Performance Stats of WCC Rates Team & Management
Klaus Schliebe made this Official Information request to Wellington City Council
The request was partially successful.
From: Klaus Schliebe
Dear Office of the Mayor,
This Official Information Request for providing statistical data about WCC’s performance is addressed to the leadership of Wellington’s Governing Body.
The information to be after are stats on WCC’s rates administration/management and a presentation of the Rates Team to find answers whether WCC’s principles in particular being accessible and responsive are met or under sourced.
Most wanted stats are those used by the Mayor’s Office for monitoring and reviewing WCC’s performance
of the WCC Rates Team and supporting management from January to August 2023
including details for
[A] How many enquiries did WCC Rates Team in total receive, and how many still remain unresolved?
How many people are on WCC’s Rates department’s payroll?
[B] How many complaints received the Ombudsman office in total?
What is the number of open complaints by date, and how many people are on Ombudsman’s payroll?
[C] How many advisors and information team staff work for the Chief Executive’s office?
I look forward to this statistic information to be an improvement compared with 2021 and 2022.
Yours faithfully
Klaus Schliebe
From: BUS: Assurance
Wellington City Council
Kia ora Klaus
Thank you for your email dated 13 August requesting information.
Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to provide a decision as soon as possible, but no later than 8 September, being 20 working days of receipt.
The reference number for your request is IRC-5309.
Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Kind regards
The Assurance Team
Email: [email address]
Wellington City Council | Wellington.govt.nz
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
show quoted sections
From: BUS: Rates
Wellington City Council
Thank you for your email.
Due to high volumes of enquiries, we will aim to respond to urgent queries
within eight (8) working days, and non urgent within twenty (20) working
days,
If you have submitted a request to sign up or change a direct debit please
allow up to five working days for processing.
Find property details on our website: [1]Property - Property search -
Wellington City Council
Opt-in to receive future Rates Invoices by email: [2]Rates - Get your
rates invoice and valuation notice by email - Wellington City Council
Notify a change of postal address: [3]Update your address with Council -
Wellington City Council
Ngā mihi,
Wellington City Council Rates Team.
[#SR-767737]:274477:fs
References
Visible links
1. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
2. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
3. https://wellington.govt.nz/contact-us/up...
From: Klaus Schliebe
Dear Wellington City Council,
Thank you for your response to IRC-5309. It is unfortunate that the Council did not provide the most wanted stats as substance of the Information Request. The same declarations have been contradictory in previous years.
Again why not listing for 2023:
[1] How many enquiries have been received, answered within 5 or 20 working days, and how many are still unattended?
[2] How many people are on the payroll in given offices?
To quote “WCC is aiming” why not “doing” to meet rates payers satisfaction? Opening an escape route “called DIY” stands for given links for (1) for property search, (2) for getting notified by email, or (3) for updating contact details. The writer is conversant with using WCC web services, launched already IRC-2936 (asked why WCC’s web services sent out auto responses, but never followed up and resolved addressed issues) and the Office of the Ombudsman declined the investigation.
Something demands answers (3 examples):
when WCC pointed out delays caused by “high volumes of enquiries”, Covid, staff shortage, ill-fallen employees and by administration/management trying to white-wash failing services. Why not coming up with
[a] Stats in categories – numbers for enquiries (searched for infos, requested assistance, fixed reported problems, fault repairs…)?
[b] Stats from the Ombudsman office about breaches of rules and regulations such as council’s policy, LGOIMA, tax invoice rules…?
[c] Steps for taking corporate responsibility when in default?
Defeating WCC’s attempt to push the focus in opposite direction I need to refer and illustrate two examples:
[1] The trigger of IRC-2936 has been clearly an unacceptable breach of LGOIMA by failing to resolve a simple request. To obtain missing rates documents and following complaint procedure has taken 3 months.
[2] In return the related penalty charge has been disputed in May 2022 – and is not settled by date:
Imagine, the Rates Team sent the related invoice after “due date” and charged penalties while failing to provide services rates payers paying for.
The dispute is based on good reasons such as WCC wasn’t able answering the addressed notice and verifying dates e.g. for posted bills and payment.
It is a remarkable situation passed on to Chief Executive office. The reminder of 19 June 2023 posted directly to Chief Executive’s mail box hasn’t been answered yet.
I would like to see a reference that WCC’s penalty clause also applies explicitly to payment notes posted/received after the “due-date”.
Please confirm whether WCC agrees to include the outstanding issues [1] & [2] or not.
If WCC is asking, I would release the substance of facts when dealing with Ombudsman and Chief Executive offices in terms of timeframes, investigations, and writer’s impression how administration/management is sugar-coating professional misconduct.
