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Smashed: Mercedes dealer Chris Thoday, left, surveys the damage after the robbery. Two men, above, captured on CCTV stealing from the dealership’s cabinets. Pictures: Cameron McCullough
Dealership hit in smash-and-grab TWO men used a concrete block to smash their way into the Mercedes-Benz car dealership at Mornington, 5.45am, Thursday 15 February. The men, wearing dark-coloured hoodies and carrying backpacks, were captured on CCTV throwing the block through a window at the Mornington-Tyabb Road premises and forcing open a door. Dealer Chris Thoday said the men then ransacked the showroom, smashing open glass cabinets with hammers and stealing $5000 worth of Mercedes watches, t-shirts, aftershave, perfume, caps, keyrings and laptops. “There’s glass everywhere,” Mr Thoday said. “The boulder is still on the floor.” Mr Thoday said the men looked familiar. “We had an incident a couple of weeks ago when a man stole a laptop and it may be him.” Stephen Taylor
Expert called in over CEO’s job Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are hiring a consultant to help review the performance and pay of CEO Carl Cowie. The “suitably qualified and experienced consultant” is scheduled to start work on 1 April, a Sunday eight weeks before councillors decide whether to
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advertise the position or renew and renegotiate Mr Cowie’s contract. The contract for shire’s top job which comes with a salary package of more than $400,000 and a $30,000 study allowance – expires in November and Mr Cowie has to be told six months’ ahead if councillors intend to advertise the position. The shire’s advertisement says the consultant chosen for the CEO review would work with council on “fulfilling
its statutory responsibilities outlined in the Local Government Act 1989, concerning chief executive officer (CEO) employment matters”. The ad is being run under the heading “CEO performance review, remuneration and appointment processes”. While no consultant’s fees are mentioned in the advertisement, in the four years before October 2016 council paid former Kingston mayor Topsy Petchey $70,600 for advice to councillors and
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ity over his trip “a distraction”, the mayor Cr Bryan Payne sees it as “a real topic”. A former municipal CEO, Cr Payne has told The News that he would not have accepted Mr Fox’s invitation. While Mr Cowie is continuing to resist pressure from councillors to list the cruise in the gifts register, the councillors have decided to open the register to the public, albeit by appointment (“Opening the books on shire gifts” The News 6/2/18). Continued Page 14
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help with performance reviews. The consultant is also being hired at a time Mr Cowie is facing criticism for not listing in the shire’s “gifts register” a Mediterranean cruise he took with his wife aboard a liner hired by high profile Portsea ratepayer, Lindsay Fox. Mr Cowie says he does not have to list the seven-day cruise in July 2015 as he was on leave from council and it was made at no expense to the shire. While Mr Cowie has called public-
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