WCN And Future Funding
As you know Wellington ICT manages the Wellington Community Net (WCN) on behalf of the owner (Wellington City Council). WCC provides the core (but limited) funding needed to operate this large and successful community website hosting service. It is entirely reasonable to expect the owner to fund the WCN programme but that is about to change. In May 2007 WCC management sought policy changes which could have cancelled WCN funding within one year. We managed to get that management decision reversed and funding was extended for three years (to June 2010). Messages of support from WCN members sent to Councillors and the Mayor undoubtedly helped get a change of heart within WCC management. WCC management has now proposed cancelling all Community ICT funding (which includes WCN) in the draft LTCCP that is now out for public comment:
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Community ICT is mentioned on pages 117 and 122 in the section described as “Social and Recreational”, and on pages 142 and 143 in the sub-section entitled “5.6 Community Participation and Support”. The key activity for WCN (5.6.5) is listed on page 145 but there is no forecast funding. The ten-year summary on page 147 also shows funding for the WHOLE of 5.6 will be drastically reduced from the second year.
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The Situation Facing WCN
The Long Term Community Consultation Plan (LTCCP) sets out the community’s position on the direction for, and funding of WCC over the next ten years. The LTTCCP approved in 2006 included $651,000 per year for Community ICT (Wellington ICT/WCN share: $149,000 or 22%). Having funding for Community ICT and WCN in the LTCCP means it is basically protected as any changes require community consultation and Council approval. Our efforts to get WCC management’s latest proposal reviewed included meetings with WCC management and Garry Poole (CE). We were assured that WCC staff will honour the funding commitment imposed by our current three-year contract which expires on 30 June 2010. Our efforts to clarify what happens after June 2010 produced no assurances about WCN and its future (not just funding). The implications for WCN (and Wellington ICT) are substantial as this basically means funding for WCN is only protected until June 2010. After that date funding would have to come from the community grants pool which does not carry any guarantee about future funding. WCC management in fact avoided giving any assurance that money would be available automatically from that pool of contestable funding. We have carefully looked at funding alternatives but realised they offered neither the community protection afforded by the LTCCP nor a sustainable financial base to continue operating WCN. In other words, long-term funding from other sources for what is fundamentally a WCC-sponsored core Community ICT service for Wellington-based community groups is highly unlikely, a prospect that is made worse by the current economic situation. Cutting WCN (and Community ICT) funding from the LTCCP, and thus removing the community protection it provides, will mean operating WCN on behalf of Council (the owner) would no longer be a viable option and we would be placed in the position of having to hand the service back to WCC.
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If that happened Council would end up with over 570 community group websites (many are high need users) to support but no money to do so. WCC would have to either: produce funding from somewhere to maintain WCN (higher cost, no funds allocated); or inform the all 570+ members WCN is to be closed down and tell them to find (and pay for) another provider. We do not believe those options are a viable or satisfactory alternative to maintaining the funding 'status quo' (LTCCP funding and contract with Wellington ICT).
A New Development
On 6 May we received notice that WCC staff met with the owner of Peoples Times. WCC subsequently confirmed this meeting took place. Peoples Times (www.peoplestimes.com, a US-derived domain name) is a very recent addition to the ‘social’ network that plans on having commercial advertising. It is competing with another recent arrival - Issues (www.issues.co.nz) – for the provision of a community directory but adds an ‘issues’ flavour to its offering. Peoples Times has been set up as a NZ- and world-wide service that will compete with WCC’s own Community Directory. It offers organisations (as well as individuals) the types of services already available via WCN, plus a small number of web pages. Peoples Times is currently not set up to provide a genuine community website hosting service, nevertheless WCC staff are looking at proposing that Peoples Times replace WCC as the owner of WCN.