I look forward to get these stats used by the Council Governing Body to set priorities for rate payers satisfaction, and
would appreciate WCC’s commitment to clear up the mess.
Thank you
Yours faithfully,
Klaus Schliebe
From: Ian Hunter
Wellington City Council
Dear Mr Schliebe,
I write with respect to your email to the Council dated 13 August 2023 in
which you raised a number of questions in respect of rates issues and the
Mayor’s Office.
I will address your questions in the order of your email.
[A] How many enquiries did WCC Rates Team in total receive, and how many
still remain unresolved?
How many people are on WCC’s Rates department’s payroll?
For the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 the Rates Team received 20,205
enquiry tickets, 225 of which are still open.
There are 13 people employed within the Rates Team. This being: 10 FTE’s
and three contractors.
[B] How many complaints received the Ombudsman office in total?
What is the number of open complaints by date, and how many people
are on Ombudsman’s payroll?
If I have understood your question correctly then you appear to be asking
how many complaints has the Office of the Ombudsman received in respect of
Wellington City Council’s rating team.
I am aware of only one complaint made to the Office of the Ombudsman in
respect of the Council’s Rates Team though this was not investigated by
the Ombudsman.
With respect to the number of people employed by the Office of the
Ombudsman, I can advise the Council does not hold this information.
Whilst under normal circumstances this part of your request would have
been transferred to the appropriate agency, I can advise that the Office
of the Ombudsman is not subject to the Official Information Act.
[C] How many advisors and information team staff work for the Chief
Executive’s office?
Again, if I have understood your question correctly, then I can advise
that as of 16 August 2023 the Chief Executive’s Office staff are:
Chief of Staff.
Chief Advisor. Currently seconded to another internal role.
Advisor: Stakeholder Engagement and Communications.
Executive Assistant to Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive’s Office does not have any Information Team roles.
Kind regards,
Ian
Ian Hunter
Senior Advisor | Official Information Team | Wellington City Council
E [1][email address] | W [2]Wellington.govt.nz
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential
and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that
confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the
sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
[3][IMG]
From: Klaus Schliebe <[FOI #23812 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 13 August 2023 5:17 pm
To: BUS: Assurance <[Wellington City Council request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Performance Stats of WCC Rates
Team & Management
Dear Office of the Mayor,
This Official Information Request for providing statistical data about
WCC’s performance is addressed to the leadership of Wellington’s Governing
Body.
The information to be after are stats on WCC’s rates
administration/management and a presentation of the Rates Team to find
answers whether WCC’s principles in particular being accessible and
responsive are met or under sourced.
Most wanted stats are those used by the Mayor’s Office for monitoring and
reviewing WCC’s performance of the WCC Rates Team and supporting
management from January to August 2023 including details for
[A] How many enquiries did WCC Rates Team in total receive, and how many
still remain unresolved?
How many people are on WCC’s Rates department’s payroll?
[B] How many complaints received the Ombudsman office in total?
What is the number of open complaints by date, and how many people
are on Ombudsman’s payroll?
[C] How many advisors and information team staff work for the Chief
Executive’s office?
I look forward to this statistic information to be an improvement compared
with 2021 and 2022.
Yours faithfully
Klaus Schliebe
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://wellington.govt.nz/
3. https://wellington.govt.nz/?utm_source=e...
From: Klaus Schliebe
Dear Ian Hunter,
Thank you for your response to my request of 13/8/23 for statistic information.
The number of 20,205 enquiries between July 2022 and June 2023 is impressive despite showing improvements in comparison to recordings by 30 June 2022. It is unfortunate that WCC can’t provide rigorous stats classified in categories. That would provide the most persuasive way to understand the cause of volumes like this. Can you elaborate to classify what the nature of such numbers is?
WCC ‘s concept to encourage rates payers to maintain their own records by using the online interface is seen as workload reduction. Assuming the rates system runs on auto pilot when it comes to keeping records, billing, confirming emails, etc. By total computerisation what actually do 13 people of the rates team being overwhelmed with enquiries & requests?
To return to the starting point of my service enquiry – that was to inform about missing documents and the request for copies. Fixing a glitch has taken more than 3 months and did not stop here. WCC topped it up with the penalty charge, disputed in May 2022.
This example stands out in contrast with the narratives of “8-days & 20-days-responds time” and is the opposite being “Accessible and responsive & Open and fair & Always improving”. Turning further WCC refused to investigate under the Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, what is in denial doesn’t need to be investigated nor resolved.
