Council meets over Seamer Departure

Council has an extra-ordinary meeting at 430pm tomorrow (Monday 1 May) in the Council Chamber - all welcome. The meeting has been called by Councillors still not satisfied by the 'sacking - resignation' of respected former CEO of the City of Sydney Mr Peter Seamer and the events surrounding his sudden and lamented departure.

Even an independent fan would have to admit that Clover Moore has been pretty shoddy in all this. It has not been her finest hour. Now it appears from the Australian weekend reports that she consulted a former Lord Mayor one week before 'consulting' Councillors about the problem's she was having with Seamer.

I'm shocked that Clover Moore has made such an amateur mess of this situation. Add to that a leak of the confidential legal documents to the SMH on Friday that clearly came from her office. She dares to lecture other Councillors and the 'major parties' (evidently now including the Greens) about ethical behaviour and transparency in public office, but doesn't seem to see her own hypocrisy. Whilst the SMH was a bit soft on her performance on the weekend - the Australian went to the issue of the appalling calculated character assassination of Seamer.

Here's a letter 5 Councillors have distributed to the press on the leak.


Dear Editor,

As Councillors of the City of Sydney we are appalled that the highly respected former CEO Peter Seamer has had his reputation dragged through the mud in the press. The leaking of allegations of 'serious misconduct' against Mr Seamer has been calculated to tarnish his reputation and has only served the interests of the Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP. All opposition Councillors declare no knowledge of this appalling leak to the media and have signed statutory declarations to that effect. We call upon Clover Moore to either provide evidence of this alleged 'misconduct' or withdraw the allegations and apologize to Mr Seamer for any damage and hurt this calculated public attack has caused to his reputation.

yours sincerely

signed

Councillor Verity Firth - Deputy Lord Mayor
Councillor Chris Harris
Councillor Michael Lee
Councillor Shayne Mallard
Councillor Tony Pooley

and the Australian's article:

Mayor held secret talks on sacking

Imre Salusinszky, NSW political reporter - The Australian
April 29, 2006
SYDNEY Lord Mayor Clover Moore consulted her predecessor, Lucy Turnbull, about difficulties she was having with the council's chief executive a full week before she informed any of her fellow councillors.
Former chief executive Peter Seamer resigned on April 4, an hour before Ms Moore says she was planning to seek the 10-strong council's approval to dismiss him.
The Weekend Australian has learned that, in several conversations during the week beginning March26, Ms Moore canvassed problems she was having with Mr Seamer with Ms Turnbull, the wife of millionaire federal Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull.
Ms Moore refused last night to deny that the consultations with Ms Turnbull had taken place.
The news has enraged Ms Moore's fellow councillors, who have persistently argued she stepped outside her delegated authority in the manner in which she arranged for Mr Seamer's departure.
Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard said: "It is disturbing that Clover Moore discusses sacking Seamer with a former lord mayor but fails to consult the current councillors - and when she does it is shown to be dishonest."
Labor councillor Tony Pooley said: "It's extraordinary that she was consulting with a former lord mayor and not with councillors who have got current experience of the chief executive."
Mr Seamer's camp has broken its silence on the controversy surrounding his departure, telling The Weekend Australian leaked suggestions that he was guilty of misconduct were false.
With Mr Seamer holidaying in the US and bound by a confidentiality agreement, his lawyer Gerard Phillips said yesterday: "Peter categorically denies the suggestion that he was guilty of any conduct that would have warranted his dismissal and, in fact, he wasn't dismissed."
The so-called "opposition" members of the council - three Labor, one Liberal and one Green - issued a joint statement yesterday accusing Ms Moore of dragging Mr Seamer's reputation through the mud by leaking allegations of unspecified "serious misconduct" to the media.
Mr Mallard told The Weekend Australian that Ms Moore's office had"deliberately smeared Peter Seamer's reputation in a bid to protect the Lord Mayor's position".
"It's pretty hypocritical that we got a lecture on confidentiality two days ago, and now it's leaked by Clover Moore's side," he said.
Ms Moore told The Weekend Australian last night: "It appears that there has been an unauthorised disclosure of confidential information, and I have asked the acting CEO to take appropriate action."
One emerging explanation for the friction between Ms Moore and Mr Seamer is that during his 14-month tenure he tried to ease the planning backlog in the Sydney CBD that has led to development being siphoned off to Brisbane and Melbourne.
For example, Foster's Australia has been seeking planning approval for nearly three years for its $800million inner-city former brewery site.
A company spokesman said yesterday it felt the council's capability was "broad and can ensure the process continues".
A former senior City of Sydney officer said allegations of serious misconduct against Mr Seamer were "absolute nonsense" and that Ms Moore's approach to planning was the issue.
"The woman has no management or commercial experience, doesn't understand these issues, and wants to control everything," the former officer said.

