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090406_Delegated Matters

MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

GENERAL PURPOSES GROUP

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON

6 APRIL 2009

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PRESENT:�� Councillors Mrs Hinder (Chairman), Batt, Blackmore,

Butler, Field, Hotson, Paine, Sams and Mrs Wilson

ALSO PRESENT:� Councillor Fitzgerald

DELEGATED MATTERS

54.�� APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Harwood.

55.�� NOTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS

The following substitutions were noted:-

Councillor Batt for Councillor Harwood.

Councillor Butler for Councillor Horne

Councillor Fitzgerald for Councillor Sams (after 7.49pm)

56.�� VISITING MEMBERS

Councillor Fitzgerald indicated he wished to speak on Agenda Items 10 and 11.

57.�� DISCLOSURES BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

There were no disclosures.

58.�� EXEMPT ITEMS

RESOLVED:� That the items be taken in public as proposed.

59.�� MINUTES

RESOLVED:� That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2009 be approved as a correct record and signed.

60.�� MEMBER DEVELOPMENT CHARTER REVIEW

The Group considered the Report of the Head of Human Resources on the review and feedback on the Member Development Charter that the Council had recently obtained.

RESOLVED:

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i) That the Officers look at the terms of reference of the Group and re-emphasise the wording to reflect the actions taken by the Group.

ii) That the South East Employers be informed that this Group considers that it can deal with all its business in public and would only hold private meetings if the issue was confidential in accordance with the normal rules for exclusion of the public.

iii) That the 3 year improvement area plan be noted though the Group considered that whilst supporting the scheme to have personal development plans for Members and that this should be extended to as many Members as possible that to set percentage commitments was not appropriate for Maidstone and that this idea could be better promoted through the Learning and Development Champions and regular feedback on this process to this Group.

iv) That, subject to the deletion of the word �each� in the first line of the second bullet point, the draft role description for Member Learning and Development Champions be agreed.

v) That the officers report back to the Group on the idea of an Annual Report from Councillors and how such a scheme could operate.

61.�� MEMBERS DEVELOPMENT BUDGET

The Group considered the Report of the Head of Human Resources reviewing the programme for Member Development based on the arrangements agreed by the Group last year.

RESOLVED:� That the budget for Member Development for 2009/10 as detailed in the Report of the Head of Human Resources be agreed.

62.�� OUTSIDE BODIES REVIEW

The Group considered the Report of the Democratic Services Manager concerning the Groups responses to the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee�s review of outside bodies.

RESOLVED:�

i) That the revised Nomination Framework attached as Appendix B to the report of the Democratic Services Manager be adopted.

ii) That nominations to outside bodies be made to the General Purposes Group by individual Members through submission of a short statement in support of their nomination and to assist in this process the job specification for all nominations would be made available to Group Leaders for circulation in their group or direct to individual members.

iii) That each outside bodies� Organisations Aims be kept up to date and made available to Councillors online.

iv) That the relevant Members representing the Council on an Outside Body be requested to complete the Annual Review Form (as attached at Appendix D to the report of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee) and that this be used as part of the nomination process.

v) That the Democratic Services Manager be the contact officer for outside bodies.

vi) That the nominations to the following outside bodies be not terminated:-

� Kent County Council Youth and Community Management Committee

� Maidstone Mind

� Maidstone Victim Support Management Committee

vii) That the nomination to Maidstone Sea Cadets be not terminated.

viii) That the following nominations to Outside Bodies be represented by a Ward Councillor and not terminated:-

� Allington Millennium Trust

� Boughton Mount Trust

� Collis Millennium Green Trust

� Headcorn Aerodrome Consultative Committee

� Hermitage Quarry Liaison Group

� Howard de Walden Centre

ix) That the number of members appointed to the Central Railway Consortium, Relate West and Mid Kent, and YMCA Sports Management Committee be reduced to one.

x) That the Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture be the nomination of the Council to serve on the Kent Conference Bureau management Board.

xi) That the Democratic Service Manager investigates with the Outside bodies that appoint annually whether that is the best method for appointment and whether they would wish for longer term appointments and when would be the best time for nominations to be sought.

63.�� STANDARDS COMMITTEE � APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT MEMBER �

SELECTION PANEL

The Group considered the Report of the Democratic Services Manager regarding the appointment of Independent Members to serve on the Standards Committee.

�� RESOLVED:�

i) That a Sub-Committee comprising the General Purposes Group Political

Group Spokespersons be appointed to make recommendations to the Council regarding the appointment of Independent Members to serve on the Standards Committee having shortlisted (if appropriate) and interviewed the candidates;

(ii)�� That the quorum for meetings of the Sub-Committee

should be two Members; and

(iii)�� That an Independent Member of the Standards Committee

be co-opted onto the Sub-Committee when it is considering making recommendations to the Council regarding the appointment of Independent Members to serve on the Standards Committee.

64.�� DURATION OF MEETING

6.30 p.m. to 8.13 p.m.