Agenda item

The Chair invited Members to consider a report by the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to enable the Council to formalise its governance arrangements for the remainder of the civic year (2023/24). 

 

The Monitoring Officer said that the report recommended no changes to the Constitution at the meeting, with one exception for Council to agree to the appointment of an additional Independent Member for the Audit and Governance Committee making a total of two, and delegated authority to the Director of Finance to progress arrangements including recruitment of Independent members as necessary.

It sought confirmation of the Committees and their size and terms of reference and agreement to the scheme of delegations. There was a specific requirement to agree the composition of the Standards Committee and Housing Review Board.

It dealt with the allocation of seats on overview,regulatoryand other committees to differentpolitical groupsof seats in accordancewith thepolitical balanceof the Council. It sought to agree the makeup of the advisory panels and forums and joint bodies.

Finally, it covered the councillor appointments to committees, panels, forums, joint bodies and outside bodies together with the appointment of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of committees.

 

The Monitoring Officer outlined that there were eleven recommendations contained within the report and suggested that as the Chair moved through agenda, she move the recommendations one by one, inviting comments and agreement along the way.

 

The Chair moved to PART A Recommendation 1, and invited comments.

There were no comments and following a vote, the recommendation was carried by the majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council approves the Constitution and thereby agrees the Committee structure, their size and terms of reference and the scheme of delegations.

 

The Chair then moved to PART A Recommendation 2, and invited comments.

There were no comments and following a vote, the recommendation was carried by the majority of those present.

RESOLVED;

That Council agrees to the appointment of two Independent Members for the Audit and Governance Committee and delegates authority to the Director of Finance to progress arrangements including recruitment of Independent members as necessary. This will require an amendment to the Constitution as it stands currently.

 

The Chair then moved to PART B RECOMMENDATION 3.

There were no comments and following a vote, the recommendation was carried by the majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That the Conservative Group is confirmed as the formal opposition.

 

 

The Chair now moved to PART C RECOMMENDATION 4,

 

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by the majority of those present.

RESOLVED;

That Council approved the allocation to different political groups of seats on the overview, regulatory and other committees as follows;

 

Democratic Alliance Group	29 members	48%	53 Seats
Conservative Group	17 members	28%	31 Seats
The Independents	9 members	15%	17 Seats
Labour Group	3 members	5%	6 Seats
Independent Councillor Group	2 members	4%	4 Seats
TOTALS	60 members	100%	111 Seats

 

 

The Chair moved to PART C RECOMMENDATION 5,

 

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by the majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council approved theallocationofseatson individual overview, scrutiny,regulatoryand other committees as set out in Appendix 1.                                                                                  

 

 

 

The Chair moved to PART D RECOMMENDATION 6.

Cllr Barlow requested that he have a place on the Sidmouth Beach Management Plan Steering Group, as a Sidmouth Town Ward Member.

After some debate Cllr Hartnell proposed and Cllr Barlow seconded an amendment to the ward member composition of the Sidmouth Beach Management Steering Group to increase the representation from Sidmouth Sidford from one to two.

 

The Chair invited members to vote in favour or against the amendment.

 

Following a vote the amendment was passed by a majority of those present.

 

The Chair then invited members to vote in favour or against Part D, Recommendation 6.

 

Following a vote the recommendations were carried by a majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council, agreed the makeup of the advisory Panels, Forums and Joint Bodies as set out in Appendix 2, with the amendment agreed to the ward member composition of the Sidmouth Beach Management Steering Group to increase the representation from Sidmouth Sidford from one to two.

 

The Chair moved to PART E RECOMMENDATION 7.

Following a vote the recommendation was carried by a majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council,agreed the Membership of the Standards Committee and Housing Review Board (as detailed in Part E of the report).

 

The Chair moved to PART F RECOMMENDATION 8.

Members were asked to approve the appointments of Councillors to committees as set out in the table in Appendix 3.

 

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by a majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council approved the appointments of Councillors to committees as set out in the table in Appendix 3.

 

The Chair moved to PART G RECOMMENDATION 9

Members were asked to approve the appointments of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the committees as set out in Appendix 4.

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by a majority of those present.

RESOLVED;

That Council approved the appointments of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the committees as set out inAppendix 4.

 

The Chair moved to PART H RECOMMENDATION 10

Members were asked to approve the appointments for the various positions on the Panels, Forums and Joint Bodies as detailed in the document at Appendix 5.

 

The Chair stated that there were a number of Panels and Forums for which too many people had been nominated, which meant that a vote would be required.

