Mayor announces proposed committee structure and Deputy Mayor

The new triennium for Nelson City Council will begin with a revised committee structure that is inclusive of all Councillors.

A new deputy mayor has also been recommended, with Judene Edgar being warmly received by Councillors to be put forward for this role.

 
“Judene has a wealth of experience in local government and governance. Not only does she have an excellent understanding of the needs for our broader region, but she is incredibly hard-working, campaigning from her hospital bed is a testament to that!” said Mayor Reese.
 
Councillor Edgar was excited by what the role offered. 

“It is an honour to be asked to be the Deputy Mayor, and being able to contribute my experience to Nelson.
 
“We have a wonderful group of elected members, and I am looking forward to working alongside them all as we tackle some of the many challenges and opportunities that local government is facing.”
 
Mayor Rachel Reese’s proposed committee structure will focus on “Committees of the whole”. Each committee will be made up of all Councillors, ensuring that Nelson’s representatives all have the opportunity to provide input.
 
“We have been worked hard as a collective group to come up with a structure that will produce the best possible results for our Smart Little City,” says Mayor Reese.
 
“I want to thank all the Councillors for their open and honest discussions over the last few days. The key roles have been spread among both new and re-elected Councillors. This is shaping up to be a very cohesive and engaged Council.”
 
The proposed chairs and deputy chairs of the committees are:
 
Infrastructure
Chair – Brian McGurk
Deputy chair – Rohan O’Neill-Stevens
 
Governance and Finance
Chair – Rachel Sanson
Deputy chair – Gaile Noonan
 
Environment
Chair – Kate Fulton
Deputy chair – Brian McGurk
 
Community Services
Chair – Matt Lawrey
Deputy chair – Yvonne Bowater
 
Sport and Recreation
Chair – Tim Skinner
Deputy chair – Trudie Brand

 
Regional Transport Committee
Chair – Brian McGurk
Deputy chair – Judene Edgar
Rohan O’Neill-Stevens
Mayor Rachel Reese
 
City Centre Revitalisation Group
Chair - Pete Rainey
Deputy chair - Mel Courtney
(Note: This is not a formal Committee of the whole. It will help provide governance input into major projects such as the Library and the city centre development programme. 2-3 additional members are to be determined)
 
The committee structure, roles and Deputy Mayor are to be confirmed at the inaugural council meeting on 31 October 2019.
 
Additional committees, including Chief Executive Employment Committee and the Audit Risk Committee, will be announced in due course.