Contact your Parish Council
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Democracy and General Purposes Committee |
20 November 2023 |
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Outside Body Appointments |
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Will this be a Key Decision?
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Not Applicable
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Urgency |
Not Applicable |
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Final Decision-Maker |
Democracy and General Purposes Committee |
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Lead Head of Service |
Angela Woodhouse, Director of Strategy, Insight and Governance |
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Lead Officer and Report Author |
Ryan O’Connell, Democratic and Electoral Services Manager Sara Green, Democratic Services Assistant |
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Classification |
Public |
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Wards affected |
All |
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Executive Summary |
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To make Outside Body appointments for vacant positions and remove the closed Outside Body.
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Purpose of Report
Decision
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This report makes the following recommendation to the Committee: That |
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1. Any nominations received for positions be considered and a Council representative appointed; and 2. The closure of Action with Communities in Rural Kent be noted, with the Constitution to be amended by the Monitoring Officer to reflect the change. |
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Outside Body Appointments |
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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 |
The four Strategic Plan objectives are:
· Embracing Growth and Enabling Infrastructure · Safe, Clean and Green · Homes and Communities ·
A
Thriving Place The report ensures that the strategic plan objectives are met through the proper administration of Outside Bodies. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Cross Cutting Objectives |
The four cross-cutting objectives are:
· Heritage is Respected · Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced · Deprivation and Social Mobility is Improved · Biodiversity and Environmental Sustainability is respected
The report ensures that the cross-cutting objectives are met through the proper administration of Outside Bodies. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Risk Management |
See section 5 of the report. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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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. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Staffing |
We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Legal |
The functions of the Committee are set out in Part B, Rule 2.7, of the Council’s Constitution, which includes the appointment of Members to outside bodies assigned to it as listed in B4 Appendix 2 of the Constitution and to make relevant recommendations about amendments to the Council’s Constitution, in conjunction with the Monitoring Officer, to Council. The Committee may also delegate minor changes to the Constitution to the Monitoring Officer where these are necessitated by decisions of this Committee. |
Cheryl Parks (Mid Kent Legal Services) |
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Information Governance |
The recommendations do not impact personal information (as defined in UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018) the Council processes. |
Senior Information Governance Officer |
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Equalities |
The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment. |
Equalities & Communities Officer |
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Public Health
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We recognise that the recommendations will not negatively impact on population health or that of individuals. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Crime and Disorder |
There are no implications to Crime and Disorder |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Procurement |
No impacts identified. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager |
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Biodiversity and Climate Change |
The implications of this report on biodiversity and climate change have been considered and there are no implications on biodiversity and climate change. |
Biodiversity and Climate Change Manager |
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 A series of vacancies were advertised in October 2023. (Appendix 1):
· Cutbush and Corrall Charity
· Maidstone Mediation
· Maidstone Sea Cadets
· Maidstone Twining Association
· Maidstone Cycling Campaign Forum (MCCF)
· PATROLAJC
· Relief in Need Charities
· South East Employers
2.2 Following the advertisement of the vacancies, various nominations were received. Vacancy descriptions are attached at Appendix 2, with current nominations received attached as Appendix 3.The Committee is asked to make appointments to the vacant positions on each of the Outside Bodies.
2.3 Democratic Services have received correspondence from the Executive Director of Action with Communities in Rural Kent confirming that the Charity has now closed. The Committee is asked to note the closure, and to resolve to delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary minor changes to the Constitution to reflect this closure.
3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS
3.1 To make appointments to the vacancies outlined in 2.2, to note the closure of Action with Communities in Rural Kent and to delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to amend the Constitution to reflect the closure of the Charity as set out in the main body of the report. This will support the council in engaging with those bodies as expected.
3.2 To not make an appointment to the vacancies outlined in 2.2, and not amend the Constitution to reflect the closure of Action with Communities in Rural Kent. This is not ideal as the positions should be filled to support the council in engaging with other bodies, and the Constitution should accurately reflect the outside bodies that the Council can appoint to.
4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
To make appointments and constitutional changes as outlined in 3.1 above.
5. RISK
The risks associated with this proposal, including the risks if the Council does not act as recommended, have been considered in line with the Council’s Risk Management Framework. We are satisfied that the risks associated are within the Council’s risk appetite and will be managed as per the policy.
6. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK
6.1 Not Applicable.
7. NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION
7.1 Where any Member/s is appointed to an outside body, that body will be informed of the appointment by Democratic Services officers.
7.2 If any position/s remain vacant, they will be readvertised at a later date, until such time as the outside vacancy protocol will be applicable. At that time the Committee will be informed at the next available meeting and advised as to next steps.
8. REPORT APPENDICES
The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:
· Appendix 1: List of Advertised Vacancies
· Appendix 2: Vacancy Descriptions
· Appendix 3: Vacancy Nominations
9. BACKGROUND PAPERS
Democracy and General Purposes Committee held on 3 July 2019.