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Democracy and General Purposes Committee |
19 June 2024 |
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Outside Bodies 2024/25 |
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Will this be a Key Decision? |
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 consider Outside Body allocations and appointments. |
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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. Council be recommended to properly reflect which Outside Bodies are related to Cabinet portfolios and which are for appointment by this committee (as set out in table 2.3); 2. It be noted that at the outside bodies request Relate Mid Kent is no longer an outside body and will be removed from the list of outside bodies; and 3. Any nominations received for positions be considered and a Council representative(s) be appointed. |
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Outside Bodies 2024/25 |
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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 Manger |
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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 the Outside Bodies |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
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Risk Management |
See section 5 of the report.
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Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
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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. The council’s representatives on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board have the responsibility, along with other Board members, for determining the council’s annual levy (currently £138,430), which has a direct financial impact on the budget. |
Head of Finance |
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Staffing |
We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
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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 as listed in B4 Appendix 2 of the Constitution 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 where these are necessitated by decisions of this Committee. |
Deputy Head of Legal Partnership |
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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. |
Information Governance Team |
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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 Manger |
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Crime and Disorder |
There are no implications to Crime and Disorder |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
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Procurement |
No impacts identified |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
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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. |
Democratic and Electoral Services Manger |
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 Following the Annual Meeting of Council, with revised Cabinet appointments and Part B to the constitution, the constitution is recommended to be amended to reflect the in practice allocation of Outside Body vacancies to Cabinet Portfolios. Those bodies highlighted below each have one of their vacancies that is allocated to a Cabinet Member, as they were last year. It is recommended that the outside bodies allocation in the constitution is amended to reflect this.
2.2 An additional outside body, Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board, has been included in the new portfolios for Cabinet Members. The Committee are asked to consider whether to agree to amend the outside body allocations in the constitution to reflect this. The Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board appointments are currently held by non-Cabinet members and are not vacant, this would mean that when agreed by Council those Members would be removed from that outside body. The Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board has the power to raise a levy (currently £138,430) which is a direct cost for the council. It is therefore appropriate for executive members to participate in the decision on the levy through membership of the Board. Membership of the Board will also allow the relevant cabinet members to influence issues of strategic importance to the council around water management and flood resilience.
2.3
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Outside Body |
Cabinet Member Representative
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Number of Cabinet Positions |
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Maidstone Twinning Association |
Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Safety |
1 position of 4 |
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Maidstone Sea Cadets |
Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Safety |
1 position of 2 |
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Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board |
Cabinet Member for Climate Transition and Nature Recovery, and
Cabinet Member for Planning Policy and Management |
2 positions of 2 |
2.4 A series of vacancies were advertised in May 2024 (Appendix 1):
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Cutbush and Corrall Charity |
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Howard de Walden Centre |
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Kent Downs AONB Joint Committee |
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Maidstone Area Arts Partnership |
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Maidstone Sea Cadets |
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Maidstone Street Pastors Management Committee |
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Maidstone Twining Association |
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MCCF (Maidstone Cycling Campaign Forum) |
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Medway Valley Line |
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Relief in Need Charities |
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South East Employers |
2.5 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 consider the nominations and make appointments to the vacant positions on each of the Outside Bodies.
2.6 It should be noted that if the amendments are agreed to make the Maidstone Twinning Association this will impact on the number of vacancies available. Three nominations have been received for the Maidstone Twinning Association and there would be only two vacancies.
2.7 Democratic Services have received correspondence from the Relate Mid Kent Charity confirming that due to a reorganisation the Charity no longer required a Maidstone Borough Council representative. The Committee is asked to note the removal.
2.8 Due to the recent boundary changes and that the outside body works across more than one ward, Maidstone Street Pastors Management Committee should be opened up to not only High Street Ward members but to the Penenden Heath and Fant and Oakwood Ward Members as well
3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS
Option 1:
3.2 To consider the nominations received and appoint to outside bodies.
3.3 To expand the Maidstone Street Pastors Management Committee to the Penenden Heath and Fant and Oakwood Ward Members.
Option 2:
3.4 To not make amendments to reflect current arrangements, or consider changing the outside body allocations to the Cabinet; and/or;
3.5 To not make appointments to some or all outside bodies that nominations have been received for.
4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Option 1 for the reasons set out in the report.
5. RISK
The risk 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 body vacancy protocol will be applicable. At that time the Committee will be informed at the next available meeting and advised as to the 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.