What was it which kicked off that decline in ambition and drive on the part of Town Councillors?
Thinking about that the easy (and glib) answer is because they've aged. Many have been on the TC for years, but inertia in Llandudno ensures there's never a huge number of prospective candidates putting their names forward so those in what can loosely be described as 'power' simply fall asleep at the wheel. More especially, to most of them 'it's all been done before' so they reject novel concepts out of hand and things continue in their largely comfortable and generally unfulfilling rut.
We've been saying for years that we want a younger TC (by 'younger' I'm resisting the temptation to say 'still breathing unaided') but you'd need a concerted effort to mount a credible assault on the incumbents. Once they're on, of course, the younger members realise there's no real power in the TC so go for the CBC. Then, often disillusioned, they move on.
Jonty's point is well taken, though; they're not idiots - well, not all of them, anyway - but they are generally older (which reflects the population demographic) and many have become...accustomed to the job and don't want to do anything which might be construed as 'rocking the boat'. In fact, I think Jonty hammered the nail firmly home when he said "maybe they've just come to accept what they get".
Viewing the list of TCs on the Llandudno website it's quite striking how many have been on the TC since before the internet was invented. Some were even born before indoor toilets became the norm. And that age imbalance might help to explain why younger members find it very difficult to change things. Margaret Lyon, for instance, started the Extravaganza in 1987 - some 27 years ago - and that was a great initiative, which still resonates with the town today. But the TC are often blocked at every turn by the delightful CCBC. There have been numerous occasions on which the LTC have proposed or given their backing to things, only to have CCBC turn the whole idea into a Victorian melodrama. The saga of the tram shelter at West shore is merely the latest in a string of such proposals.