‘Uneasy
lies the head that wears the crown’
Rumour has it that all
is not well in the hallowed halls of Joaquina Street.
Some councillors have
been heard to complain of being ‘left out of the loop’, alleging that Shire
President Dave ‘Dog’s Breakfast’ Wallace is making important decisions in
collaboration with the CEO but without consulting them or even telling them much about what
he’s up to.
It’s also rumoured
that Deputy Shire President Denese Smythe is critical of his handling of the top
job and is determined, in the fullness of time but preferably very soon, to
replace him. To this end, she may hope
to rely on the backing of her friend and ally Cr Randell.
Good heavens, it’s
just like what happens in Canberra.
Meanwhile, it seems
that Mrs Wallace is unhappy with what she regards as disrespectful comments
about her husband that have popped up on somebody’s blog from time to
time.
(She must mean the
other blog. This blog has
consistently treated our shire president with a degree of veneration bordering
on idolatry.)
Shire President
Wallace’s position on council will become vacant in October. Will he stand for election
again? If he does, and is
re-elected, will he play for dibs or cede the number one spot to his eager
rival?
I suspect the answer
to the first question is a resounding affirmative. Even if he’s reluctant to stand, his supporters in the
sporting clubs and the tavern team of tosspot tipplers aren’t going to let him slip
easily off the hook.
They’ll be counting on
him to make sure the rest of us go on paying for them to keep ‘healthy and
vibrant’—or in the tipplers’ case, just ‘vibrant’— as we’ve been doing for
quite a while now to the tune of around half-a-million dollars a year.
They’ll want him to
stay on as shire president for at least another four years, by which time no
doubt we shall all wearily have come to accept our collective fate as fodder
for our Great White Elephant, the Splurj Mahal.
But there’s many a
slip…is it possible that after October we’ll have, not only an openly gay CEO,
but also our first openly female shire president?
Out you go, ladies, we’re flogging off the
family silver
Since November 2012, by
grace and favour of the Shire of York, the Wheatbelt Women’s Hub has convened at
what used to be in happier days the premises of York Tennis Club on the corner
of Clifford and Glebe Streets.
By ‘happier days’, I
mean of course the time before the club accepted the Shire’s sneaky invitation
to migrate to the YRCC.
The Wheatbelt Women’s
Hub bills itself as ‘A non-profit organisation providing and facilitating
support groups for women (not excluding men) suffering from chronic illness and
mental health issues’. Nowadays, if
you believe what you hear and read, that’s pretty well everybody since the
words ‘women’ and ‘men’ are well on the way to being interchangeable and having 'issues' of one kind or another to share with friends on Facebook is socially de rigeur.
In 2013, the Hub won a
well-deserved official award for ‘Excellence in Rural and Regional WA’.
Among the Hub’s early stalwarts
was Cr Denese Smythe.
The Shire has given
the Women’s Hub notice to quit by the end of June. Why? Because it
wants to put the premises up for sale and use the proceeds to bring down debt,
thereby improving its FHI (Financial Health Indicator).
According to the DLGC,
the highest possible measure of FHI is 100. Anything under 70 is less than satisfactory—in plain
language, a fail. In
2014/15, the latest period for which figures are available, the Shire of York’s
score was a mediocre 67—not an epic fail, but a fail nonetheless, and one that
doesn’t look good for the people in charge of managing our money.
I doubt that figure
improved in 2015/16, given the comic-opera reign of James Radcliff Best, so
maybe there’s a fair bit of catching up to do, but I’m not sure that ‘selling
the family silver’ is the right way to go about it.
Cutting back on
inessential spending, like new artificial turf for YRCC tennis courts and
similar handouts to the Shire President’s sporting club mates, strikes me as a
better way to go.
I wish you the best of
luck, ladies, in your quest for a new home. Perhaps the Shire will make room for you at the Splurj
Mahal. I’m told the Forrest
Bar and Café offers grub and grog at very competitive prices.
Bowling green blues
Speaking of artificial
turf, here are a couple of photos of the present state of the YRCC bowling
greens:
First it was a sinkhole,
now it’s corrugations. I suppose
we can look forward to the Shire spending a further huge sum on re-turfing,
perhaps following pressure on Shire President Wallace from the bowling club
president and his committee.
And in three or four years, folks, we’ll be doing it all again.
Catching up with Christian
I think former depot
worker Christian Tarou Chadwick has become an expert on how to stave off the
evil day.
