Wilson votes to pay lights debt

By Rebecca Fraser
CASEY deputy mayor Rob Wilson has dodged a potential lawsuit after councillors voted to foot the bill for a $30,000 promise he made to a small business owner but failed to keep.
The move, at Tuesday night’s council meeting, prompted strong outcry from the public gallery where warring sports clubs the Narre Warren South Lions Junior Football Club (NSLJFC) and the Maranatha Methodist Cricket Club (MMCC) had come to hear council’s 2006 winter ground allocations.
Both clubs had been vying for the use of Strathaird Reserve in Narre Warren South since the NSLJFC was forced to go it alone last year and break away from the MMCC.
In a tabled report, council officers recommended that the NSLJFC, which currently has 157 players, use the ground in winter and the MMCC, which has only 31 listed players at present, have the ground in summer.
However, in a controversial move, Cr Michael Farley went against the officers’ recommendations on Tuesday night and proposed that both clubs share the grounds equally.
In his motion Cr Farley also moved that the council provide football and soccer goal posts and training lights from DBE Floodlighting, prompting an angry response from the gallery.
One man shouted “you should be ashamed of yourself” while others hurled further insults at Cr Wilson when the motion was passed and they vacated the council chamber.
The floodlighting business is currently threatening Cr Wilson with legal action over an outstanding payment of more than $30,000 for lights ordered last April.
Cr Wilson found himself in hot water after sending an email to Ron Bell of DBE Floodlighting asking him to ‘proceed with the order for the installation of the four towers’ for Strathaird Reserve in Narre Warren South.
Cr Wilson was acting on behalf of the Maranatha Methodist Cricket Club (MMCC) as its secretary but sent the email from his council email address and identified himself as the council’s deputy mayor.
However, the council did not approve the order and said it was not responsible or liable for the debt and would not pay the account.
Mr Bell is still waiting for the $31,812 account to be settled and had threatened to take legal action against Cr Wilson if the outstanding money was not paid.
At Tuesday’s meeting Cr Wilson said he had resigned as an office bearer from the MMCC last Saturday but declared he had an interest. However, he still voted in support of Cr Farley’s motion.
Seven of 11 councillors voted in favour of the motion, including River Gum Ward councillor Janet Halsall, who also declared an interest because her husband is on the MMCC committee.
During the council debate, Cr Wreford said a lot of the MMCC’s sponsorship depended on getting the ovals for 2006.
Cr Wreford said the MMCC had publicly said this sponsorship would in turn pay for the floodlights.
“Cr Wilson had $31,812 reasons why he would want his club to have the ground,” she said.
“I have an invoice here asking for Cr Wilson to pay for the lights.
“I am here to represent the community – not my mate who has a $30,000 debt.”
Cr Wilson is already under investigation after the NSLJFC submitted a complaint to Casey Council in December claiming that he should not have been involved in a council discussion over an application for the floodlights at their reserve.
Last year’s matter is currently under investigation and the News has been told of more conflict of interest complaints lodged by the NSLJFC to the council since Tuesday’s meeting.
Cr Wreford has also submitted a recision motion calling for the alternate motion to be overturned.
The matter will be discussed further at the next council meeting.
Cr Wilson said he did not need to declare a pecuniary interest and that is why he had only declared an interest and still voted on the matter.
Cr Wilson said it was important that he voted on the matter in his capacity as councillor.
“I am now a former office bearer (MMCC). My duty as a councillor was more important and I wanted to vote on this in my role as a councillor so that the right decision was made,” Cr Wilson said.
He conceded that the passed motion could solve the legal threats but was adamant that the legal matter was between the MMCC and Mr Bell, not himself personally.
However, Cr Wilson said that he should have removed the email signature and not signed off the email as Casey’s deputy mayor.
The News contacted Casey CEO Mike Tyler but he did not return calls by time of going to print.