RATEPAYERS will foot part of the bill for a trip to Kansas by two Frankston Council executives in September.
Council CEO Dennis Hovenden and community services manager Gillian Kay travelled to the US to attend an International City/County Management Association event for 10 days in September, including overseas travel time.
Six weeks after initial inquiries about the Kansas trip, Mr Hovenden confirmed expenses of about $5000 including ICMA conference registration, flights and accommodation will be billed to ratepayers.
“The ICMA covered costs related to the board meeting, while council paid half of the expenses to attend the conference at a total of approximately $3100,” a statement from Mr Hovenden said.
The CEO said council sent representatives to the ICMA conference for “professional development, exploration of contemporary practice, international leadership and mentoring and exploring opioid epidemic and solution”.
Mr Hovenden said the ICMA usually covers the costs of board members to attend meetings except when a board meeting coincides with an annual conference.
The CEO is an ICMA regional vice president and is one of three international representatives on the 21-member board of the US organisation that describes itself as “the professional and educational association for appointed local government administrators throughout the world”.
“Attendance at both the board meeting and conference is a part of my professional development and allowed which resulted in me having to submit an annual leave request for one day,” Mr Hovenden said.
“It should be noted that as is the case always when I am involved in [ICMA] board duties or on annual leave I still make myself available to the mayor, councillors and staff to respond to any issues and indeed follow the progress of various issues.”
The mayor Cr Brian Cunial called unanswered questions about the CEO’s whereabouts last month an “abhorrent and deeply regrettable” media intrusion into Mr Hovenden’s family life (“‘Intrusive’ CEO trip questions blasted”, The Times 28/11/16).
Mr Hovenden attended an ICMA conference in Georgia for three days in November then stayed on in the US for a personal holiday. The mayor said council did not pay any expenses.
ICMA board members will meet again in Las Vegas in February next year, Colorado next June and Texas in October.
A 2-4 December “conference planners” meeting was held in San Antonio in Texas. Mr Hovenden said in his statement late on Friday afternoon that he did not head to San Antonio.
“This is a subcommittee of the main board and I am not involved.”
