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Agenda Frontsheet 24/02/2021, 18.30

You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the

 

maidstone borough council

 

 

Date:       Wednesday 24 February 2021

Time:      6.30 p.m.

Venue:    Remote Meeting - The public proceedings of the meeting will be broadcast live and recorded for playback on the Maidstone Borough Council website
          

Membership:

 

Councillors    Adkinson, Bartlett, Mrs Blackmore, Brice, Brindle, D Burton, M Burton, Chappell-Tay, Clark, Cox, Cuming, Daley, English, Eves, Fermor, Fissenden, Fort, Garland, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Grigg, Harper, Harvey, Harwood, Hastie, Hinder, Joy, Khadka, Kimmance, Lewins, McKay, Mortimer, Munford, Naghi, Newton, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Powell, Purle, Mrs Ring (Mayor), Mrs Robertson, D Rose, M Rose, Round, J Sams, T Sams, Spooner, Springett, Vizzard, Webb, de Wiggondene-Sheppard, Wilby and Young

.

 

AGENDA

Page No.

 

<AI1>

1.        Prayers

 

</AI1>

<AI2>

2.        Apologies for Absence

 

</AI2>

<AI3>

3.        Dispensations (if any)

 

</AI3>

<AI4>

4.        Disclosures by Members and Officers

 

</AI4>

<AI5>

5.        Disclosures of Lobbying

 

</AI5>

<AI6>

6.        To consider whether any items should be taken in private because of the possible disclosure of exempt information.

 

</AI6>

<AI7>

7.        Minutes of the meeting of the Borough Council held on 9 December 2020

1 - 8

</AI7>

<AI8>

8.        Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Borough Council held on 28 January 2021

9 - 11

</AI8>

<AI9>

9.        Mayor's Announcements

 

</AI9>

<AI10>

10.     Petitions

 

</AI10>

<AI11>

11.     Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

 

</AI11>

<AI12>

12.     Questions from Members of the Council to the Chairmen of Committees

 

</AI12>

<AI13>

13.     Current Issues - Report of the Leader of the Council, Response of the Group Leaders and Questions from Council Members

 

</AI13>

<AI14>

14.     Report of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee held on 27 January 2021 - Pay Policy Statement 2021

12 - 42

</AI14>

<AI15>

15.     Report of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee held on 27 January 2021 - Electronic Signatures and Document Sealing

43 - 45

</AI15>

<AI16>

16.     Report of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 10 February 2021 - Strategic Plan Refresh

46 - 52

</AI16>

<AI17>

17.     Report of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 10 February 2021 - Medium Term Financial Strategy and Budget Proposals 2021/22

53 - 196

</AI17>

<AI18>

18.     Oral report of the meeting of the Economic Regeneration and Leisure Committee to be held on 16 February 2021 (if any)

 

</AI18>

<AI19>

19.     Notice of Motion - Minuting of Responses to Questions

 

 

Notice of the following motion has been given by Councillor Adkinson, seconded by Councillor M Rose:

 

At the meeting of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee on 27 January 2021 a member of the public queried the Council’s approach to minuting the responses to questions to the Chairs of committees from members of the public and Councillors.

 

Almost ironically, the minutes to said meeting merely stated “The Chair responded to the question”.

 

This is in accordance with current practice, meaning that anyone wanting to know the actual response to a question or any supplementary question has to trawl through webcasts to find the answers as the written minutes are not a complete record of proceedings.

 

It is claimed that the current system is a matter of practicality as “the Minutes would become pages and pages long, there would be queries over the exact wording used and it is an intensive process to record every word of answers”.

 

Bearing in mind that the vast majority of answers are provided by officers and read verbatim by Chairs, this argument does not hold water.

 

And there is also a concern that Youtube’s archiving policy may not fulfil the requirement upon Maidstone Borough Council to retain important materials for several years.

 

This Council therefore resolves to amend the Constitution to require that the gist of answers to questions and supplementary questions from the public and Councillors are recorded in the written minutes.

 

 

</AI19>

<AI20>

20.     Notice of Motion - Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum

 

 

Notice of the following motion has been given by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor Adkinson:

 

Maidstone Council has previously agreed to work in partnership with Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum (MCCF).  This is also reflected in the adopted Local Plan and Walking and Cycling Strategy.  However, the Planning Department has continually failed to follow Council policy and does not work with MCCF.  Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) today instructs officers across all departments to implement MBC policy with respect to working in partnership with MCCF, and to that end will in March 2021 organise a round table of MBC Officers, MBC Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and Representatives of MCCF to agree new working protocols to ensure proper partnership working takes place in future.

 

 

</AI20>

<AI21>

21.     Council Tax Hardship Relief Support Scheme

197 - 202

</AI21>

<AI22>

22.     Calendar of Meetings 2021/22

203 - 208

</AI22>

<AI23>

23.     Appointment of Mayor Select 2021/22

 

</AI23>

<AI24>

24.     Appointment of Deputy Mayor Select 2021/22

 

</AI24>

<AI25>

Information for the Public

In order to ask a question at this remote meeting, please call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk by 5 p.m. one clear working day before the meeting (i.e. by 5 p.m. on Monday 22 February 2021).  You will need to provide the full text in writing.

 

If your question is accepted, you will be provided with instructions as to how you can access the meeting.

 

In order to make a statement in relation to an item on the agenda, please call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk by 5 p.m. one clear working day before the meeting (i.e. by 5 p.m. on Monday 22 February 2021). You will need to tell us which agenda item you wish to comment on.

 

If you require this information in an alternative format, please call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk.

 

To find out more about the work of the Council, please visit www.maidstone.gov.uk.

 

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