Issue - meetings

Amendments to the Constitution - Outside Bodies

Meeting: 04/09/2019 - Democracy and General Purposes Committee (Item 38)

38 Amendments to the Constitution - Outside Bodies pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Officer informed the Committee that, following work to consolidate records relating to Outside Body appointments, the report aimed to align information in the Constitution with accepted administrative practices.  Furthermore, improvements to the future administration of Outside Body appointments had been suggested.

 

The Committee commented that:

 

·  Ward Members were often best placed to be the Council Representative on organisations that were directly linked to specific Wards.  Therefore, where appropriate, Ward Members were to be given preference during the nomination process.  If no nominations were received from the relevant Ward Members, then all Councillors were to be given the opportunity to apply for the position.

 

·  To prevent the politicisation of Outside Body appointments, the Constitution was to state that the Policy and Resources (P&R) Committee delegated appropriate positions only when invited to so do by the Chairman.

RESOLVED: That:

 

1.  Council be recommended to agree the changes to Schedule 2 of the Constitution, attached as Appendix 1, subject to the amendment of Ward Member restriction wording and Chairman delegation wording as follows:

 

a.  “[XXX] Ward Member be appointed, unless no relevant Ward Member nomination is received, in which case this restriction no longer applies.”

 

b.  “P&R Chairman automatically appointed, unless he/she invites the Committee to delegate to another member.”

 

2.  Council be recommended to agree the changes to committee Terms of Reference, attached as Appendix 2.

 

3.  The amended terms of office for Council Representative positions on the Collis Millennium Green Trust and Kent Downs AONB Joint Advisory Committee be noted.

Voting: Unanimous