Hells Angels only Lanes on William Street!!

This city and governments at all levels have so much to learn by promoting cycling. The disastrous bike lanes emerging on William Street, Park Street and Oxford Street are so unsafe that no new bike riders will be stepping out from behind their traffic jammed car and ride a bike to work. I even witnessed a full size motorcycle use the new bike lanes on William Street to zoom on past all the frustrated jammed cars (I confess ours included on this occasion).

Maybe it's a 'Hells Angels only' lane - given their rumored moves on Kings Cross in today's press. And frankly with the misdirected aggression of taxi and 4X4 drivers only a Hells Angel would dare risk riding down our new life ending bike lanes. I don't wish it to happen but someone will be horribly injured or tragically killed dodging parking cars, buses and taxis.
I called for separate safer bike lanes - but was blocked by Clover Moore. Push bikes are not road vehicles and need to be segregated from ten tonne trucks and pedestrians as they are in Denmark and Germany - pictured below - they could have done this on William Street and frankly should be designing this style of roads for all the major cycling entry points to the city.



Speaking of Denmark - bike sales are on the way up again thanks to petrol prices and not Clover Moore's road closures!!

The Copenhagen Post
Business News

20 April 2006 Bike maker riding high as oil prices soar Business is moving into high gear for one Danish bike factory, as commuters drop horsepower for pedal power in order to escape high oil prices
High oil prices are helping the nation to rediscover its love affair with the bicycle. After a slight downturn in recent years, bike makers are predicting that sales will increase as people find ways to avoid higher pump prices.
The Kildemoes Bicycle Factory, a part of the Cycleurope company, saw both its profits and earnings fall in 2005. This year was already looking much better, however.
'We have twice as many orders as last year,' said General Manager Jens Friis to financial daily Børsen. 'We've been helped along by high oil prices and people's desire to get a little more exercise. A lot of people have stopped driving to work and have bought a bike instead. So we expect to increase our sales this year.'
Last year, Kildemoes produced 110,000 bikes at its factory near the city of Odense. This year the company expects sales to increase by as much as 10 percent.
In addition to capitalising on environmental, economic and health trends, Kildemoes is also using globalisation to make sure that bike production remains in Denmark.
'Several years ago, we outsourced our production of frames and forks to China. So we can definitely keep up,' Friss said, adding that efficiency measures had made Kildemoes the most productive of Cycleurope's factories.
The Copenhagen Post

Still no Answers from Clover Moore or her 'Team' of so called 'Independents'

Councillors are continuing their demands that Clover Moore reveal the circumstances surrounding the departure of the City's CEO after only 14 months of a 5 year $360,000 per year contract.
The Lord Mayor has still not provided the legal advise that she is hiding behind claiming a 'confidentiality' agreement. Conveniently Easter will now put some distance between the Council meeting, media and public interest and her eventual response. A typical politicians tactic to avoid scrutiny. All those high paid advisors in her office seem to be earning their pay these days.
Meanwhile the ever silent independent Councillors are still to be heard as 'independent' voices in this public scandal.
A glimpse of their feelings was reported in today's Wentworth Courier:
"She then expects others to be inspired by her example" - John McInerney, glowingly referred to as one of 'Clover's Team' by the local Wentworth Courier. I always thought Independents were just that and not part of one team or the other. We all wait to see some genuine Independence form the Clover Moore clones.

