From hero to zero: How Councillors stack up on attendance

From full marks to zero attendance, see how our Councillors stacked up in recent months before we head into caretaker mode.

From full marks to zero attendance it’s been a mixed bag in the latest figures showing attendance rates by Coffs Harbour City Councillors.

The quarterly report (from April 1 to June 30) shows which Councillors are showing up at regular meetings and to the briefings from experts and senior staff.

Cr John Arkan is a standout when it comes to non-attendance. He did not show up to a single one of the 13 briefings, where Councillors hear from experts on a range of issues to help inform their decisions.

Council briefings are held each Tuesday prior to the Thursday evening meetings.

Others are held as needed – around two a month in addition to the regular briefings prior to meetings.

When confronted outside a Council meeting earlier in the year by local lawyer and supporter of the Cultural and Civic Space Heather McKinnon he was heard to say the briefings are where “Councillors are brainwashed”.

He has been in trouble with the law in recent years for traffic infringements and last year copped a $130k legal bill for selling blueberry plants he was not authorised to sell.

Cr Arkan was back in the news in January this year when a bizarre open letter purporting to have been written by his “ex-wife” Surinder Kaur, was posted on social media.

It was written in the form of a public apology and claiming he was a “victim” in the blueberry case.

Surinder Kaur holding up a sign outside a Council meeting in 2019 in support of improved library services for the region.

Cr Arkan’s attendance rate at regular meetings was also poor – of the six meetings held in the April 1 to June 30 quarter, he attended just three.

– Keith Rhoades, Paul Amos, Michael Adendorff and Sally Townley attended all six.

– Denise Knight, Tegan Swan and George Cecato attended five.

Coffs Harbour Mayor Denise Knight.

Attendance rates for Crs at the 13 briefings held in the April to July quarter:

Denise Knight – 12

George Cecato – 11

Paul Amos – 10

Sally Townley – 10

Tegan Swan – 8

Keith Rhoades – 3

Michael Adendorff – 2

John Arkan – 0

In recent months both Mayor Denise Knight and Cr Keith Rhoades have indicated they will not be running again at the September elections.

Tegan Swan has given some mixed messages about her intentions and Paul Amos have given a strong indication he will stand again with Cr Cecato saying a personal matter needs to be resolved before he makes up his mind.

A number of other new candidates have stepped forward including a group known as the ‘Together, we’ll fix it’ team.

The Thursday night (July 22) Council meeting will be the last one before Council goes into caretaker mode and it is a packed agenda.