LGOIMA Request Details: LG2428

The information you requested is below;

1) The number of personal grievances or formal complaints relating to disputes with the public over council rules or statutory obligations, and any high-level reports or summaries about trends or impacts of these disputes on staff or council operations.
Manawatu District Council (MDC) has not had any issues in this regard.

2) The number of cases where people have disputed or delayed paying rates, fees, or charges, or refused to comply with council requirements (for example, dog registration), and any summaries or reports describing the nature or volume of these disputes.
MDC has had two such cases identified during the relevant period.

• One individual disputed Council rates and dog registration requirements but has since paid the outstanding amounts.
• A second individual is currently in dispute regarding payment of their rates.

No formal summaries or reports have been prepared regarding the nature or volume of these disputes, as the number of cases is minimal.
3) Total costs, including legal fees, court or debt recovery costs, or extra staff time, related to handling the above disputes, and any reports or summaries assessing the impact on council resources or finances.
The total direct costs incurred to date are $2,274.09. This amount relates solely to debt recovery expenses.
The work associated with these matters has been undertaken as part of normal business-as-usual (BAU) activities. Accordingly, no additional staff time or internal administrative costs have been separately recorded.
No reports or summaries have been prepared assessing the impact on Council resources or finances, as the number of cases is minimal.

4) The number of LGOIMA requests received that relate to disputes over council rules, charges, or enforcement, and any internal summaries or reports about high-volume requests or the impact of repeated requests on staff and operations.  
NIL meeting these criteria.

We have received numerous documents from sovereign citizen groups, however they are not addressed only to our council. The documents are global in focus and do not apply to our regulatory framework.