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STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE |
9 JULY 2019 |
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Outside Body Report 2019/20 |
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Final Decision-Maker |
Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee |
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Lead Head of Service |
Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications and Governance |
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Lead Officer and Report Author |
Caroline Matthews, Principal Democratic Services Officer Mike Nash, Democratic Services Officer |
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Classification |
Public |
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Wards affected |
All |
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Executive Summary |
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This report outlines the arrangements for Outside Bodies relevant to this committee for the 2019/20 municipal year. The report summarises:
1. The positions that are currently filled.
2. The automatic appointments that have been made.
3. The nominations that have been received for vacant positions.
4. Any outstanding vacancies.
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Purpose of Report
Decision
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This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee: |
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That:
1. The current Council Representatives be noted.
2. The Committee considers the nominations received for positions on the Kent Downs AONB Joint Advisory Committee and Maidstone Cycling Forum and makes an appointment if appropriate.
3. The Committee identifies a suitable course of action to fill any outstanding vacancies.
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Timetable |
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Meeting |
Date |
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Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee |
9 July 2019 |
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Outside Body Report 2019/20 |
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1. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
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Issue |
Implications |
Sign-off |
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Impact on Corporate Priorities |
We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Cross Cutting Objectives |
Each organisation performs different functions and will contribute to the cross-cutting objectives in various ways. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Risk Management |
There are no significant risks associated with the appointment of Council Representatives. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Financial |
The proposals set out in the recommendation are all within already approved budgetary headings and so need no new funding for implementation. |
Senior Finance Manager (Client) |
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Staffing |
We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Legal |
There are no legal implications as the recommendations are in accordance with the procedure in the Constitution, |
Estelle Culligan, Principal Solicitor |
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Privacy and Data Protection |
No implications. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Equalities |
The recommendations do not propose a change in service and therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment. |
Equalities and Corporate Policy Officer |
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Public Health
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No implications. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Crime and Disorder |
No implications. |
Democratic Services Officer |
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Procurement |
No implications. |
Democratic Services Officer |
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 At its meeting on 28 February 2018, Council recommended that some of the Council’s Outside Bodies be appointed by an appropriate Committee. The Outside Bodies attributable to this Committee are:
· Kent Community Railway Partnership
· Kent Downs AONB Joint Advisory Committee
· Maidstone Cycling Forum
· Maidstone Quality Bus Partnership
· Medway Valley Line Steering Group
· PATROLAJC
· South East Rail Passenger Group*
* Democratic Services have been notified that the South East Rail Passenger Group has been superseded by the South Eastern Rail Stakeholder Forum, which is not an Outside Body and does not require specific Council Representatives to be appointed. All Members of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee will receive invitations to attend the South Eastern Rail Stakeholder Forum. Any Councillor who attends this meeting will be present as a general stakeholder rather than as an appointed Council Representative.
2.2 Some Councillors have previously been appointed as Council Representatives and have time remaining on their term of office, while others have been automatically appointed for the 2019/20 municipal year.
2.3 Despite the previous appointments and the automatic appointments for 2019/20, some positions remained vacant. These vacancies were advertised to all Councillors, who were invited to nominate themselves as a Council Representative.
2.4 There were three vacancies in total for Outside Bodies attributable to this Committee, one of which has received a nomination. Additionally, Councillor Clive English has re-nominated himself for a second term of office on the Maidstone Cycling Forum, as his current term of office is due to expire shortly. Therefore, there remains vacancies on the Maidstone Cycling Forum and Medway Valley Line Steering Group.
2.6 The Committee are asked to consider the nominations that were received and make an appointment if appropriate. The Committee are also asked to consider a suitable course of action to fill the outstanding vacancies.
REVIEWING OUTSIDE BODIES
2.7 There is currently no formalised process for reviewing Outside Bodies that have had vacant positions for a significant amount of time. In order to promote consistency and transparency, a report to the Democracy and General Purposes Committee on 3 July 2019 suggested the following principles for reviewing Outside Bodies where there has been a prolonged vacancy:
a) Democratic Services advertise all Outside Body vacancies to all MBC Councillors at least once per municipal year.
b) If a position remains vacant for two full municipal years, this is to be submitted to the relevant Committee for consideration.
c) The Committee must then make a recommendation to Full Council. Unless the Committee recommends that Council retain the Outside Body position and identifies an appropriate course of action to fill the vacancy, Council will be recommended to remove the position.
2.8 It is likely that there will be instances where an Outside Body has more than one position. If, for example, an Outside Body has multiple Council Representative positions and only some of these are consistently filled, the recommendation to Council would be to reduce the number of positions rather than to remove the Outside Body entirely from the Constitution.
3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS
3.2 The Committee could appoint to the various Outside Bodies as appropriate and note the positions that are currently filled by Council Representatives.
3.3 The Committee could identify a suitable course of action to fill any outstanding vacancies.
4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
5. RISK
5.1 There are no significant risks associated with the appointment of Council Representatives.
6. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK
6.1 In response to feedback from Councillors, Democratic Services are currently reviewing the information that is held for all Outside Bodies. Throughout the course of this work, each Outside Body will be engaged to request updated contact information and Job Descriptions. This will ensure that there is greater clarity regarding the role of both the Outside Body and Council Representative, and the expectations of the relationship between the two parties. It will also benefit Councillors who are considering nominating themselves to a position in the future, as they will have a fuller understanding of the role that they are applying to. This work is expected to be completed by the end of July 2019.
6.2 All Councillors have been emailed to advertise the vacancies on Outside Bodies.
7. NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION
8. REPORT APPENDICES
The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:
· Appendix 1: SPI Outside Body Summary Table
· Appendix 2: Nomination Form - Cllr Garten - Kent Downs AONB Joint Advisory Committee
· Appendix 3: Nomination Form - Cllr English - Maidstone Cycling Forum
9. BACKGROUND PAPERS
None.