Council take on revised procurement policy

IN a step towards greater transparency, City of Ballarat council passed a reviewed version of the municipality’s procurement policy at its regular meeting on Wednesday, 23 July.

Interim CEO Janet Dore said the revised policy will offer local contractors slightly more weighting in evaluations, provide standardised procedures, and a common template for future procurement.

“There’s many more detailed requirements on evaluation to try to pick up some of the areas where they appear to be subjective and rather give a more firm ability to weight particular characteristics,” she said.

“It’s not only about expertise or performance, it’s also about quality of service, encouragement of local business and being more transparent.”

Procurement within the City of Ballarat was one area that came in for criticism in May’s state Ombudsman’s report.

The policy was approved with support from councillors but included provision to review it in six months.

 

Heritage listing for sale yards

After re-locating livestock sales in 2018 to Miners Rest, some structures at the old Ballarat sale yards on Latrobe Street are one step closer to being heritage protected.

As part of the city’s urban renewal project, council moved to submit a report to the Minister for Planning seeking approval to add significant buildings on this site to the heritage overlay.

Once approved, the overlay will cover a small section of the 13-hectre lot including the circa 1909 administration building and the bluestone-paved sale yards.

“This approach to look after heritage elements on this site is a really important step forward,” Cr Samantha McIntosh said.

“What I see for this area is a great understanding of the need to protect our heritage whilst we grow.”

 

Strategy review passed

A strategy adopted in 2015 relating to the long-term land use vision for the city got another green light following a five-year follow up.

After an administrative review and audit was undertaken of the Today, Tomorrow Together plan, the findings showed that 58 per cent of actions have been completed, 40 per cent are underway and just two per cent have seen limited action as part of the initial strategy.

The report will now be sent for further community consultation.

“At a high level the intent of the strategy is still relevant and it’s great to see that a lot of the actions are being actioned,” said Cr Belinda Coates.

“It will be good to get the community input at the next stage as well, I look forward to getting the community engaged and shaping the future.”

 

You get $5 million!

The instrument of delegation, or council’s approval for the CEO to make purchasing decisions on behalf of the organisation, passed a review without revisions.

Normally, this instrument gives the CEO power to spend $250,000, but that figure was bumped up to $5 million at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $5 million provision will stand whether the council can meet and convene or not.

The decision to persist with the increased spending limit was despite Ms Dore saying it could go back to the way it was.

“It is an unusual CEO who would argue against a bigger delegation of that size but I think unless we have a catastrophic event, I think that we could manage,” she said.

Several councillors pushed against Ms Dore’s comments to revert the delegation in keeping the $5 million provision in place.

“I believe that there can be no harm in leaving the delegations where they are because it is only in an event of a catastrophic event that is beyond the councillors to vote that it is even triggered,” said Cr Grant Tillett.

Cr Danial Moloney added, “who knows what 2020 is going to bring us but at least there is that provision there that in the first instance it will come to council as it should.”

 

They have the power

The power for 31 municipal officers to action and complete authorised plans was approved by councillors.

Cr Tillet said he was gun shy about having that many people at various levels authorised with responsibility without being privy to the officers specific responsibilities.

“There needs to be something that enables us to be aware that things are working properly behind closed doors,” he said.

In response Ms Dore said that council should hold her accountable for the appointment of officers to do specific things.

“This is a multi-layered approach to officers working on plans and getting outcomes through statutory and legal means as constrained by delegation and matters of accountability,” she said.

“There are things you can do without interfering with the operation of the organisation.

“If you’re concerned about leadership, controls and attitudes, you can commission a survey of the culture to inform yourselves.”