Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations of the Constitution Committee. 

The Constitution Committee  at its meeting on 22^nd September 2011 had considered proposed changes to the Council’s arrangements for making urgent decisions.

The Council’s existing arrangements empowered the Chief Executive or her nominee to make urgent executive and non-executive decisions in circumstances where such decisions were required before the next meeting of the relevant decision-making body. It was suggested that consideration should be given to securing Member involvement in making urgent decisions, with appropriate officer advice and involvement.  Appendix B of the report to the Constitution Committee contained proposed urgency provisions which, if agreed, would need to be incorporated into the Constitution.

The Constitution Committee had approved the proposals for recommendation to Council subject to the following amendments:

“with regard to urgent executive decisions:

§         the relevant scrutiny chairmen be notified of the matter and invited to make representations;

§         all Opposition Group leaders be notified of the matter and invited to make representations.”

A revised version of Appendix B incorporating the amendments agreed by the Constitution Committee had been submitted to Council.

In moving the Committee’s recommendations, the Chairman, Councillor A Martin, proposed two further amendments as follows:

§         the urgency sub-committee to be appointed to consider urgent Council decisions comprise 5 Members of the Council (ratio 3:1:1) and the Mayor as a non-voting member.

§         the following provision be added to the proposed urgency provisions:

Scrutiny committees can review the reasons for the urgency of a decision and the process adopted.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   subject to the further amendments now proposed, the revised arrangements for making urgent decisions as set out in the revised version of Appendix B to the report to the Constitution Committee be approved and adopted; and

(2)   the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer be authorised to make such additions and amendments to the Constitution as she considers are necessary to give effect to the wishes of Council.