Cllrs Lindsay and Pascall held Thames Water to account in a way that did them credit but the chairing of the meeting was so amateurish as to be embarrassing.
For well over an hour Cllr Rossi, the Scrutiny Committee chair read out 'filtered' questions from non-attendees.
This ceased only when Justin Downes forcefully interrupted to say victims who had taken the trouble to attend were being timed out.
Most victims came to hear whether they would be compensated and the clear answer was NO.
Cllr Rossi says there will be a further Town Hall meeting in December.
The advice from the Hornet is don't bother attending.
These meetings are pure PR. Nothing will come out of them.
Cllr Rossi is paid close to £30,000 a year to chair the Scrutiny Committee.
It would seem the only qualification for the £2,400 a month 'job' is 'time served'.
It is not so much the money wasted but the fact that she is unqualified to head up a vital overseeing and scrutinising function.
When asked whether the Council's Legal Dept might seek Council's Opinion Rossi snootily rejected the suggestion.
Surely there must be a lawyer/accountant councillor to give this committee edge?
Rossi is not the only councillor unfit for purpose and being paid a huge allowance.
The Dame will be looking closely at others in the next few weeks.
This is our money and we need to ensure it is not a question of 'jobs for the boys and girls.
On the other hand, there are some excellent councillors who well deserve their SRA...they too, will be named and praised.
I attended that meeting. It was a shambles.
ReplyDeleteIs Cllr Rossi fit for purpose? A resounding "NO". Never was, never will be.
ReplyDeleteA good soul, but not Chairman or scrutiny material. The sensitive lady should stick to her resident case work and be useful in this way.
ANOTHER failure of Leadership by Cllr Campbell. She needs to make sure that the right councillors are put in the right jobs. She needs to make sure that they are saved from ridicule by keeping them in positions that are beyond their competence
Wasp? Are you thinking of a newly created Lady.
DeleteThe Leader so loves a Lady in her Cabinet
There is a Lady in the Cabinet. One that goes by the name of Faulks - close friend and confidant of dizzy. Two bird brains. Faulks first showed up a few years ago as a Councillor for Norland Ward. They rumbled her within the week and could not wait to get rid of the thoroughly confused and confusing person. Bits in her head are not connected up. Now Campden Ward is suffering with this unfortunate person.
DeleteBaggage
DeleteNot so. Concrete ballast.....
DeleteQuite so. Unfit to represent residents.
DeleteAt the same time, there's an unannounced agenda for North Kensington. It's to turn the area into a pale imitation of Knightsbridge or Chelsea - naturally at the expense of current local residents, businesses and the markets.
The plan is for yet more loss making businesses but ecstatically happy, greedy landlords. Such a future is a deeply unhealthy. "
The only good thing to emerge from the meeting was the result of Marion Gettleson pressuring Mr Oliver about gulley cleaning-a contributor to the problem. The following days Suez were out on the streets dealing with the neglected part of its contract.
ReplyDeleteIt may seem cruel to attack Rossi but there is a point and purpose. She has never had a job so this £28,000 a year plus her pension is a useful income. The fact that she is not qualified to do the job is an insult to taxpayers
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. That picture!! Kensington's "Mona Rossi".
ReplyDeleteHornton Street PR has gone into orbit
Nope. They are smoking something
DeleteEvery now and again a dreadful event happens like our recent heavy rain. This shows up badly run companies like Thames Water who - it is well known - have been exploiting customers for years. At times like this the Council framework of Committees and processes needs to be taken over by rottweilers like Ms Gettison, supported by Cllr Rossi who has the authority to direct the Legal Department to go after cowboys like Thames Water. Residents need champions - not poodles.
ReplyDeleteOur dear, dear girl is made for the quiet backwaters. The old hag of a Dame should stop her bully tactics.
ReplyDeleteI suppose, Observer, you were excluded from the Dame's little functions. She certainly would have Observer readers there
DeleteWhat a shambles.
ReplyDeleteIn these circumstances, it is legitimate for a local authority to obtain Counsel's opinion on the situation which currently exists so that residents have some idea as to whether the law provides a remedy to Thames Water's Negligence.
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Rossi's response is typical of a Tory run council's light touch approach; carefully husbanding the few thousand pounds that a Barrister's opinion would cost the Council. I remember Kensington and Chelea's light touch approach to Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's harrassment of tenants in the 1980's until those affected by the harrassment demonstrated that the Council was empowered by legislation to act.
These Tory Politicians do not like situations where they are seen to be supporting a private sector company being sued. These Tories bleat on about it being for individuals to take legal advice and act on their own agency in the full knowledge that many of the people affected by this situation do not have the resources to take on a utlity company. However, if those affected by Thames Water know that they have a reasonable chance in Court, they would probably be able to band together to take on Thames Water.
Shane's right!
DeleteIf Counsel's opinion indicated that the residents were in a strong position to pursue a claim in Negligence against Thames Water then that would put Thames Water under pressure to come to the table to negotiate in good faith; something that I do not believe they are doing at the moment. In civil litigation disputes, the conduct of the parties to a dispute is taken in to account when determining legal costs. Thames Water would be running a significant risk if it sticks to its guns of denying liability until legal proceedings were issued.
The Council decided to "carefully husband" its resources and penny pinch over the Grenfell Tower cladding. Whilst I am opposed to Labour Party style profligacy, it would be prudent for the Council to change tack and support those who pay the Council Tax which helps to keep Dizzy Lizzy, Councillor Rossi and every other stipend drawing Councillor (Labour, Tory and Lib Dem) in the life of luxury to which they are accustomed courtesy of RBKC residents
I wrote to Cllr Rossi as below
ReplyDeleteI have heard from two sources that: a) a pump was not turned on. b) There was an airlock
Rossi's reply: I believe the pump in question was at Lots Road. We can ask for information about this for our December meeting.
Note the extreme sense of urgency in her reply. If she had a modicum of regard for the welfare of residents she would have replied, "I will raise the Lots Rd pump issue with the CEO of Thames Water immediately".
Rossi should consider her position. She is pathetic. She has achieved nothing- chairing meetings - paying lip service to residents, protecting a Water Company,and picking up all this money for doing so.
DeleteWhat an appalling attitude from Rossi. Quentin Marshall tried to pass over complaints from Grenfell residents to protect the TMO. Councillor Mackover was having none of it. BRING BACK MACKOVER, HE WOULD MAKE SURE LEGAL OPINION WAS OBTAINED AND THAMES WATER WOULD HAVE A ROCKET PUT UP ITS ARSE.
DeleteThames Water Plc in collusion with the Council of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea against those who have suffered losses is a David and Goliath situation.
ReplyDeleteAnother Rossi banality: Mr Downes, as a result of the meeting Thames Water has improved its customer relations! Cllr Rossi we don't give a damn about 'improved customer relations'. We need compensation and a cast iron guarantee that TW will not flood us with raw sewage again. That cannot be too difficult for you to grasp?
ReplyDelete