He turned up to
District Court in Perth on the appointed date, 17 January, and promptly sacked
his lawyer.
The result of this
smart move was that his case had to be adjourned until 17 February— next Friday—to
give him time to find another lawyer to represent him.
Will he face justice
then? Is his celebrated luck about to run out? What odds is the TAB offering?
Catching
up with Christian Part 2 (added 180217)
Yesterday morning, 17 February, Mr. Chadwick
appeared once more in the District Court in Perth.
To everybody’s surprise, perhaps including his own, he changed his
plea to guilty in relation to both offences (assault occasioning actual bodily
harm and aggravated burglary).
His bail was extended pending a
pre-sentence report. He will
appear again for sentencing at the end of March.
Kia waimarie, bro.
York River in flood—Northam isolated—Shire refuses planning application to build an ark, doesn't know what is meant by a 'cubit'
Did Christian borrowed the idea of sacking his Lawyer at the 11th hour from one of the Evil Eight?
ReplyDeleteWhats the possibility the sacked Lawyer advised him to plead guilty.
Respect is not automatically included with the Shire President Badge. One must earn it.
ReplyDeletePlease don't tell us we are going to be hit with the bill to replace the bowling club turf as well.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know who is the current President of the Bowling Club?
I believe the president of the bowling club is none other than former shire president Patrick Hooper, author of the infamous 'Minority Report'.
DeleteThe contractable disease 'control' continues to spread throughout our community.
DeleteIf Pat Hooper was the only choice the Bowling club had, they are in pretty serious trouble.
We all know Pat craves to be see as someone important in York. He knows he will never get back into council, so the Presidents badge for the undulating York bowling club is better than nothing.
Pat showed what a low life and despicable little man is is when he penned the Minority Report.
There was another choice, a very nice lady infact but Pooper took care of that, as he does.
DeleteI'm bet he did. He would not handle losing to a Lady.
DeleteWhat tactic did he use this time?
Same old same old. What a shame there are so many numpties who get sucked in by these tired old twats.
DeleteIf Smythe can't make all the training and meetings due to wk commitments how is she going to be SP?
DeleteOh hang on it's worth the equivelent of a full time salary.
Perhaps that was the plan prior to the election when she said she was retiring. That didn't pan out so she took a job instead.
I guess if she is SP then the job will go.
Clever little cookie.
This is from the FIGJAM website LinkedIn:
Delete"Denese Smythe
CEO
Company Name Avon Youth, Community & Family Services
Dates Employed Nov 2015 – Present Employment Duration 1 yr 4 mos
Provide leadership, initiative and good judgement, strategic planning, business operations and staff management, financial management."
I think that job would pay a bit better than being Shire President. He gets $40K pa, I'm told, with a Kevlar vest thrown in.
Yes but semi retirement on $40k and all the glory is a sweet gig. Not exactly hard work if your thick skinned. You go girl!
DeleteJack14 February 2017 at 01:04 - I would have thought majority of the people would be a wake up to the tactics by now.
DeleteMust be those with a lower intelligence than the tired old twats that got sucked.
I am sure Smythe could struggle by on the $40,000 after all it is almost double what a single aged pensioner is expected to survive on annually.
DeleteNice pin money for the current SP.
Pat Hooper might be the president of the undulating Bowling green, but that is all he is!
DeleteJames would you please add the word ' in' after the word sucked in my previous comment Tim14 February 2017 at 19:56.
DeleteIt somehow got lost in transmission.
Thanks for the correction, Tim. It often surprises me what a difference in meaning a simple preposition is able to convey.
DeleteDamn, my imagination was having a good time before that correction was made.
DeleteWhat difference does it make how the current CEO chooses to live his private life? It is no ones business.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t add divorced or on the second marriage etc. when referring to various councillors, so why single out the CEO?
Lighten up, snowflake. I meant no disrespect to the CEO or to gay folk in general. I was using the phrase 'openly gay' as prelude to a joke about the next shire president possibly being 'openly female'.
DeleteObviously you haven't been inoculated against political correctness. It's a horrible affliction. It stops people saying truthful things in case somebody, somewhere, might be offended. The CEO makes no secret of how he 'chooses to live his life', and I respect him for that.
Does a Dog's Breakfast have any connection to the Dog's Bollocks?
ReplyDeleteNo, Maia. It was a contemptuous expression used revealingly last year by the SP to explain why councillors had to chair certain committees that included members of the general public.
