A place on the Cromwell Town Centre Project advisory board was hotly contested at the Cromwell Community Board meeting last week.
At the inaugural meeting of the board in November, CCB member Mary McConnell was appointed to the project advisory group but has since advised she could no longer continue due to other commitments.
Board chairwoman Anna Harrison said Bob Scott, who was overseas last week, had previously indicated he was interested in joining the group.
Crs Sarah Browne and Wally Sanford put themselves forward for consideration.
Central Otago District Council properties and facilities manager Gareth Robinson said it would be good to have one or two community board members on the group as it was a complex project.
After Crs Browne and Sanford each put their case for appointment, board members considered their choices.
Cr Neil Gillespie said he thought Crs Scott and Sanford should be appointed. With Cr Nigel McKinlay already on the project group it was possible appointing another councillor — Cr Browne being on the CODC as well as CCB — might lead to a perception the project was being run by the council not the community.
Cr Sanford was actually elected, which gave him more of a mandate to be there, Cr Gillespie said.
Cr Cheryl Laws said she felt uncomfortable having to choose between fellow board members.
Cr Harrison said as Cr Scott was not there to present his case perhaps Cr Sanford should be appointed and the second appointee be considered at the June meeting.
The board agreed to that suggestion.
The next board meeting would be on June 20.
