THE one gathering any mayor dreads chairing is the annual town meeting.
I can’t remember how it happened but I ended up chairing two town meetings when I occupied the mayoral chair in the 1980s.
If my memory serves me right, one was really controversial and the other was a bit of a damp squib.
I suspect our current mayor, Michaela Ellis, was a little apprenhensive chairing Friday’s meeting, especially after the mauling she had the previous week when Daryl Turner returned to the town council chamber.
But she handled matters well and although the meeting went on for nearly three hours it was not particularly controversial.
One of the main issues raised was the unkempt streets of Lyme Regis.
Nothing much goes unnoticed by Ken Gollop and he wrote to the meeting drawing attention to a few grotspots that have been left unattended for many months.
There was also criticism of the effectiveness of the mechanical street sweeper as well as complaints about the noise it makes on its early-morning route around the Lyme roads.
District councillor Daryl Turner always makes sure he is well prepared for such meetings and did his best to defend the district council’s performance.
In the old borough council days the streets were swept by local chaps who had a pride in the job they were doing for their home town. No one is suggesting that we should go back to those days (actually some are) but someone driving a mechanical sweeper which often breaks down is not really going to have too much pride in the effectiveness of his work.
Two summers ago the district council made a big pig’s ear of keeping the Marine Parade toilets clean.
You could apply the same agrument here. Contract cleaners are never going to do the job with the same enthusaism and care as a local.
Last summer the town council took over the cleaning of the Marine Parade toilets and made a much better job of it.
This should tell us something.
We have every right to expect clean streets and public toilets as a minimum service for our costly council tax.
It’s all down to management and will someone sat 24 miles away at a desk in Dorchester really be able to ensure the work is carried out well and to an acceptable standard?
There is much talk about Lyme Town Council seeking “quality status” and being in a position to take on additional responsibilities.
It seems to me there are some local tasks that need to be handled by local people. It’s our town and we all want to see it sparkling clean.
Over the years there are many areas in Lyme that have been totally neglected. The banks of the River Lym are most often in a disgraceful state.
On my early morning walks I am always impressed with the resources the district council put into keeping the Cobb area litter free.
Not all areas of Lyme get the same attention and it’s time they did.
Or let the town council do the job.
Have your say on new council offices
MARCUS Dixon opens up an interesting debate in this week’s Lyme Letters over West Dorset District Council’s intention to spend £10.7 million on new offices in Dorchester.
Marcus does so as a concerned individual and not in his capacity as chief executive of Lyme Regis Development Trust.
The proposed new offices will form part of the Charles Street development, which will also include underground parking, shops and offices.
The district council says its present offices in High West Street, Dorchester, are unsuitable and expensive to run and the new building will save up to £160,000 a year.
The project has become a real hot potato in Dorchester where at a public meeting last week opposition was unanimous.
District council leader Robert Gould refused to attend this meeting, as did chief executive David Clarke. They claim that the opposition to the scheme is politically motivated by the Lib Dems.
Marcus maintains it would be foolhardy to spend such a large amount of money when further down the line Dorset could end up with a unitary authority and shared offices.
The people of Dorchester are so incensed by the proposal that they have called for a parish poll which is costing £5,000-£6,000.
But this is not just a Dorchester issue. The offices will be financed by all council taxpayers, including those in Lyme Regis.
The matter was raised at Friday’s annual town meeting by Lym Close resident Mrs E. Wood, enquiring whether our town council had made any comments on the new offices.
Town clerk Mike Lewis replied that a planning application would be made next month and this would provide the opportunity for public comment.
I understand there will also be a public meeting on the issue in Bridport on April 19th, organised by the Lib Dems.
The people of Lyme should also have the chance to have their say.
Council meetings have just got interesting again
IT is rumoured that as many as seven town councillors - half the elected number - are considering standing down at next May’s local elections. Until last week, that is.
I understand that at least two councillors are reconsidering their position after the return to the council chamber by Daryl Turner.
Councillor Turner took no prisoners in his statement on why he had decided to seek election to the town council again after stating three years ago that he did not think it was possible to serve two authorities (he’s also a member of West Dorset District Council).
His statement made uncomfortable listening for his fellow town councillors and some were visibly shocked by the verocity of his comments.
I am reliably informed that some of the more experienced councillors who were planning to stand down feel that Councillor Turner may go unchallenged if there is an influx of new, inexperienced members and may go for another four-year term.
There was also some concern felt that Councillor Turner is part of a a group of people seeking election on a reform platform.
Such groups have secured places on the council in the past but not always with success.
As one councillor e-mailed this week: “It looks like council meetings have just got interesting again.”
www.viewfromonline.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment