Issue - meetings

Report to follow.

Consideration was given to a report of the Monitoring Officer on options for Cabinet decision making arrangements for the Council from 1^st April 2009. 

On 6^th January 2009, the Cabinet had considered a report which now formed the appendix to the report of the Monitoring Officer, recommending the Governance and Constitution Committee to make recommendations to Council.

RESOLVED –

(a) That Council be recommended that with effect from Vesting Day :-

(1) The Council shall have a Leader and Cabinet form of Executive Arrangements, these to include the “Strong Leader” model, in respect of which and amongst other things the Leader :

a. is elected by Council;

b. is empowered to appoint Members of the Council to and remove Members of the Council from the Cabinet, subsequent notification being given to Council;

c. is empowered to determine the extent of the decision-making powers of Cabinet Members and other executive decision-making bodies.

(2) The Council’s Executive arrangements shall comprise those arrangements set out in appendices A and B to the report, subject to the following changes :-

a. reference to Deputy Leader to be removed from the Adult Services Portfolio and that the role of the Deputy Leader be defined;

b. the following functions listed within the Children and Family Services Portfolio to apply, as appropriate, to the Portfolio Holders for Adult Services, Children and Family Services and Health and Wellbeing :-

(i) Liaison with NHS Trusts and Health Authorities;

(ii) Mental Health and Disability;

(iii) Health Promotion;

(iv) Development of integrated services with health partners.

c. The references within the Children and Family Services Portfolio to :-

(i) Mental Health and Disability, to be made specific to Children and Young People; and

(ii) Connexions to be removed.

d. In respect of the Health and Wellbeing Portfolio :-

(i) Public Rights of Way to be added beneath Countryside;

(ii) Tourism to become a dependency rather than being a prime responsibility.

e. That in respect of the Environmental Services Portfolio :-

(i) Health and Safety enforcement to become a dependency rather than being a prime responsibility;

(ii) Public Rights of Way maintenance to be deleted and moved to Health and Wellbeing, as Public Rights of Way

f. That the Prosperity Portfolio shall include Building Control;

g. That the Safer and Stronger Communities Portfolio shall include Health and Safety enforcement in the list of prime responsibilities;

h. That Performance and Capacity Portfolio shall include Twinning in the list of prime responsibilities.

(b) That further consideration be given to the definition of  a key decision, to potentially include a financial threshold of £1 million, beyond which an Executive decision shall be a key decision; and that a report be made to Members on the implications;

(c) That Council be recommended that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make such changes to the Council’s emerging Constitution as he considers are necessary to give effect to the wishes of Council.