Council concerns
At the Council meeting on 9th March Cr Jo McNally voted against the motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of 23rd February but didn’t offer an explanation why. She was asked by another Councillor what needed to be corrected but declined to elaborate and said “it’s something that’s been talked about offline”.
This raises a few questions. Firstly, she believes the minutes are not correct but won’t share details with her colleagues so they can be corrected. Is this acting in the best interests of Council?
Secondly, what does “talked about offline: mean? Was there a confidential part of the meeting where it was discussed? If so then obviously not all the Councillors attended it. Or are there now secret squirrel ‘briefing’ sessions like in the last Council where the press and public are not invited?
Lastly, and most concerningly, the whisper from the White House is that one Councillor is preparing a major complaint and/or workplace claim against the Council, and perhaps this latest action plays into that scenario.
It was also noted at the meeting of 9th March that McNally Constructions has lodged an appeal with the Development Tribunal against Council. I’m no expert in planning and courts and Councils, but when was the last time a sitting Southern Downs Councillor took such legal action against their own Council?
L. Ross, Warwick