And while you visit the Wentworth Courier don't forget to vote on their poll - although the real issue isn't how much money Clover Moore gave to the CEO but WHY!!

And today's Daily Telegraph explores the issue of a replacement CEO:



Clover's struggle
By LILLIAN SALEH Urban Affairs Reporter
April 12, 2006
SYDNEY'S premier council will struggle to find a new chief unless Lord Mayor Clover Moore changes her management style.
That is the frank assessment of the five City of Sydney councillors who staged their first walkout during a council meeting this week.
They accused Ms Moore of being autocratic and "incapable of forming working relationships" with council CEOs.
The protest follows the sudden departure of highly-respected CEO Peter Seamer – the second chief to vacate the top job in the two years Ms Moore has been Lord Mayor.
Mr Seamer left 14 months into his $360,000-a-year, five-year contract.
While it is believed Mr Seamer was made a scapegoat over plans for an eight-storey building on the former water police site at Pyrmont, it emerged yesterday there had been tension between Mr Seamer and Ms Moore for the past three months.
"Peter Seamer was trying to protect Clover Moore from herself and keep her out of fights with the State Government," Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard said.
"She throws rocks at the State Government and then turns around and complains they won't co-operate on local issues."
Mr Mallard said Mr Seamer had been working hard behind the scenes to save Ms Moore from herself, including reducing her spending by 25 per cent over three months amid concerns of over-spending.
Another council source said Ms Moore struggled to separate her roles of Lord Mayor and MP for Bligh.
"He (Mr Seamer) is trying to run a council and has put in a successful strategy of trying to get things done, while she's trying to be the local hero," the source said.
"She (Ms Moore) forgets that as a state independent member her job is to lobby Government, but as Lord Mayor her job is to lead."
Labor Deputy Lord Mayor Verity Firth said council will struggle to find a replacement of Mr Seamer's calibre.
"It took a three-month recruitment process and he was really considered one of the best," Ms Firth told The Daily Telegraph.
"When someone with his reputation 'resigns' after 14 months, a lot of well-qualified people will not be interested in seeking out this job and that's to the absolute detriment of the ratepayers.
"We can't allow personality rifts to disrupt the running of council. There is more at stake than the political prestige of the Lord Mayor."
The Greens' Chris Harris said councillors welcomed a review of delegated powers given to the Lord Mayor allowing her solely to decide the employment of CEOs.
Council's director of community living Monica Barone has been appointed acting CEO, with Ms Moore announcing a selection process to find a permanent chief.

Clover Moore hides behind 'Confidentiality'.

If you want to hide a problem it seems the ideal way is to claim 'confidentiality'. I can see this as a perfect way to avoid scrutiny for any politician or business leader in a tight squeeze.

Last night at Council, Moore refused three invitations to brief the Councillors on the sacking/ 'resignation' of former CEO Peter Seamer. In front of a gallery packed with unhappy looking Council staff, the five non-Moore Councillors moved motions and amendments to the Lord Mayor's minute seeking more information about the loss of one of Australia's most respected public administrators including:

• copy of Peter Seamer's employment contract
• details of any exit payments (rumoured to be as much as $700,000)
• details surrounding Seamer's sudden departure.

I moved a motion 'that Council expresses its confidence in Peter Seamer'. This motion was defeated by the Lord Mayor's casting (ie second) vote. No doubt that Clover Moore does not have confidence in Peter Seamer.

After 90 minutes of this stone-walling the non-Moore Councillors had had enough and issued an ultimatum to the Lord Mayor. Talk too us about what happened or we walk out of this meeting until you compromise. By withdrawing from the meeting the five non-Moore Councillors effectively withdrew the legal quorum for the meeting to continue, forcing it to adjourn for a maximum 30 minutes and if not reconvened the meeting would be aborted. This action was not taken lightly and it was the first time since elected that any Councillor had 'walked' out of the meeting. It threatened to derail 30 items of major Council business and the outcome was in Clover Moore's hands. Clover Moore accused the Councillors from organsied political parties of ganging up on her. It should be noted that when ever party endorsed Councillors oppose Clover Moore they are major political parties ganging up on her 'independents' - the latter a group of Moore politicians noted for voting as a block 99.9% of the time.

