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Councillor kicked out of meeting Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au THIS month’s public council meeting saw a councillor ejected from the chamber by the mayor during a fiery disagreement. Mayor Cr Colin Hampton ordered Cr Kris Bolam from the council chamber late in the 3 April meeting as the pair duelled over a point of order and dissent against a mayoral ruling while chairing the meeting. Cr Hampton was criticising councillors who “talk the talk but don’t walk the walk” on keeping costs to ratepayers under control when Cr Bolam indicated he would raise a motion of dissent if the mayor persisted in criticising councillors who raised notices of motion at council meetings. The mayor immediately said he would order the councillor from the meeting if he lodged the motion of dissent. A debate ensued about who had been quicker on the draw to take action. Cr Bolam was forced to leave the chamber “for one hour” on the mayor’s orders. The meeting lasted for less than an hour afterwards. A motion of dissent against the
Mayor Cr Colin Hampton
Cr Kris Bolam
mayoral ruling subsequently raised by Cr Glenn Aitken after Cr Bolam’s exit was voted down 5-3. Crs Brian Cunial, Sandra Mayer, deputy mayor Cr Lillian O’Connor and Cr Hampton himself voted against the dissent motion. Crs Aitken, Quinn McCormack and Steve Toms voted to support the dissent motion. The dissent motion was the third such motion against a mayoral ruling while chairing a meeting this year. Only the March monthly meeting has not seen a dissent motion introduced at any stage of debate. “He was trying to interrupt my debate,” Cr Hampton told The Times last week when asked about the incident. Cr Bolam said: “It is disappointing, at least to me, to witness the
continued weaponisation of rules and procedures to seemingly disenfranchise certain democratically elected representatives from participating in the decision-making process”. The Labor state government late last year sent monitor Prue Digby to Frankston Council to observe council meetings and report back to Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz about councillors’ behaviour. Ms Digby’s appointment term runs from 13 December until 30 June in 2019. The monitor will hand interim reports to the Minister’s department. The municipal monitor’s remuneration is fixed at $1200 a day and must be paid by Frankston Council ratepayers in accordance with the Local Government Act. Ms Digby is at council for twoand-a-half days on average a week.
LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL WORKS
FROM 4 MAY – 17 JUNE Upcoming changes to the Frankston Line
Works will continue to remove the level crossing at Skye/Overton Road on the Frankston Line and build the new Frankston Station. This will affect the way you travel. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you’ll be on your way.
Frankston Station closure
Buses replace trains • On the Frankston Line between Carrum and Frankston from first service on Friday 4 May until last service on Sunday 27 May. • Between Kananook and Frankston from first service on Monday 28 May until last service on Sunday 17 June.
• On the Stony Point Line between Carrum and Stony Point from first service Friday 4 May until last service on Sunday 27 May. • Between Leawarra and Kananook from first service on Monday 28 May until last service on Sunday 17 June.
• From 22 April station facilities will begin to relocate to the Fletcher Road carpark. Frankston Station will close from first service Friday 4 May until last service Sunday 17 June. • A temporary station will be in operation in the Fletcher Road carpark to service replacement buses before, during and after this period.
Road closures • To allow for works to continue to remove the level crossing, Skye/Overton Road will be closed at the level crossing until Monday 4 June. • To allow for works on the Seaford Road Level Crossing Removal Project, Seaford Road will be closed at the level crossing from Wednesday 9 May until Saturday 19 May.
Please plan ahead and allow and extra time for your journey. Local traders will be open for business during this time, so please support businesses in the area.
contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au 1800 105 105 levelcrossings.vic.gov.au
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Frankston Times 23 April 2018
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