Here’s a quick wrap of yesterday’s (16 August) Council meeting:
The Waikato Regional Theatre, a project led by Momentum Waikato, will receive $6.4M from the Hamilton City Council-controlled Vibrant Hamilton Trust, (VHT).
The Council received the update from the Trust at yesterday’s monthly Council meeting. The grant follows a resolution by the Council in December 2017 as part of the draft 10-Year Plan, which recommended to the board of VHT make a $6M grant on the Council’s behalf. That resolution was confirmed in the final 10-Year Plan adopted in June 2018.
At meetings earlier this year the Trust explored how to give effect to this resolution, and on 6 August resolved to pay its entire trust fund to Momentum Waikato, which is leading the project to develop the theatre.
Trustee Thomas Gibbons told the Council the funding would act as a “kickstarter” to the Council’s financial contribution to the project. GM Community Lance Vervoort said the Council would receive a full report on the funding for the theatre, and the trust was aware of the need to work within the ongoing financial arrangements. A Momentum representative also reported good progress with fundraising targets for the project and further refining of design details on the theatre.
At the same meeting, a plan to construct a path between Victoria on the River and Embassy Park was put on hold pending further design details for the Waikato Regional Theatre. The Council will also consider the prioritisation of a range of River Plan projects emerging from recent work.
The Council also asked staff for a further exploration of costs for a range of repair methods to a section of the river path network, at Te Hikuwai, in the city’s northeast. Further information will be provided to the Council at a later date. The slip at Te Hikuwai has covered the path meaning it has been closed for an extended period.
The Council approved a new kerbside collection service for Hamilton which will take effect from July 2020. The new level of service includes replacing the current black bag collection with separate wheeled bins for rubbish and recycling, a smaller separate food waste collection bin and using the existing recycling crates for glass only.
Following a decision made under the 10-Year Plan, the Council has signed a service level agreement with Hamilton Central Business Association which will see the association manage a programme of activation in Hamilton’s central business district. The activation plan covers the remainder of 2018 and through into 2021. The activation plan focusses on four key public spaces in the central city – Civic Square, Garden Place, Embassy Park and Victoria on the River. The Council has approved $100,000 per annum toward the activations.
The Council also decided on an initial proposal for the city’s representation arrangements. The initial proposal would retain the existing two-ward structure for the 2019 election, which is 12 councillors across the two wards (East and West) separated by the Waikato River, with the Mayor elected ‘at large’ by all voters across the city. A formal consultation process will begin on 24 August and last for one month.
In other items, the Council received a report on the 2018/19 Action List to progress the Hamilton Central City Safety Strategy, and endorsed a new Memorandum of Understanding between Waikato Museum and Exscite Trust. Exscite has a long-running relationship with Waikato Museum and the Memorandum of Understanding commits both organisations to shared goals for the renewed partnership.
Editor’s note: This advisory is provided for information only and does not constitute formal minutes of yesterday’s meeting.