Issue - meetings

To approve the proposed amendments to the Constitution.

Consideration was given to proposed editorial and consequential changes to the Constitution, and to the approval sought by the Director of Governance and Compliance, for those constitutional changes to be made, which were reserved to full Council.

It was reported that in Recommendation 2.1.2 of the report, a word had been omitted.  Recommendation 2.1,2 of the report should read “Require the Monitoring Officer to take all the necessary steps…”

The recommendations, together with the above amendment, were moved and seconded. During the debate two amendments were proposed.

Amendment 1

“That the recommendation of the Corporate Policy Committee (8^th June 2021), limiting membership of this sub-committee to just SIX members (2:2:2) is rejected.

That the Constitution Working Group reflects the make-up of the wider elected member body and as such provides a committee that retains EIGHT members, recognising all major political groups on a 3:2:2:1 basis.

That the recommendations of the Constitution Working Group are reported to the parent committee (as agreed and recorded at their meetings), without subsequent and unauthorised alteration.”

The amendment was moved, seconded, and debated.  The amendment was put to the vote and declared lost.

Amendment 2

“That paragraphs 1.21 and 1.24 be removed from the Council procedure rules.”

The amendment was moved and seconded.  The mover and seconder of the substantive recommendations to Council, accepted this amendment and therefore the amendment became part of the substantive motion.

RESOLVED:  That Council

1             agrees the revised text of the constitution as set out in the appendix Chapters 1, 2 and 3, with the addition of the removal of paragraphs 1.21 and 1.24 from the Council Procedural Rules; and

2          authorises the Monitoring Officer to take all necessary steps to update Chapter 5, Member Allowances as soon as reasonably practicable following approval of the allowance scheme.

To make recommendations to Council on proposed amendments to the constitution.

The Committee considered a report which sought a recommendation to Council to approve further changes to the constitution and grant delegated authority to the Monitoring Officer to amend the constitution.

The proposed changes comprised editorial amendments which fell directly to the Monitoring Officer but must be reported to Council; changes reserved to Council such as amendments to committee terms of reference; and substantive insertions, such as member remuneration, which were awaiting approval by Council. Further details were set out in the Council report at Appendix 1 and were highlighted in the attached sections of the constitution.

It was intended that this version of the constitution would remain operative until a review by Council in November 2021.

At its meeting, the Corporate Policy Committee accepted a tabled amendment to provide for editorial consistency at Chapter 3, Part 4, paragraph 6.23 (authority for Directors to submit applications for grant funding without commitment); and a minor rewording to Chapter 2, Part 2, paragraph 8 for clarity (that significant decisions likely to be taken by committees will appear on the Council’s Forward Plan).

RESOLVED

That the report at Appendix 1 and the proposed changes to the constitution referred to therein be recommended to Council subject to the inclusion of the two additional minor amendments accepted at the meeting.