The Community Grant Panel required one Cabinet Member and six Cllrs but seven names had been put forward.  Cllr Sarah Jackson withdrew her name so that no vote was needed.

 

The CiL Working Group needed a further name put forward since Nick Hookway would be present as a Cabinet Member. Cllr Hookway withdrew his name and Cllr Barlow proposed he take his place.

 

The LED Monitoring Forum had provision for five Cllrs but seven names had been put forward. Since no Cllrs wanted to withdraw their names, a vote would be taken on all seven named Cllrs put forward. Following a vote for all named Cllrs, Cllr Goodman and Cllr Brian Bailey were not elected.

 

Cllr Loudoun expressed concern about the interpretation being used for the purposes of composing Panels, that a Portfolio Holder is another Cabinet member rather than another Cllr who could sit on a Panel. In the case of the Community Grant Panel, when a specific Portfolio Holder is required as well as six Cllrs who could include Cabinet members, which has been the established practice to date.

There were a number of competing perspectives expressed, ranging from the possibility of Cabinet dominating a lot of Panels, to one where Cabinet members may become excluded from a number of Panels.

 

Cllr Arnott suggested that the Recommendation on this should be deferred.

Cllr Hartnell concurred with this view and said that it was disappointing that there was not a clear position on this and proposed that the decision on Recommendation 10 was deferred until it could be reviewed. 

 

The Chair pointed out that the Constitution could not be changed at the meeting on the hoof, and pointed out that the consequence of deferring a decision on the composition of Panels would be that they would not be able to meet until people were elected onto them. She proposed that established practice was to vote on all individuals put forward so that they could progress immediately.

Cllr Jackson concurred with this view until a review could be undertaken.

 

Cllr Hartnell had proposed that the decision on Recommendation 10 should be deferred until a review could be carried out. Cllr Bruce seconded this proposal.

 

Following further debate, the proposer and seconder agreed to withdraw the proposal so that a review could be undertaken and Panels could start to meet.

 

The Chair confirmed that Council would agree who would sit on the Panels at this meeting and review at the next Council meeting.

 

Arts & Culture East Devon Network required four Cllrs and seven were put forward.  After a vote on all named Cllrs, Cllrs Barlow, Jenny Brown and Faithfull were not elected.

 

County Committees required three Cllrs and five were put forward.  After a vote on all named Cllrs, Cllrs Howe and Brian Bailey were not elected.

 

East Devon Gypsy & Traveller Forum required one Cllr and two were put forward.  After a vote on all named Cllrs, Cllr Bruce was not elected.

 

East & Mid Devon Community Safety Partnership required one Cllr and two were put forward.  After a vote on all named Cllrs, Cllr Caygill was not elected.

 

Placemaking in Exmouth Town and Seafront Group, Exmouth Halsdon ward required one Cllr and two were put forward.  Cllr Dumper withdrew his nomination.

 

Recycling & Waste Partnership Board required two Cllrs and four were put forward.  After a vote on all named Cllrs, Cllr Goodman and Faithfull were not elected.

 

 Strata Joint Scrutiny Committee required three substitutes. Cllr Duncan Mackinder was already nominated and Cllr Violet Bonetta put her name forward.

 

Woodbury Exmouth and Budleigh Community Health & Well Being Board required one substitute and three were put forward. Cllr Ingham withdrew and following a vote Cllr Martin was not elected.

 

Having considered all of the Panels with too many nominations for places available, the Chair then invited members to vote on block for all Panels and Forums and Joint Bodies and for Recommendation 10.

 

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by a majority of those present.

RESOLVED;

That Council agreed on the appointments for the various positions on the panels, forums and joint bodies as detailed in the document at Appendix 5.

 

The Chair then invited members to confirm proposed Member Champions as indicated in the table on page 34 of the agenda.

Of the four Champion roles three had nominations and one was vacant. Cllr Vicky Johns and Cllr Fred Caygill put themselves forward for the vacant role of Armed Forces Covenant Champion.

The Chair invited Members to vote for one of the two Cllrs.

Following a vote Cllr Johns was confirmed as the Armed Forces Covenant Champion and those nominated for the other three Champion roles were confirmed.

 

The Chair moved to PART I RECOMMENDATION 11

Since all Outside Bodies were over-subscribed with nominations compared to places available, they were all subject to a vote on Cllrs whose names were put forward.

Having voted in relation to all Outside Bodies the Chair invited members to vote for those nominated and elected at this meeting, and for or against Recommendation 11.

Following a vote, the recommendation was carried by a majority of those present.

 

RESOLVED;

That Council agreed on the appointments for the various positions on the outside bodies as detailed in the document at Appendix 6.