That was the image new administrator David Jesson projected at his first council meeting last night, which lasted just 30 minutes and ended with applause from the public gallery.

A mixture of some past councillors and residents watched as he chaired the first meeting since the councillors were sacked.

There was no sign of the disruptions and confrontations that a public inquiry found had marred some previous meetings.

Most residents present said they were keen to see what Mr Jesson would say about his new role and he began the meeting with a frank address on the issue of the council's dismissal and inquiry recommendations.

"There will be many in the community I'm sure that wonder what changes will come to pass with the appointment of an administrator," he said, before indicating his belief the public consultation process needed improvement.

Mr Jesson also said the council chambers at Warilla should be leased to increase council revenue and he will move future meetings to the function room of the administration building in Shellharbour.

He has also suggested fewer council staff would be required to attend these meetings than in the past.

Among his first decisions were the approval for public exhibition of a traffic study for Albion Park and, perhaps ironically, implementation of a revised code of conduct.

The timing of this item at the first meeting without councillors was a coincidence; the NSW Department of Local Government dictated that councils needed to adopt the code, which is stricter about complaint handling and conflicts of interest.

After thanking council staff for his warm welcome, Mr Jesson said he was determined to carry out the recommendations of the public inquiry which dismissed councillors. He said he would set a timetable and milestones to achieve this.

"Over the next four years I will be looking to implement the recommendations ... and prepare the community for the election of a new council in 2012," Mr Jesson said. "It is not my role to be in any way judgmental of events of the immediate past ... nor will I apportion blame."