TROUBLE BREWING AT TOWN HALL

Launceston's budgeting and tender processing has been a bone of contention for quite some time. The city's business people have been uneasy for quite a while and Cr. Spencer's contribution to a sensible discussion about tendering processes will be welcomed by many business people.

Launceston people will no doubt remember how Council's processes sidelined a local business in favour of a Western Australian supplier. They might also recall that the Western Australian product cost almost a king;'s ransom to be delivered to Launceston. 

Every time people walk through the Brisbane St Mall and look down at the tiles they can think of the money that escaped the city to somewhere a long way away.

Dig a little here, turn over a rock somewhere else, talk a contractor doing work at your place you are bound to hear a sad money story "going on at the Council".

This story has all the makings of a good TV series. Does anyone remember the TV show 'GRASS ROOTS' [LINK] • [LINK]? So if this story has as much potential as it seems it might, then finally it will be the city's business people who will get a chance to tell Council a thing or two.

Tanda Vale

Councillor Paul Spencer puts forward motion to remove Tender Review Committee 

 Tarlia Jordan .......CLICK HERTE TO GO TO SOURCE

A motion to remove the Tender Review Committee at the City of Launceston council is expected to be put forward by one of its councillors at Thursday's meeting....................... The committee functions as a way for the council to provide accountability........................ Councillor Paul Spencer recommends the council abolish its tender and expressions of interest process and all sub-committees, a process that has been used for a number of years........................ The committee is allowed to accept tenders for projects that are in the current year's budget, providing the projects are within budget allocations and conform to periodic supply tender and preferred supplier lists. ....................... It is made up of a minimum of three councillors and a member of the executive management committee, who does not have voting rights. Instead, Cr Spencer wants a relevant council office to accept tenders, on the condition that person has the expertise, knowledge and/or the professional experience required, and for the full council to discuss and determine the outcome of all tender contracts and EIOs. Cr Spencer will speak to the item at this week's council meeting........................ City of Launceston general manager Michael Stretton recommends the motion not be supported and said the committee had operated effectively for a number of years with tenders sometimes referred directly to the council for consideration........................ He said councillors needed to consider the time it would take the full council to handle the number of tenders it received each year if the motion was to be accepted........................ "In 2017/2018 there were approximately 96 procurements that would have required consideration by council," he said........................ "These determinations would need to be made in Closed Council to maintain the confidentiality of material submitted by tenderers." Councillors would also need to ensure transparency in managing any conflicts of interest, Mr Stretton said........................ "The operation of the Tender Review Committee as it is currently constituted allows councillors, when sitting as council, to focus on those collective strategic functions."....................... Mr Stretton suggested the council progresses with an audit of the processes to investigate the opportunity for improvement........................ "The operation of the Tender Review Committee as it is currently constituted allows councillors, when sitting as council, to focus on those collective strategic functions, whilst the committee provides decision making on operational procurements."....................... Councillors Nick Daking, Hugh McKenzie and Jim Cox also sit on the committee........................ The motion will be discussed at the council's meeting on Thursday held at 1pm.