After 15 minutes of tension a contrite Lord Mayor sought a compromise meeting with the five Councillors. In private she agreed to seek further independent written legal advise on whether she can discuss the Peter Seamer departure with the Councillors.

With a few minutes to spare the meeting reconvened and Moore accepted a resolution that she would seek that legal opinion and report back to Councillors. I rearranged the Council agenda and much of the lost time was made up by moving question time to the end of the night.

The Council meeting concluded at 1145pm after three anti-Howard IR motions were back-slappingly passed by the 9 left wing Councillors with one opposition Liberal voice - but more on that later.

From today's SMH coverage:

Furious councillors demand answers over resignation
By Sherrill Nixon Urban Affairs EditorApril 11, 2006
FIVE councillors forced an abrupt but short-lived end to the City of Sydney's council meeting last night when they walked out over Lord Mayor Clover Moore's refusal to explain why her chief executive resigned.
The councillors - three Labor, one Liberal and one Green - refused to participate in the meeting any further unless Cr Moore released Peter Seamer's exit contract and any associated confidentiality agreement.
The walkout occurred after about 90 minutes of fiery debate over whether Cr Moore should reveal the circumstances that led to Mr Seamer's sudden resignation a week ago.
But after 15 minutes of frantic negotiations, the Lord Mayor enticed the dissident councillors back by promising to seek legal advice on what information she could release on his departure. The opposition councillors, who believe Mr Seamer's resignation was forced by Cr Moore, had argued that the council could not be considered accountable if the circumstances remained secret.
"The secret surrounding Mr Seamer's departure has been absolutely astonishing, especially given the Lord Mayor's views on openness and transparency of government," said the Deputy Mayor, Labor's Verity Firth.
Mr Seamer was the second CEO to walk out of the job in less than two years, raising concerns about Cr Moore's management style.
The Liberal councillor, Shayne Mallard, said: "It smells of a cover-up. It smells of hiding something from us all."
Cr Moore described the walkout as the "ugly face of party politics" being played out by councillors who failed in their lord mayoral campaign.
"If you do decide to walk out I think you are walking away from your elected responsibilities and it is quite shameful," she said.
After the meeting resumed, Cr Moore announced a review of the council's decision-making processes, in part prompted by a planning error by council staff last month in which an illegal building was included in a plan for the former Water Police site at Pyrmont.

Clover Moore's praise of Seamer

It has been pointed out that you can still sift out records on Council's web site of the former CEO's appointment and the praise Clover Moore made of her decision.
I was excluded from the interview and appointment panel though I supported the final decision without hesitation. However since all Councillors are involved in the appointment of the CEO but only the Clover Moore 5 take responsibility for sacking him it seems legitimate to question the credibility of such a one sided process.
What CEO would want to offer their neck for that noose?

From Clover Moore's media Release last year:

New CEO for City of Sydney Council
13 January 2005
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, MP today announced the appointment of Mr Peter Seamer as the new CEO of the City of Sydney Council, after an Extraordinary Council meeting endorsed his selection.
Ms Moore said "Peter Seamer is a highly experienced and distinguished CEO with over 18 years experience as a CEO, having led 3 Victorian local government organisations and more recently as the CEO of a Victorian state government owned company. He is regarded as Australia's pre-eminent local government CEO and he will bring a wealth of talent and experience to Australia's leading global city in this position."
"I'm extremely pleased that he's agreed to relocate to Sydney and I look forward to working with him. We expect he will commence work by early March".
As CEO of Federation Square in Melbourne, Mr Seamer has delivered an extraordinarily successful outcome in a landmark innovative urban development project with a capital budget of over $450 million. Mr Seamer took over the project half way through construction and Federation Square opened in October 2002 to public acclaim. It is currently attracting 7 million visitors, positioning it as Victoria's number one tourist attraction.
He was previously CEO of the City of Whitehorse and the City of Greater Bendigo in Victoria where he managed the successful amalgamation of six municipalities.
Mr Seamer's qualifications include a Master of Urban Planning, Master of Engineering Science and a Bachelor of Engineering.