Instead of being counter-productive, why not offering a forthcoming and constructive approach like:
- We received your notice of penalty dispute, dated of 25/5/22
- We verified the delivery date “after due-date” and confirm the prompt payment 3 days later
- With referring to our conditions, clause ??, penalty charges apply regardless of who was at fault or (Sorry... has happened, in reconciliation we remediated your account)
This Information Request has been linked to the Wellington Mayor’s office for two reasons;
[1] because of WCC’s double-standards, one to promote council services and the other for the public.
[2] to ascertain that Governing Body can’t come back “we didn’t know” about Council’s businesses
Business is about people and the council’s services are funded by those people.
Thank you for your problem resolving contribution.
Yours sincerely
Klaus Schliebe
Director of KPL
From: BUS: Rates
Wellington City Council
Thank you for your email.
Due to high volumes of enquiries, we will aim to respond to urgent queries
within eight (8) working days, and non urgent within twenty (20) working
days,
If you have submitted a request to sign up or change a direct debit please
allow up to five working days for processing.
Find property details on our website: [1]Property - Property search -
Wellington City Council
Opt-in to receive future Rates Invoices by email: [2]Rates - Get your
rates invoice and valuation notice by email - Wellington City Council
Notify a change of postal address: [3]Update your address with Council -
Wellington City Council
Ngā mihi,
Wellington City Council Rates Team.
[#SR-802084]:274477:fs
References
Visible links
1. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
2. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
3. https://wellington.govt.nz/contact-us/up...
From: Klaus Schliebe
Dear Wellington City Council,
I already received numerous auto-replies, from the WCC web even with case number.
Instead of getting purposeful answers, littering requester’s mailbox with auto-replies – makes that sense?
Yes, (1) faking the statistic of responses and (2) meeting the targets to respond within 8 or 20 working days.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will replace this nonsense hopefully soon, just thought.
Yours faithfully,
Klaus Schliebe
From: BUS: Rates
Wellington City Council
Thank you for your email.
Due to high volumes of enquiries, we will aim to respond to urgent queries
within eight (8) working days, and non urgent within twenty (20) working
days,
If you have submitted a request to sign up or change a direct debit please
allow up to five working days for processing.
Find property details on our website: [1]Property - Property search -
Wellington City Council
Opt-in to receive future Rates Invoices by email: [2]Rates - Get your
rates invoice and valuation notice by email - Wellington City Council
Notify a change of postal address: [3]Update your address with Council -
Wellington City Council
Ngā mihi,
Wellington City Council Rates Team.
[#SR-803991]:274477:fs
References
Visible links
1. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
2. https://wellington.govt.nz/property-rate...
3. https://wellington.govt.nz/contact-us/up...
From: Wellington City Council Support
Dear Klaus,
Your ticket - FW: Performance Stats of WCC Rates Team & Management (Ref:
IRC-5309) - has been closed.
We hope that the ticket was resolved to your satisfaction. If you feel
that the ticket should not have been closed and/or the issue has not been
actually resolved yet, please email [email address] or call us on 04 499
4444.
Please DO NOT reply to this email as this mailbox is not monitored.
Sincerely,
WCC Freshservice Support Team
[#SR-802084]:274477:fs
From: Wellington City Council Support
Dear Klaus,
Your ticket - FW: Official Information request - Performance Stats of WCC
Rates Team & Management - has been closed.
We hope that the ticket was resolved to your satisfaction. If you feel
that the ticket should not have been closed and/or the issue has not been
actually resolved yet, please email [email address] or call us on 04 499
4444.
Please DO NOT reply to this email as this mailbox is not monitored.
Sincerely,
WCC Freshservice Support Team
[#SR-803991]:274477:fs
From: Wellington City Council Support
Dear Klaus,
Your ticket - FW: Official Information request - Performance Stats of WCC
Rates Team & Management - has been marked by the agent as resolved.
We hope that the ticket was resolved to your satisfaction. If you feel
otherwise or if the issue persists, kindly respond to this email. In such
case, we will re-open the ticket and inform the agent assigned.
If no response has been received within 48 hours, the ticket will be
automatically closed.
Sincerely,
WCC Freshservice Support Team
[#SR-803991]:274477:fs
From: Klaus Schliebe
Dear WCC Freshservice Support Team,
Your notification has been received and accepted.
Recordings about WCC’s efficiency in particular dealing with the Rates Department from 2021 until 2023 have been closed.
The auto-responses by the dozen, without dealing with addressed and still open matters, are for observing readers clear indications that rates payers and WCC do exist in different worlds. Concerning is WCC management’s involvements and councils Governing Body, who wasn’t interested even to know.
The new government is in full swing and hopefully the Ministry for Local Government takes notice that rates payers don’t get the service they deserve and pay for. A related submission is on its way.
Thank you for your time and involvement making New Zealand successful.
Sincerely,
Klaus Schliebe
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