DeleteI'm intrigued to know more about this 'contemptuous expression' and in what context it was used, can you enlighten me?
DeleteIs there some unspoken law preventing members of the public from chairing 'certain committees'?
'A dog's breakfast' means a mess, work poorly carried out, or in the Aussie vernacular, 'a right stuff-up'. It is said to have originated in Scotland back in the 1930s.
DeleteI was in the gallery at the OCM (last November, I think) when SP Wallace used the phrase. He was making the questionable point that only councillors should chair meetings of committees (like the Christmas street decorations committee) that were to include non-councillors as members, otherwise, things would go badly wrong.
So far as I know, there is no law to prevent such committees from electing their own chairs.
Wallace was bang out of order placing a councillor in the Chair. Just because a person is a councillor does not mean they know how to chair a meeting.
DeleteWho was on the Christmas street decoration committee?
The members were:
DeleteCr Pam Heaton (appointed as chair)
Bernie Finestone
Ken Emberson
Carol Littlefair
Alison Matheson
Roma Paton
Dr Duncan Steed
Leigh Thompson
Cr Trish Walters
Sandra Paskett was initially a member but resigned in the early stages.
Leigh Thompson didn't attend any of the meetings.
DeleteIt was not a committee but a shire of york advisory group with no voting and no roles. It was not an incorporated body and not an association. The Chair is just the person who keeps the meeting on track. There is no secretary, no treasrer etc etc.
DeleteQuite so, Bill, and all the more reason to allow members to choose the chair.
DeleteI stand by my assertion that SP Wallace's use of the phrase reflected a degree of contempt towards members of the 'lay' public whom he considered would be unable to fill the role of chair effectively.
It was called the Christmas Decorations Working Group.
DeleteWho is Bill?
DeleteThere's no Bill on the list. He claims to know a lot about something he was not involved in.
You are correct Jim.
DeleteI would have thought its a given if you join a SOY advisory group the Shire faciliate, Chair and record the meeting
Delete(Reply button working again)
DeleteRuth B, are you by any chance my old friend Ruth B from Fremantle?
Anonymous 16 February 2017 at 05:01
DeleteThe structure of the working groups was made public.
Sorry James, I am not your old friend from Fremantle.
DeleteWallace appointing the Chairperson for the group shows the lack of respect he had for those nominating.
From what I heard, the Christmas group nominated the deputy chairperson. Why one and not the other?
How insulting! Why on earth would a committee need a Councillor to chair the meeting?
ReplyDeleteMembers surely would have been given the opportunity to choose their Chairperson - isn't that the democratic process?
'Democratic process'? You dare to apply that phrase to the Shire of York?
DeleteThis is my response to Bill 160217 @ 5:46 (entered as a new comment because the 'reply' button has stopped working):
ReplyDeleteBill, the only 'givens' in this kind of context are either prescribed by law or (up to a point) established by convention. Unless I'm greatly mistaken, neither consideration applies to an advisory working group.
But even if you're right, which I don't concede, what you say doesn't address the main issue. What SP Wallace said, in effect, was that it was necessary to put a councillor in as chair because no 'ordinary' member of the public could be trusted to do the job properly. Hence his reference, explained previously, to 'a dog's breakfast'.
That, to my mind, is 'a note infallible' of an authoritarian personality. We've had a few too many of those, in my opinion.
Isn't a 'dogs breakfast' a little subjective? Some dogs have wonderful breakfasts, my dog for instance, he has a very healthy sensible breakfast.
DeleteOh, and by the way, the reply button does work.
The button stopped working for a while on both my computers. I don't know why it stopped working, but as you correctly though redundantly observe, it's working again.
DeleteNo, the phrase 'dog's breakfast' isn't 'a little subjective'. The Macquarie dictionary defines it objectively as 'a mess; a confused state of affairs'. The Millenium edition of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable gives the meaning as 'a mess or muddle', while the Cassell Dictionary of Slang, associating the phrase with 'dog's dinner', defines it as 'a distasteful mess'.
(To advert to an earlier question from Maia, the latter dictionary provides a contrasting meaning for 'dog's bollocks', namely, 'anything excellent, admirable or first-rate'.)
Sorry, but the anecdotal experience of your dogs, though reassuring to dog lovers, cannot be held to compromise, let alone reverse, the accepted meaning of the phrase 'dog's breakfast'. I would agree, though, that the act of consuming breakfast is a highly subjective experience for a dog.
