Late Agenda of Council Meeting

Councillor Contact Details

Granville Ward
Clr Steve Christou (Mayor)	0419 651 187	Steve.Christou@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Ola Hamed	0405 070 007	Ola.Hamed@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Joseph Rahme	0418 995 471	Joseph.Rahme@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Greystanes Ward
Clr Greg Cummings	0417 612 717	Greg.Cummings@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Eddy Sarkis (Deputy Mayor)	0418 306 918	Eddy.Sarkis@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Vacant	-	-
Regents Park Ward
Clr Ned Attie	0419 583 254	Ned.Attie@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr George Campbell	0409 233 315	George.Campbell@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Kun Huang	0418 911 774	Kun.Huang@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
South Granville Ward
Clr Glenn Elmore	0418 459 527	Glenn.Elmore@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Paul Garrard	0414 504 504	Paul.Garrard@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Tom Zreika	0400 805 303	Tom.Zreika@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Wentworthville Ward
Clr Lisa Lake	0418 669 681	Lisa.Lake@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Suman Saha	0419 546 950	Suman.Saha@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Michael Zaiter	0418 432 797	Michael.Zaiter@cumberland.nsw.gov.au

For information on Council services and facilities please visit www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au

Council Meeting

17 June 2020

Item No: MM06/20-33

Mayoral Minute - Councillor Briefings & Workshops During Covid-19

Author: Mayor Steve Christou

File Number: SC486

Summary

During the Covid-19 period, the General Manager and Council officers have continually made changes to ensure that the elected Council continues to function as effectively as possible, with appropriate social distancing implemented and the public health order adhered to at all times.

As you can see tonight and from the previous Councillor Workshop, Council has now set up some temporary desks within the Chamber for Councillors on the side of the main table, which will allow ample social distancing for all Councillors. It has been confirmed that this setup can accommodate the return of all 14 Councillors to this Chamber with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

With a number of Councillors returning to the Chamber last meeting, I think we would all agree that a more effective Council meeting was held.

Whilst the Covid-19 amendments to the Local Government Act require Councils to make Council meetings available via audio/visual links, Councillor briefings and workshops are a matter to be determined by each Council. The NSW Public Health Order has been relaxed of late, with many Council services reopening such as libraries, Parks and Customer Service Centres to name a few. All Council Officers have commenced rotational return to work arrangements. There is nothing preventing this Council from re-convening in person, in the interests of conducting more effective Councillor briefings and workshops.

It is has been clearly evident to me that conducting Councillor briefings via web conferencing has not been as effective as meeting in person. Councillors leave their workstations for extended periods, do not display their full faces, and Councillors on the web conferencing service often do not participate and contribute. The most effective leadership in this Council occurs in this Chamber, and our community deserve us operating in the most effective fashion for them in deliberating and making decisions. We need to be in this chamber to do that in my view.

Councillors who do not wish to attend Councillor briefings will continue to receive the relevant information disseminated to all Councillors, and are able to ask the General Manager or relevant Director any queries they may have on the matter being workshopped. Councillors will not however, be able to click on a link anymore and have themselves marked as attending a Council briefing or workshop. I take my commitments to this Council, my fellow Councillors and the community very seriously, and I believe all Councillors should do so as well, and come in and contribute to the effective leadership of this community.

Therefore Councillors, I am recommending the following:

Recommendation

That Council conduct all future Councillor Briefings and Workshops in person, with appropriate social distancing implemented in accordance with the NSW Public Health Order, with all Councillors required to attend in person to confirm their attendance.

Attachments

Nil