Mornington Your guide to what’s on this weekend for peninsula families
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Tuesday 10 February 2015
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Smiles better
THE Humanitarian Clowns hope to raise $30,000 to buy a Laughter Bus to bring some happiness to the ill and disadvantaged. The charity was founded by Tim Webster (far left), also known as Timbadim the Clown after he was inspired by working with Dr Patch Adams in Costa Rica. See story, Page 6. Picture: Gary Sissons
Shire rates high in complaints David Harrison david@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire rated seventh worst for complaints out of the 25 municipalities with populations of 100,000 or more, the Victorian Ombudsman found in his 2014 annual report. This gave the shire an unfavourable rating of five, one above the worst rat-
ing of six, according to Mr Joe Lenzo, who analysed the Ombudsman’s report and the 2014 Victorian Population Bulletin. Mr Lenzo identified at least two matters submitted to the Ombudsman contained multiple issues. These were sent as single complaints: if each matter was counted individually, the shire drops to rating six – the worst category – and climbs to become the fifth worst 2015 MORNINGTON PENINSULA
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municipality for complaints. This compares with Frankston Council (18 out of 25) and the City of Greater Dandenong (16 out of 25). The City of Knox, with almost the same population as the shire, rates 24 out of 25, Mr Lenzo found. “Most of these complaints should have been resolved at the shire level,” Mr Lenzo said. Mr Lenzo, of Safety Beach, who
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has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University with a major in accounting, was a corporate auditor with a multi-billion dollar US manufacturing company, moving on to financial analytical and operational positions, culminating as financial controller. He has also held senior positions in sales and marketing. He said the Ombudsman’s office has a group that liaises with a shire officer
and the Ombudsman can supply information on the complaints against the shire. “The analysis of these complaints and a plan on how to reduce them was apparently not a concern of [the previous shire hierarchy] as this data does not seem to be presented to council or to be of much concern,” Mr Lenzo said in his analysis. Continued Page 9