Reply not working for me either JP. What Wallace said was insensitive, authoritarian and idiotic however, the fact remains a working group cannot elect a Chair if there are no elections. Lets just agree that Wallace often speaks without thinking and hope that something comes out of the future working groups other than a pile of debts and unfulfilled plans.
DeleteDo you think Wallace would be open to some advice so he avoids offending well meaning volunteers?
DeleteWhy not ask the CEO to chair advisory groups in the future.
When my dog was a puppy he used to eat his own turds.
DeleteYou're talking crap Bill, yes they can elect a chair, exactly what's stopping them? Any group of individuals can elect a chair, whether or not that would stand up to any legal challenge is another story.
DeleteThe way I see it, Wallace was given the opportunity to show he could do a better job as SP than Hooper and Boyle. Even a modicum of improvement would not have been too difficult.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately he blew it by copying the two worst Shire Presidents this town has endured.
The C E O [ Crazy Employment Officer ] Martin has been here 12 months .But what has he done ?
ReplyDeleteSacked 3 employed 4,cards on rubbish bins. Well thats about it, perhaps others could enlighten me on what he has done .
Now he wants a score card [2017 community scorecard] terrible. Sell the old tennis club to make the FHI look good stuff mental health issues in the town.
New admim officers but nothing has changed it business as usual.
The word around town is the natives are angry . It has been suggested there should be a town meeting and tell them we will not be paying any rates.[ To many lies to many cover ups ]
Anonymous17 February 2017 at 07:41 - if the councillors came out from behind closed doors and communicated with the people AS THEY PROMISED TO DO before they were elected, we might find out what the new CEO has achieved.
DeleteThere's nothing interesting in the SP column in the paper. The least he could do is list what has been achieved each month.
Who ever made the decision to use a dark background colour on the SOY page needs to go back to basic training in desk top publishing.
How can the old tennis club be sold off. Ray Hooper tried that and found problems with the set back from the river, making it unviable for any one to develop.
Any public meeting will have to be called by the people. Wallace does not want to hear what we think, he is only interested in placating the has been councillors and sporting groups that got him elected.
Yes, the new CEO Paul Martin came to York and perhaps some of the bullying has eased off. But is York better off under his administration the answer is definitely not. The new CEO is highly overpaid he has flanked himself with what is referred to as so called executives, staff who are receiving executive and consultant salaries who do not live in the town. Your money is effectively being syphoned out of your town out of your community.
DeleteA town meeting should be called so that a no confidence notice can to be put on the CEO citing the excessive overspending and over staffing of the York Shire Administration under his administration.
His overspending on executive salaries
Ratepayers, you are not getting value for money under his administration what does he do and what has he done for the salary he is being getting.
I don't blame the new CEO for employing new senior staff to work with him, he needed people he could trust.
DeleteHe walked into a vipers pit with Staff angry their gravy train ride was over. For the first time in over a decade their qualifications and positions came under close scrutiny.
There was no way he would receive co-operation from the staff after sending Tyhscha and Gail on their way.
The biggest shock for them would have been they were expected work a full day.
Anonymous 180217 @ 17:13, it was my understanding that both executive managers would be living in the town. I recall the CEO saying so at the time of their appointment, and that is what was reported in the local press.
DeleteDo we know what happened with Mr Chadwick?
ReplyDeleteSee 'Catching up with Christian Part 2', noted above yesterday.
DeleteHe is out on bail again, and walking freely among us. He is likely to receive a term of imprisonment when sentenced at the end of next month.
Where, I can't find any reference to 'Catching up with Christian Part 2'!
DeleteIt appears above as an addition to 'Notes from Underground', sandwiched between 'Catching up with Christian' and 'York River in flood'.
DeleteTosser, you should have made yourself clear, no wonder I couldn't find it, I was looking in the comment section.
DeleteI am not responsible for your failure to consider other possibilities than what appeared to you, in your no doubt auto-erotically enfeebled mental state, as the most obvious.
DeletePage 90 Agenda 27th February 2017
ReplyDeleteIt is proposed that Council approves the Discussion Paper for public advertising and comment 6-31 March. During this time, it is suggested that Councillors, Shire officers and representatives of the users of the Forrest Oval Sport and Recreation precinct utilise the Community Bus to visit similar venues within the region which may include but not be limited to; Goomalling Sport and Community Centre Merredin Regional Community and Leisure Centre Kellerberrin Recreation and Leisure Centre Narrogin Regional Leisure Centre Katanning Leisure and Function Centre Freebairn Recreation Centre - Kulin
Is Mukinbudin hidden in the 'but not be limited to'?
