An investigation of a new Indoor play space and ways to improve ventilation at the PCYC indoor sports stadium were on the agenda of the 18 February Council meeting.
BREEZE: Ways to improve the ventilation and heating of the PCYC indoor sports stadium will be investigated.
PCYC ventilation in the spotlight
Orange City Council will work to improve air-flow, ventilation and heating of the Sir Neville Howse Indoor sports stadium at Anzac Park.
Last night's council meeting decided Council would work with the PCYC, which leases the building, to "assess .. the most effective solution to restore or improve ventilation and heating at the PCYC facility".
The motion from Recreation & Culture Committee chair Cr Tammy Greenhalgh is aimed at "ensuring the safety and comfort of all users while maintaining the venue's reputation as a premier sporting facility."
Cr Greenhalgh told the meeting participants in the recent Indoor Hockey State Championships had reported very hot conditions during the event.
Council to investigate new indoor play space
A business case investigation will begin into setting up an indoor play space for young children in Orange.
The decision came following a motion from Cr Marea Ruddy which called on the council to "acknowledge the ongoing community demand for a dedicated indoor play space" and to "conduct a feasibility study into the development of an indoor play space that is inclusive, stimulating, and suitable for children of all abilities"
It's expected the investigation will look into:
- identifying potential locations for the play space.
- estimating the capital and operational costs.
- exploring possible partnerships and funding opportunities, and
- assessing the impact on the local community and economy.
The motion asked for a progress update on the feasibility study to be presented at the next Council meeting.
Council donates to local organisations
Last night's meeting made decisions on a number of applications for small donations to local clubs.
The meeting decided to:
- donate $2500 to the Orange Radio Control Car Club to help meet costs of court hire for competition events at the Orange Indoor Tennis Centre.
- donate $342.50 to RSPCA Orange Supporters Group to pay for the hire fee for the Naylor Pavilion at the Orange Showground for the Orange People & Pets Community Day on Wednesday 5 March.
Smoking ban policy to be deleted
As part of the routine and ongoing review of Council strategic policies, last night's meeting considered a number of changes.
A long-term ban on smoking in the Orange CBD, which was never able to be enforced, was deleted by a decision at last night's meeting.
The Council policy, which was in force since 2011, resulted in signs being erected advising that smoking was not allowed in a range of places around Orange including:
- near the Orange hospital
- entrances to shopping centres in the Orange CBD
- within 10 metres of public playgrounds
A report to the meeting said the previous policy was out of date, was unable to be enforced and is now a topic handled by state health authorities.
Orange City Council will continue to be aligned with NSW Government anti-smoking policies.
Proposal to change child care support for councillors
A proposal to change the level of support for councillors for child care expenses will be put on exhibition for community comment.
The current council policy allows that "Councillors who are the principal carer will be entitled to reimbursement of carer's expenses … for attendance at official business".
While the previous policy provided for a limit of $500 a year, last night's meeting decided to propose increasing the limit to $1200 per year.
New policies adopted
After community consultation and review, last night's meeting adopted 14 new strategic policies.
The policies set the operating procedures for a range of Council activities.
The new policies are:
- Code of Conduct
- Procedures for the administration of the Code of Conduct
- Councillor Access to Information & Interaction with Staff
- Councillor Records Management
- Statement of Business Ethics
- Gifts & Benefits
- Privacy Management
- Public Interest Disclosures
- Compliments & Complaints
- Risk Management
- Access to Information held by Council
- Customer Service Commitment
- Vandalism Reporting Scheme
- Liquid Trade Waste
Council to compare grant success
Council staff will look into how successful Orange City Council has been when applying for grants.
Last night's meeting supported a motion from Cr Tammy Greenhalgh to report on:
- a summary of grants applied for in the last financial year, including the number of applications submitted and the success rate of those applications.
- comparisons with the success rates with other councils in our region and councils of a similar size.
- an assessment of whether the appointment of a dedicated Grants Officer or grant writer would improve Council's grant application outcomes and overall funding opportunities.
Cr Greenhalgh told the meeting it was important for Council to secure "every available funding opportunity to reduce reliance on ratepayer contributions."
