible to establish a future change. If a chair chose to step down at a later point that would be a different matter, but it could not be decided in advance.
Voting then took place and Mrs Shepherd was voted as chairwoman.
Mrs Shepherd then nominated Mr Sutton as deputy chairman who was elected unopposed.
All the community boards confirmed dates for their next meetings before the sessions concluded.
