Mayor Tony Allen said it had not been in his time, since 2002.

He consulted Deputy Mayor Mike Britten, who previous served on council from 1983 to 1987 and who thought it had been in 1984 when a council meeting was held at Twyford Hall.

Other council officials however believed that a council meeting had been held here in the 1990s.

Yesterday’s meeting was held in a sectioned-off area of the Sapphire Room at Club Sapphire, starting at 11am.

It was an extraordinary meeting to adopt the 2009/12 Management Plan, the 2009/10 budget and 2009/10 Fees and charges.

These were approved in line with council’s previously announced decisions, with the 5.26 per cent of the proposed 8.76 per cent rate rise above the capped rate of 3.5 per cent subject to approval by Local Government Minister Barbara Perry.

Jan Aveyard, chair of the Imlay House District Nursing Home board, and Simon Owens, honourary treasurer of the Bega and District Nursing Home and Oaks Country Village addressed council to oppose council’s decision to levy water and sewerage charges on the aged care facilities for the first time.

Mr Owens said that removal of the exemption would cost the Bega aged care facilities more than $110,000 a year.

After breaking for lunch, council reconvened for a question and answer session with residents. (Story Page 2)

Councillors then went on an inspection tour of projects underway in Merimbula, and to walk the route of the town’s proposed new roads system, which could see a ring road running around the central business area.