Looks like plenty of free day trips for the president of the Bowling club and has been councillors.
Why not just limit the trip to one Town? Go and look at the Northam Recreation Centre. A classic example of how to spend Ratepayers money wisely!!! Half the cost of Yorks fiasco, works well for functions, conventions etc.. Doesn't run a Tavern competing with private businesses in Northam.
I have been reading the February Council Agenda and attachments for the YRCC SYO14-02/17. I have many sleepless nights ahead if I'm to read the lot.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have Shire staff who know how to find documents previously declared unavailable or, as declared by the ex DCEO. 'it would simply take too much of the staff's valuable time to locate'.
Appears documents previously applied for under FOI and declared unavailable by both Gail and Tyhscha are beginning to surface.
See girls, it wasn't really all that difficult.
Perhaps the new staff have a better handle on the alphabet.
Not difficult to write a report about all of the reports either.
DeleteI don't know that 'difficult' is the right word, but as one with considerable experience in such matters I would say that a good many hours were devoted to researching and compiling the report.
DeleteAfter a lengthy break from duties 'Bluey' that pesky little tractor and his tag-along-mate 'Boxie' have resumed their nocturnal dirt/gravel services.
ReplyDeleteIf you see them, make sure you give them a toot and a big wave.
Bluey is such a "Stick in the mud." Luckily his much bigger mate Marwo is always up for a laugh.
DeleteWe know who Bluey is. Who is Marwo?
DeleteThe Shire of York Administration appears to be moving towards creating a corporate image with a number of new titles and positions being created.
ReplyDeleteMany Corporate bodies proudly display Employees names, positions and qualification on boards in their foyers and I can see no reason why the SOY shouldn't do the same.
A Staff/employee Board could be fixed to the wall of the Administration (inside the main doors). Works Depot employees and those under contract should be included.
It would make it a lot easier for residents to locate the person best suited to their inquiry.
Maia; February 19. Northam do particularly well spending ratepayers' money. When York 'powers that be' was dividing the town and spending c. $1.5 million or so, building the current Mausoleum that still isn't big enough for shire and library and meetings, the Northam Shire built a really nice building, with verandahs and a carpark, for c. $350.000. York needs lessons, or to at least pay attention. Worse the architects who 'designed' the York building, pride themselves on the fact that they are supposed to be "heritage" architects. Stuffed up big time in York - next to the Fabulous Town Hall and look at what we ended up with. Then had to put walls in front of it as a façade` to hide the mess.
ReplyDeleteRoma February 20. That is a good idea and there used to be a number of beautiful Jarrah notice boards with the names of the then 'Roads Board' members printed in gold, hanging in the Town Hall.
They disappeared and when I enquired about them, was told they didn't exist! Well, yes they did.
(My Grandfathers' name was on one of them). They looked fabulous hanging on the walls.
I doubt that will happen now, because that means that people will be able to 1. find them and 2. ask them awkward questions, that they may not be able to answer and 3. be in the firing line if something they were responsible for, goes wrong. History, Roma, its all history. You should know that, having lived here now, for quite some time. Or perhaps wishful thinking? I know, I think like that sometimes, too. Oh dear!
So you dont want them to waste any more money but you want wooden plaques or similar in the shire foyer. Really?
DeleteJan I have not forgotten York's history or those involved.....I will never forget those nightmare years. They are used as a bench mark and a reminder of behaviour never to accept again.
ReplyDeleteI spend a lot of time wishful thinking, though I call it visualisation. I spent hours visualising a certain person packing and leaving York ....and....it worked! I am currently working on a few more.
Why not ask someone where those Jarrah boards are Jan, they may be in storage in the Museum. When you locate them, suggest you take a photo.
I think the facade across the front of the York Administration was an attempt to convince us we had a mini Federal House of Parliament here in York and therefore should be duly impressed with our elected members etc.. Didn't work very well did it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a perfect canvas for the disgruntled local who conveyed the thoughts of many across the front - when Best was here.
Just read the National Parachuting Championships will be held in York March 19- 26, 2017.
ReplyDeleteLast time it was held here it was awesome.