Wilson compounds light saga interest

FOUR Oaks Ward councillor Rob Wilson may have risked facing a pecuniary interest action against him to ensure a council vote to his favour.
Cr Wilson, in a borderline decision, voted in favour of a motion that directed the council to pay for the manufacture and installation of training lights at Strathaird Reserve, Narre Warren South.
Cr Wilson has for nearly a year been embroiled in controversy because he ordered the light towers without council authority and has since been issued with an account addressed to his private address.
He now faces possible legal action for payment.
By voting council money to pay the account he took a careerthreatening gamble because the debt is clearly in his name, but would have protected himself against a legal action. This may have been to no avail because Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford immediately lodged a rescission motion that prevented action and payment for the towers.
Also, councillors may react to growing community angst about what they are doing in regard to the reserve.
Cr Wilson has also been at the centre of a longrunning and bitter dispute over tenancy at the reserve.
But in what was an unrelated issue, he ordered the manufacture of four light towers and associated floodlights costing more than $31,000 for installation at Strathaird.
Although few argue that the young footballers do not need the lights, Cr Wilson clearly had no council authority to make the order.
Also, he has not produced an authority from the Maranatha Methodists Cricket Club, of which he was secretary, or from any other club using the facility.
The manufacturer has been left $31,000 short for several months.
This was deja vu because in 2000 Cr Wilson ordered shirts for the inaugural Edwin Flack Games that cost more than $10,000, with no prospect of on selling.
Likewise, a manufacturer spent months trying to get the account paid.
The council eventually paid for the shirts to offset a major public relations disaster and further damage to the highly rated Edwin Flack Games.
My view has always been that one way or another the council would pay for the lights and, of course, Cr Wilson would always have known that it would.
The council is unwittingly losing brownie points because one of its number made this commitment and because a significant amount of money is owing on what eventually will be a council facility.
In view of his previous experience with the shirts and long council experience, his action in ordering the lights was unforgivable.
He got his way and will get the lights for the reserve over which he lords, but this circumvents priority listings and due process because many other reserves also need facilities.
The lights fiasco started when Cr Wilson sent an email to DBE Floodlighting asking the company to proceed with the order for installation of the four towers.
He closed his email as Deputy Mayor City of Casey.
DBE managing director Ron Bell said he proceeded with the work because Cr Wilson told him that necessary council documentation would follow.
Mr Bell then considered that the council was liable for the debt, but found it was not.
He later issued an account for $31,812 to Cr Wilson at his home address dated Thursday 2 February.
Cr Wilson immediately resigned his position as secretary of the cricket club, but this is unlikely to protect him from a pecuniary interest complaint.
Where this one goes is anybody’s guess.