Agenda and minutes

Resolved: That all items be web-cast.

There were no apologies.

There were no Substitute Members.

There were no Visiting Members.

a)  Election of Chairman

b)  Election of Vice-Chairman

Nominations were sought for Chairman.  Councillor Fran Wilson proposed Councillor Harwood as Chairman.

It was suggested to the Committee that the election of Chairman should be deferred. Councillor de Wiggondene then moved the following motion:

1.  That the appointment of a Chairman of the Committee for the municipal year be deferred

2.  That a Chairman be appointed for the meeting

3.  That the Council be recommended to delete the third paragraph of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 7 the effect of which is to remove the requirement that the Chairman of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee should come from a political group not represented on the executive, except where all groups are represented on the executive

4.  That the Standards Committee be asked to evaluate the proposed recommendation to change the constitution set out in (3) above and submit their views to Council.

The motion was seconded by Councillor Paine who explained that his reasons for this were to ensure that the best Chairman was elected and the current arrangements prevented five Members of the Committee from being considered for this role.  He explained that the role of Chairman was a role for backbenchers; the opposition formed the Shadow Cabinet and were not considered backbenchers and so an appointment of a Chairman from the opposition would provide a conflict of interests.

Councillor Fran Wilson told the Committee that it was standard good practice for the Chairman of the primary scrutiny committee not to be a member of the executive administration and explained that at an earlier juncture it had been agreed by all parties that Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be chaired by the opposition.  Councillor Wilson informed Members that when the Liberal Democrats had been the administrating party this was something they had fully supported.  She told the Committee that she saw the motion proposed as a backwards move and asked that it was noted that it was something she was completely opposed to.

Councillor Harwood proposed an amendment to the motion that a Chairman be selected from the opposition and continue in the role until such time the current arrangements could be challenged and explored at the Standards Committee and Full Council.

The Head of Change and Scrutiny clarified the procedures in relation to the constitution informing Members that if they were unable to appoint a Chairman they could not continue the Meeting. 

Councillor Wilson seconded Councillor Harwood’s amendment.

The Committee were asked to vote on the amendment, the amendment was not carried. 

The Committee was asked to vote on the substantive motion.  Five Members voted in favour of the motion and Three Members voted against this. The motion was carried. Councillors Wilson, Pickett and Harwood asked that their vote ‘against’ the motion be noted.

The Head of Change and Scrutiny in accordance with the motion requested nominations for a Chairman for the meeting.  Councillor Paine proposed Councillor Gooch as temporary Chairman, seconded by Councillor Gibson. This was approved. It was at this point  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

There were no disclosures.

It was agreed that all items should be taken in public as proposed.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 5 April 2011 be agreed as a correct record of the meeting and duly signed by the Chairman.

Please note this item will not be web cast.

The Vice-Chairman introduced the Work Programming Workshop to the Committee.  Members were informed that this was their opportunity to speak to the Officers present and to come up with ideas for the Committee’s Work Programme for the coming year.  Members resolved that decisions would not be made until the Committee met in full at their next meeting.

The Committee then met with Officers to discuss their work and key priorities for the year.

After half an hour the Committee reconvened to discuss their ideas.  Councillor Gooch, the newly elected temporary Chairman, made her sincere apologies to the Committee for being late.  She thanked the Officers present for their time and dismissed them from the meeting.

Members added the following items to the list of suggested topics for the Work Programme:

·  Best practice for services and delivery of ‘value for money’. How the council benchmarks its services?

·  Concurrent Functions.  To understand what is happening in rural and urban areas, e.g. KCC paying electricity bills? A rural visit to appreciate the responsibilities of Parish Councils.  There are various reviews happening at present including Kent Association for Local Councils who are the nominated body.  Possible approaches to conducting this review are:

1.  Overview – Officers report to Committee.

2.  The Committee assists Officers, looking at their terms of reference. Scrutiny therefore takes a role and provides an independent viewpoint, avoiding duplication.  An initial discussion with Officers is the suggested starting point – with Zena Cook, Ryan O’Connell, Finance and representatives from Parishes. 

  (Establish KALC’s viewpoint and MBC’s and what could be   achieved?)

·  Community Halls. Council Audit – report ready for publication – Members could be involved in shaping final document. Visit – view community halls – how to handle handover; identify and evaluate problems such as heating/replacement boiler – weighing up solutions.

·  Shared Services – MKIP , best practice, new ideas

(One off Meeting).  This is also part of discussion in holding the cabinet to account.

·  Procurement – ‘Bigger is better’? Not always the case – look at best value in this area, where are we procuring from?

·  Traffic Problems - Congestion in the morning, the ring road. Under the terms of reference this would be Regeneration and Economic Development.  To forward suggestion to applicable Scrutiny Committee.

·  Community Budgets/Locality Boards – Trials in other parts of the County – to look at towards the end of the municipal year – ‘watching brief’ (One off meeting).

It was resolved that:

a)  Councillor Gooch would take action on the suggested Topic ‘Concurrent functions’ and report back at the next meeting; and

b)  The suggested topic ‘Traffic Problems’ should be referred to the Regeneration and Economic Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration in the Work Programme.

Members were in agreement that Item 10, Future Work Programme, should be deferred until the next meeting and the Scrutiny Officer would compile a conclusive list of suggested topics for review in preparation.

Resolved that item 10 be deferred until the next meeting.

6.30 p.m. to 7.38 p.m.