Agenda item

This report invites the Council to consider its non-executive and regulatory committee arrangements for the Council Year May 2019 to May 2020 and associated annual business.  It is anticipated that an update report will be issued prior to the meeting in the light of discussions underway between political groups.

The Council considered a report concerning its non-executive and regulatory committee arrangements for the Council Year May 2019 to May 2020 and associated annual business.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Richard Samuel, it was (unanimously);

RESOLVED

1.  To approve a structure for non-executive and regulatory decision making, and the scrutiny function as set out in the Constitution and attached at Appendix 1;

2.  To approve the terms of reference for Committees and Panels etc as set out in Appendix 2 to the report and constitute those bodies accordingly. including;

a.  Renaming the Development Management Committee as the ‘Planning Committee’, to improve public comprehension and transparency;

b.  Renaming the Climate Change & Sustainability PDS Panel as the ‘Climate Emergency & Sustainability’ PDS Panel to highlight the urgent need for action;

3.  To approve the appointment of Members to the Committees and Panels in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality, as outlined in the revised political proportionality table, and the nominations made by the political groups (whilst affirming the non-proportional basis of operating for the Licensing Sub-Committee as explained in paragraph 5.3);

4.  With regard to the Avon Pension Fund Committee, to agree;

a.  Bath and North East Somerset Council will be represented by 5 members on the Committee;

b.  The addition of a further Independent Member to the Committee;

c.  The addition of an Academy Representative to the Committee;

d.  The establishment of a Brunel Working Group as a  sub group of the Committee;

e.  And consequent amendments to the Terms of Reference to incorporate these changes;

5.  To appoint as Chairs of such bodies, those Councillors as may from time to time be nominated by the political group to whom the chairmanship of the body is allocated;

6.  To 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 and the allocation of chairing entitlements made at this meeting;

7.  To determine the bodies on which independent members (if any) are to have seats  as either voting or non-voting members and appoint such members accordingly;

8.  To 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 out lined in paragraph 6.1;

9.  To appoint members to Avon Fire Authority on a proportionality basis to be determined;

10.To approve the allocation of Political Assistants to eligible groups as set out in Section 8, and instruct the Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders, to make provision for support to the remaining groups;

11.To note, in light of the decision taken earlier on the agenda to appoint a Leader, that the Leader will publish in due course, a scheme of delegation of executive functions;

12.To note the urgent executive decisions that have been taken in the last municipal year, as set out in paragraph 9.2;

13.To note the position regarding the frequency of meetings (as set out in Section 10) as the basis for enabling the diary of meetings to be prepared, and to authorise the Monitoring Officer to project dates forward and prepare the diary on this basis;

14.To note that an Independent Panel to consider members’ allowances will be convened and will report its recommendations in due course;

15.To instruct the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with Group Leaders, to make appointments on non-executive outside bodies and note that the Leader or Cabinet Members will do so for executive outside bodies;

16.To 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.

17.To note that further proposals and practices regarding improving public engagement with residents in Bath and North East Somerset will be brought forward, including:

a.  Measures to improve openness and transparency, making the Council more accessible and accountable;

b.  Consultation on strengthening and improving representation, including a review of the Bath City Forum and measures to involve younger people in consultations, decisions, and scrutiny;

c.  Proposals to improve decision-making, including devolution and piloting new decision-making methods, such as Citizens’ Juries, as well as strengthening the involvement of Residents’ Associations and Parish and Town Councils.