We Need Your Help
Council annual planning rounds are by their very nature a stressful time, and this occasion is a classic!!! At the moment we are just one voice promoting the importance and community value of WCN. We need your help with promoting WCN as a successful core Community ICT programme, and requesting that WCC include of funding in the LTCCP for the next ten years. If we do not respond collectively and individually the most likely outcome will be no WCN funding beyond June 2010. Communities of interest (in this case WCN and its member groups), community groups, and ratepayers have until 5.00pm on 18 May to make a submission on the draft LTCCP. They will be considered by “a panel of Councillors” on 25-28 May. The Strategy and Policy Committee will then meet 16-18 June to review the draft LTCCP (and funding for Annual Plan 2009). There a number of ways you can help (ideally, more than one of them):
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Send messages of support to WCC Councillors (contact details attached). Making a submission online via the WCC website before 5.00pm on 18 May: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/publicinput/ltccp/2009ltccp.php Signing up to the e-Petition we have created: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/e-petitions/ep/details/77
Having members of the community group, club, church, etc submit messages would be a great help as well. Telling other groups about the problem and getting them to send in messages of support would also help get Council’s attention.
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The media always like a good story, especially one where community interest is a key component. It wouldn’t hurt to let them know what is planned for WCN (and Community ICT) and what you think of that decision. We are not convinced Councillors fully appreciate the implications in removing WCN (and Community ICT) funding from the LTCCP. We know most of them do not realise WCC owns WCN and removing funding does not change their responsibilities as the owner (Note: Passing ownership to Peoples Times would remove that stumbling block). We have also tried on several occasions to establish WCC management’s evidence that justifies their wish to cancelling WCN funding (staff state it isn’t our performance as manager!!!), and supports their claim that WCN funding should be switched to more relevant Internet activities (whatever they might be!!!). We recommend messages of support focus on the positives from WCN, for example:
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The need and the qualitative value of WCN, and thus its importance for community groups. The specific benefit(s) it has brought to your organisation. If you feel inclined, your view of our contribution as the manager of the WCN system within the limited funding we receive.
A request for WCN funding to be re-instated in the LTCCP for 2009-2019, and the continuation of three-year funding cycles would need to be an essential part of any messages. We’ve also looked at what other Councils are doing in the region. WCC is moving to cut all Community ICT funding for reasons that are not entirely clear, whereas:
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Porirua City Council is doing the exact opposite (see DomPost article attached). Upper Hutt City Council is seeking more Community ICT initiatives. Hutt City Council has a small website hosting service and recently confirmed its plans for up to four Community ICT hubs.
We will be making our bid for WCN (and Community ICT) funding to be included in the draft LTCCP (and Annual Plan 2009) when the panel of Councillors meet 25-28 May. The value and impact of that bid would be strengthened if WCN members also requested time to speak at those meetings (in a submission via WCC website) or supported us by attending the hearings. Please call Wellington ICT (473-5757) if you have any questions, or require more information. Leave a message if we are out, and someone will call back.
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WCC Councillors: Contact Details The following details are in the public domain (extracted from the WCC website): Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer (Eastern) Ngaire Best (Northern) Stephanie Cook (Lambton) Jo Coughlan (Onslow-Western) Andy Foster (Onslow-Western) Leonie Gill (Eastern) Rob Goulden (Eastern) Ian McKinnon (Lambton) John Morrison (Onslow-Western) Iona Pannett (Lambton) Bryan Pepperell (Southern) Helene Ritchie (Northern) Celia Wade-Brown Hayley Wain (Northern) Kerry Prendergast Phone Email Address
388-2366 232-9000 970-5351 473-7920 476-9220 387-9363 388-6177 801-3113 938-9350 384-3382 934-3660 473-1335 938-6691 977-3211 801-3102
ray.ahipene-mercer@wcc.govt.nz ngaire.best@wcc.govt.nz stephanie.cook@wcc.govt.nz jo.coughlan@wcc.govt.nz andy.foster@wcc.govt.nz leonie.gill@wcc.govt.nz rob.goulden@wcc.govt.nz ian.mckinnon@wcc.govt.nz john.morrison@wcc.govt.nz iona.pannett@wcc.govt.nz bryan.pepperell@wcc.govt.nz helene.ritchie@wcc.govt.nz celia.wade-brown@wcc.govt.nz hayley.wain@wcc.govt.nz kerry.prendergast@wcc.govt.nz
This email address sends the same message to all Councillors: councillors@wcc.govt.nz
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