Spotlight shifts to Moore's leadership style

Council's massive spin department were at it today with the fuzzy warm picture on page 3 of today's SMH. It's a shame with all that tax payer's money Clover Moore can't spin fast enough to cover up her biggest blunder since becoming Lord Mayor. Two CEO's down and Monica Barone (pictures from SMH below) - Acting CEO doesn't look comfortable.

eCouncillor readers are invited to offer alternate captions....

"How long will this picture stay on the Council's web site?" - Ms Barone

above - happier times...

The picture above from Clover Moore's announcement appointing Peter Seamer in Feb 2005 - note now removed from the Council's archived web site. Bit 1984?? Peter who?

Sorry The page you are looking for has either been moved or no longer exists.
Go to http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ or use the search located at the top right hand of this page.

72 hours after Clover Moore swung her bloodied axe yet again to remove a CEO with whom she did not agree, it seems fitting that the spotlight of public attention has shifted to her performance as a Lord Mayor under pressure with two highly demanding jobs. The Sydney Morning Herald on-line poll delivered a decisive verdict on her performance to date:

SMH Reader Poll

Clover Moore as Lord Mayor - Rate Clover's leadership
Excellent - 17%
Average - 21%
Hopeless - 63%
Total Votes: 2623

Noting that a poll of 2623 people is very difficult to manipulate you would expect this result from Telegraph readers who are not Moore's traditional NIMBY supporter base and not the SMH audience.

Meanwhile acclaimed newspaper cartoonist Alan Moir has hit the nail on the head with his brilliant letters page cartoon today depicting two Clover Moore's, one Lord Mayor and the other State MP and shackled together by her signature dog collar. See the Moir cartoon here.

Page 3 of the Sydney Morning Herald canvassed the issues underlying the sacking. We know there is much more to it than the water police site issue. Read the article below:

Council wants chief back, and answers

"People move" Â… Clover Moore, right, with the council's new acting chief executive, Monica Barone. The reasons for her predecessor's departure remain unclear.Photo: Lee Besford
AdvertisementAdvertisement
By Sherrill Nixon Urban Affairs EditorApril 6, 2006

CITY of Sydney councillors have appealed to their chief executive to withdraw his resignation as the council faces a bill of more than $500,000 to pay him out and recruit his replacement.
The Liberals' Shayne Mallard wrote to Peter Seamer yesterday asking him to reconsider his decision to quit, as councillors demanded the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, explain his sudden exit.
Mr Seamer resigned on Tuesday only 14 months into his five-year contract, the second chief executive to walk out of Town Hall in less than two years.
His unexpected announcement followed a heated council meeting on Monday night at which Cr Moore reprimanded council staff for a planning blunder involving the former water police site at Pyrmont.
While the conflict between the two over this issue was their first public clash, speculation is mounting that it was the last straw following a period of discord.
"We just want to know the truth, we want her to be honest with us as councillors," said the Labor Deputy Mayor, Verity Firth.
Cr Moore yesterday declined to elaborate on the reasons behind the resignation, saying only that she wished Mr Seamer well and would not comment further to respect his privacy.
"People move in this day and age and they change jobs Â… one would like to think that if you have a five-year contract that that's the period you would be there for, but if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out," she told the Herald.
John McInerney, who is on Cr Moore's independent team, said Mr Seamer was a good chief executive, but the latest discord "wouldn't have been just a one-off".
"He resigned because I believe he felt that his skills and talents were of a different type than what was needed in this particular job," Cr McInerney said.
But Labor, Liberal and Greens councillors turned up the pressure on Cr Moore to explain the circumstances behind what they describe as a forced resignation.
They do not believe the water police error - in which a plan for the site included a building that breached legal conditions and was against community wishes - was a sacking offence.
"This is now, in my view, about her leadership and management style," Cr Mallard said.
"I think he has made a mistake and I think he should reconsider his resignation and withdraw it and the councillors should work through any issues."
Cr Firth sought information from the acting chief executive, Monica Barone, about the payout to be negotiated for Mr Seamer.
The former chief executive Robert Domm was paid $208,000, or nine months' salary, when he left the council three years into a five-year contract following a run-in with Cr McInerney, only months after Cr Moore was elected.
Because he was headhunted from Melbourne, Mr Seamer's payout may be higher - up to two years' salary, or $720,000, plus the $100,000 it would cost to recruit his replacement.
Mr Seamer was well regarded by business. Ken Morrison, NSW executive director of the Property Council, said yesterday he was a "quality person" whose loss would be felt greatly.
He was also praised by the former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, who worked with Mr Seamer when he was the chief executive of several large councils, before he was appointed to run the $450 million Federation Square project in Melbourne.
"He was thoroughly enjoying the challenge [in Sydney] Â… I can only believe it was a clash of personalities or he felt he was being held back," Mr Kennett told the Herald.
"I think it does raise the issue of whether a person [such as Cr Moore] can actually hold down two senior jobs as a parliamentarian and a lord mayor."

