Agenda item

Consideration was given to the report presented by Dermot Pearson, Monitoring Officer, which detailed the need for a review and refresh of the current membership of the Standards and Ethics Committee along with the arrangements and re-appointment of the Council’s Independent Persons. 

The current members of the Committee were appointed by the Council at its Annual Meeting in May, 2017.  However the original four year terms of office of the representatives of Town and Parish Councils expired in 2017 and the terms of office of three of the Independent Members expired in 2016.  It was, therefore, timely to invite the Town and Parish Councils in the Borough to nominate fresh representatives and for the current representatives to be re-appointed by Council pending new nominations. 

On the previous occasion the Town and Parish Councils selected their nominees by a ballot of all Town and Parish Councillors, but the mechanism for selecting the nominees would be a matter for the Town and Parish Councils.  It was suggested that this be raised at the next meeting of the Parish Council Network Meeting and an item placed on their agenda for consideration with the Chair and the Monitoring Officer attending.

Similarly, the Independent Co-opted Members of the Committee were appointed by the Council and it was timely for the Committee to review its independent membership given the current long term vacancy and appointments made in due course.

The Council had also previously appointed two Independent Persons, who were not members of the Committee, but their terms of office expired in 2017.  It was now a matter of some urgency that Council make arrangements to re-appoint the current Independent Persons retrospectively or to appoint new Independent Persons to enable the Council to hold Hearings Panels in compliance with the statutory requirements.

It was noted the Council’s Constitution Working Group was reviewing the Council’s Constitution and that work would include the terms of reference of this Committee.

Discussion ensued on the role, value and knowledge of the Independent  Members and the merits of their roles continuing.  It was also noted that with the all-out elections in 2020 nominated representatives of Town and Parish Councils may be affected should they not be re-elected.  It was, therefore, suggested that their terms of office expire to coincide with the elections and a re-election process then take place for four year terms.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Council be asked to confirm the appointment of the current Town and Parish Council representatives until further nominations were received.

(2)  That the Town and Parish Councils in the Borough be invited to nominate three representatives who were members of a Town or Parish Council to be members of the Committee until May, 2020.

(3)  That Council be asked to confirm the appointment of the current Independent Co-opted Members of the Committee until the end of the 2018/19 municipal year.

(4)  That Council be asked to confirm the retrospective re-appointment of the current Independent Persons until the end of the 2018/19 municipal year.