Simon Mumford
08 June 2021, 7:36 PM
Rous County Council (RCC) will be leasing the vacant Lismore Visitor Information Centre on Molesworth Street from Lismore City Council (LCC).
Expressions of interest were sought in September 2020 with two respondents. One submission was from a timber company looking to sell timber and the other was Rous County Council.
General Manager Michael Donnelly gave details of the lease which is a premise lease only for the upstairs part of the building. The public toilets on the ground floor are not part of the lease and remain accessible for the community at Heritage Park.
In an agreement by both parties the services offered will remain as a Visitor, Cultural, Environment Information Centre.
The license fee will be $1 to LCC - so they can have staff on-site while the premises is let to Rous County Council. The lease to RCC is at a commercial rate of $17,600 per annum.
LCC and RCC are engaging a local indigenous group for their participation in providing educational facilities and also participation in services to the community except for tourism services.
No timeline was given as to when operations will begin.
In a relatively quiet and quick Council Meeting, the newly formed Planning Review Committee said the Development Applications for 38 Union Street (the old railway station) for a mobile food truck and the proposed neighbourhood shops at 426 Ballina Road, Lismore Heights be determined by council staff.
Proposed residential developments in City View Drive, East Lismore, the 724 lot North Lismore Plateau and Hidden Valley will be called up to the Planning Committee for a closer look.
(a map of the proposed North Lismore Plateau development)
Councillors voted to put the Unreasonable Conduct Policy on public exhibition for 28 days.
The policy is looking to protect staff and councillors from "unreasonable conduct" which was described by Councilor Elly Bird as "aggressive, verbally abusive behaviour, threats, harm, violence, unnecessary and excessive phone calls and emails, inappropriate demands and refusal to accept decisions and recommendations."
The policy provides LCC staff a framework to interact with individuals that do display unreasonable conduct. An additional advisory group will be formed consisting of the GM, the Manager of People Work and Safety officer and two members of the public that can ensure the person accused of unreasonable conduct has procedural fairness.
The next LCC meeting will be held next week Tuesday, June 15 at 6pm when the Draft 2021/22 Operational Plan and Budget will be debated and adopted after being on public exhibition.
SERVICES