By CASEY NEILL
A councillor has slammed plans to send a city director to Spain, labelling him unqualified for the Dandenong Market fact-finding mission.
At a firey City of Greater Dandenong council meeting last Tuesday, Cr Maria Sampey also accused Cr John Kelly of lying about attending market meetings.
She was the only one of 11 councillors to vote against sending corporate services director Mick Jaensch to the ninth International Public Markets conference in Barcelona next month.
The $5000, seven-night trip would also include a visit to three major London markets.
Dandenong Market chairwoman Julie Busch will make the journey too and insights will be used to prepare a revised strategic plan for the market.
Conference topics will include why markets matter, innovative ways they’re benefiting communities, new trends, and strengthening markets as focal points.
“The conference program offers a unique opportunity to tour a wide range of markets in Barcelona led by Barcelona municipal officers,” a council report on the trip stated.
Cr Maria Sampey, a former non-voting member on the Dandenong Market board, questioned why Mr Jaensch was attending and “not a market board member with more experience”.
“I fail to see how Mr Jaensch is qualified to go,” she said.
Council CEO John Bennie said Mr Jaensch played a key role in advising the market board and driving its strategic direction.
He said the trip would also increase council expertise, so it wasn’t just reliant on the board and its experience.
Cr John Kelly, who replaced Cr Sampey on the board about a year ago, claimed that Mr Jaensch was the director of the biggest business in the municipality.
“He is so respected on that board for his financial experience,” he said.
Cr Kelly told the Journal he had been attending all of the monthly market meetings and said Cr Sampey’s comments were frustrating.
“It’s a bit of a shame we don’t see Maria at any of the briefing meetings,” he said.
“She doesn’t put much into council – she certainly hasn’t for the past year.
“It’s close to 60 meetings she hasn’t attended herself in the past 12 months.”
Cr Kelly said he would move on and “not be distracted by Maria’s nonsense”.
“I’ve got a job to do, representing the ratepayers,” he said.
“I’ll be the same councillor I have been for the past 25 years.”
