Agenda item

This report invites Council to consider its non-executive and regulatory committee arrangements for the Council year May 2012 to May 2013 and associated annual business.

The Council considered a report inviting its approval for the non-executive and regulatory committee arrangements for the Council year May 2012 to May 2013.

On a motion from Councillor Crossley, seconded by Councillor Nathan Hartley, it was

RESOLVED to

1.  Approve the structure for non-executive and regulatory decision making and Policy Development & Scrutiny working as set out in the Constitution and identified in its current form in the report at Appendix 2;

2.  Note the revised political proportionality as set out in the version of ‘Appendix 1 – Revised’ attached to the minutes, updated to reflect the changed numbers of Conservative group and Independent group councillors;

3.  Appoint the Committees, Panels and other bodies as set out in Appendix 2 with the membership, terms of reference and delegated powers as set out in the Appendix subject to a working group (of 4 Members in political proportion 1:1:1:1) being established to review the remits of the PDS Panels and authority being delegated to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Group Leaders, to amend and publicise any amendments arising from the working group’s findings

4.  Approve the addition of three new powers within the Public Rights of Way delegation scheme, as set out in section 12 of the report;

5.  Approve the allocation of seats on the Committees and Panels as set out in ‘Appendix 1 – Revised’ to these minutes, such seats to be filled in accordance with the nominations made by the political groups;

6.  Appoint to chair each committee and panel those Councillors as may from time to time be nominated by the political group to whom the chairmanship of the body is allocated (as set out in Appendix 1 - Revised);

7.  Authorise the Monitoring Officer to fill any casual vacancies in membership of all the bodies constituted and vacancy in the office of Chair of such bodies in accordance with the wishes of the political groups;

8.  Determine the bodies on which independent members are to have seats  as either voting or non-voting members and appoint such members accordingly;

9.  Authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairs of the Policy Development & Scrutiny Panels, to constitute and support any required Panel joint working as outlined in paragraph 6.1 of the report;

10.Approve the addition of the Crime & Disorder Reduction Strategy and the Health & Wellbeing Strategy into the Council’s Policy & Budget framework, as set out in section 13 of the report;

11.Agree that the Leader of Council, in consultation with Group Leaders, will identify the roles, remits and distribution of Member Champions;

12.Agree the following recommendations from the Standards Committee;

a.  That a Standards Committee be established with Terms of Reference as specified in pages 53 and 54 of the report to Council, subject to membership arrangements agreed by Council as set out below;

b.  That the membership comprise:

  i.  3 independent members (with 3 substitutes)

  ii.  3 parish representatives (with 3 substitutes)

  iii.  5 Bath & North East Somerset Councillors in political proportion; (1:3:0:1)

c.  To note that the independent and parish representatives will be non-voting members; and

d.  That the Council consider at a future meeting a further report on the contents of and adoption of a Local Code of Conduct, once the necessary Regulations have been issued by Government;

13.Note the calendar of meeting dates that has been prepared up to May 2015 which is available on the Council’s website, and note the full Council meeting dates until the next AGM of 18th June 2012, 19th July 2012, 13th September 2012, 8th November 2012, 17th January 2013, 19th February 2013, 28th February 2013 (Reserve Budget meeting);

14.Authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with Group Leaders, to make appointments on such outside bodies as are for the Council (rather than Cabinet) such to fill;

15.Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make and publicise any amendment to the Council’s Constitution required, or take any other necessary action, as a result of decisions taken at this meeting on this and other reports within the agenda, or otherwise as required by law;

16.Note the arrangements for the conduct of Cabinet business as set out in section 14 of the report; and

17.Note the agreed Terms of Reference for the Shadow Health & Wellbeing Board as determined by the Leader at Appendix 3 to the report and recommend to the Leader that observer status be granted to one representative of each Group on the Council, not currently represented on the Board.

[Notes:

a.  The appendix to these minutes sets out the revised table of proportionality and allocation of seats based on the decisions made in the above resolution.

b.  In moving the above motion, Councillor Paul Crossley explained his intention to allocate one Liberal Democrat place on the Standards Committee to the Labour group so that all Groups were represented, and to continue the current arrangement of one Liberal Democrat place on the Development Control Committee being allocated to the Labour group.]