PARTING WORD

'People move on in this day and age and they change jobs and I really can't say any more.'
CLOVER MOORE, Sydney Lord Mayor

'We just want to know the truth [about the resignation], we want her to be honest with us as councillors.'
VERITY FIRTH, Labor Deputy Mayor

'This is now, in my view, about her style of leadership and management Â… I have found him [Seamer] very open and approachable.'
SHAYNE MALLARD, Liberal councillor

'If I was giving a reference, I would have nothing but good comments to make [about Seamer] Â… I can only believe it was a clash of personalities or he felt he was being held back.'
JEFF KENNETT, former Victorian premier

'I just couldn't deal with the level of political interference and the mismanagement of the place by the elected officials.'
ROBERT DOMM, former City of Sydney chief executive who left soon after Cr Moore was elected.

Clover Moore axes another CEO

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP has shown the exit door to her second CEO in her troubled two years heading the City Council.

Councillors were summoned to an urgent private briefing at midday today where a grim faced Moore announced that the CEO Peter Seamer had offered his resignation 'for personal reasons.'
However when asked by Liberal Councilor Shayne Mallard if the CEO 'jumped or was pushed' she refused to answer but confirmed an undisclosed financial payout had been negotiated.

"Any way you cut this it’s a sacking and Clover Moore has again demonstrated her inability to work with independently minded people." Mallard said.

The sacking of Peter Seamer follows Moore's earlier sacking of CEO Robert Domm and her undermining of former Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor John McInerney.

"Peter Seamer is a popular, respected and very competent organisational leader head-hunted from Federation Square in Victoria. He has successfully worked for both Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks,"

"Peter Seamer's sacking will leave a significant leadership void and a shaken demoralised management and staff at a critical time in the Council's history,” Mallard said.

"This is a terrible outcome for the City of Sydney and the biggest mistake Clover Moore has made."

"At a time when the City of Sydney is embarking on ambitious new City planning codes and running down financial reserves by 70%, sound and stable organisational leadership is essential.”

Peter Seamer's sacking follows murmurs of disagreements between him and Moore and was bought to a head by the proposal for a seven storey building on part of the former Water Police Site at Pyrmont. At the Council meeting last night Clover Moore attacked staff for the inclusion of the building in the Masterplan.

“The fact that the building proposal got through to the Council stage causing community concern demonstrates that Clover Moore is not paying attention to the detail of the Lord Mayor's job.”

“Peter Seamer is being made a scapegoat for Clover Moore’s inability to manage two highly demanding elected jobs as Lord Mayor and member for Bligh,”

“Rather than sacking another CEO, perhaps the Lord Mayor should heed the advice of Oscar Wilde: ‘To lose one CEO may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness,”

Background Peter Seamer & Clover Moore
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/citynews/2005_February/stories/NewCEO.html


Clover Moore and Peter Seamer in happier days. Picture City of Sydney