The following email was sent to the General Manager on 8 February:
Hi Stephan
The following people have offered to help on the night of the Long Table dinner and therefore need to be approved as Friends of Willow Court committee members
Nigel Salt
Pam Salt
Alice Salt
Joel Schrederis
Eleanor Salt
Ali Assi
Janine Collins
Maree Reiper
Patrick Gerstner
Thanks
Anne
These names were listed on the Council meeting agenda for 21 February.
At the meeting Cr. Bromfield moved a motion that the agenda item sit on the table until the FoWC Terms of Reference was drawn up. Her reason being that new people kept getting added to the committee, and there was no decision on the number of committee members required for FoWC.
The GM did not make the Councillors aware that the specific purpose of approving these people was to ensure that the Long Table Dinner could be held, nor did he inform the Councillors of the requirement that all volunteers have to be listed as committee members for Public Liability Insurance purposes. As the meeting was in progress I was not allowed to speak, although I kept putting my hand up to indicate I had something to say, the GM and Mayor saw this and still did not offer all the information the Councillors needed to make an informed decision.
The Motion was carried.
We have 81 bookings for the dinner on 23 February, and will now have to cancel the event because we do not have sufficient volunteers to provide catering or the licenced people to run the bar. We do not have contact details for those who booked so will have to stand at the WC gate on Saturday night and hand them all back their $35, and an explanation of why we cancelled.
It was blatantly obvious to the FoWC members who attended the meeting tonight that the problem appeared to be more with the number of Salt family members on the list than anything to do with the Terms of Reference. The decision of two Councillors at the 18 October to vote against three men joining the committee (one of whom was a Salt) to help clean up the Willow Court gates gives weight to the opinion of FoWC committee members.
It is also the opinion of the FoWC that Councillors made this decision because the national Disability Discrimination Commissioner was made aware of the FoWC concerns about Agenda item 10.5, which was the imminent approval of the paranormal documentary, and that the Commissioner contacted the GM with the concerns.
Regards
Anne Salt
Chair Person
Friends of Willow Court
Mr Stephen MacKey said today to Anne Salt that he would “try and get there at 6.30 but he had something on” to assist in notifying Ticket holders as they arrived at Willow Court of this shameful Council decision. Mr MacKey was present at the Council meeting seated next to the Mayor and didn’t not alert Councillors about this communication. Anne Salt asked to talk and was quickly told “NO YOU CAN’T” by Paranormal fringe group supporter Cr. Bromfield.
Members of this Fringe group have been busy on social media websites, protecting Council and accusing people of “illegal action” following a statement that I had seen the Paranormal Documentary. Without evidence it has been assumed that I have gained access to this in an illegal manner. This is wrong. It is also quite wrong to smear the whole of the Friends of Willow Court Committee. There are some really good people who have done nothing but positive works for Willow Court and don’t deserve to be treated in this way.
A number of paranormal enthusiasts were members of the Friends of Willow Court’s predecessor committee and left after their single narrow agenda was not endorsed by all committee members. Since then an ongoing campaign of negative statements and smear has become evident.
I find it personally very strange that a Committee of Council is set up without any terms of reference, would this be the job of Council, before they set up a committee to have in place a terms of reference?
It is time that this Council arranged for a mediator.