More dodgy stuff in Nelson

Stuff reports:

A plan by Nelson mayor Aldo Miccio and councillor Pete Rainey to unveil how Nelson’s waterfront might be upgraded has upset others around the council table who claim to have known nothing about it being ready for public launch. …

Mr Miccio and Mr Rainey are planning to showcase the concept plans for the waterfront upgrade at an event at the Theatre Royal this Friday. All councillors and the public are invited.

Mr Miccio said the final presentation, completed just last week, had been seen only by himself and Mr Rainey, who co-chairs the community services portfolio.

Mr Rainey, who has been driving the project, said today it was not a council function but a private one being held by himself and the mayor. He questioned why colleagues were objecting.

Mr Davy said the basis of the complaint was that Mr Miccio and Mr Rainey were election candidates who had used a person involved in handling private campaign advertising, to invite the public to a presentation of what was a council project.

Incumbent Mayors should not use the Council resources as part of their private campaigning.

Councillor Paul Matheson said it was inappropriate to hold a public function before the council had made a decision on it.

“To publicly advertise it beforehand is just plain rude, but it’s not the first time something like this has happened,” he said.

Mr Miccio was in the news a few weeks ago for spamming people who were in the Council database.