‘Under the provisions set out in Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the above item can be taken after Agenda Item 10 as urgent business because of the need for this Committee to consider how it can be engaged in discussions flowing from the decision of Council on 17 February 2015 to the principle of moving towards a new management structure and the consequent removal of the post of Chief Executive.
Minutes:
Under the provisions set out in Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act
1972 (as amended) the Chairman of the meeting was of the opinion that the above item could be taken after Agenda Item 10 as urgent business because of the need for this Committee to consider how it could be engaged in discussions flowing from the decision of Council on 17 February 2015 to the principle of moving towards a new management structure and the consequent removal of the post of Chief Executive.
Accordingly, Mr Clark, County Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, lead a discussion with the Committee as to how it could be engaged in discussions and decisions following on from the decision of Council on 17 February 2015 to the principle of moving towards a new management structure and the consequent removal of the post of Chief Executive.
Councillor Stratford, who was attending the Committee meeting as a substitute, clarified his position that, as he was a current member of the Cabinet, he would not be taking part in the discussion.
A number of members expressed their regret that a paper had not been brought to the Committee for its consideration before the decision of Council on 17 February.
Councillor Smith stated that, looking forward, the Committee would require a report into the future governance of the Council, the implications on staff and the implications of Cabinet members taking a more active role in the governance of the Council. She stated that either an additional meeting of the Audit Working Group (AWG) or an extension of the next planned meeting of the Committee would be necessary.
A member queried to what extent the Committee was empowered to recommend a new organisational structure. Mr Clark, stated that in his view the relationship between members and officers was critical to the work of the Council as set out in the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations and that it was very relevant for the Committee, as well others such as Political Group Leaders, to form a view of what would be appropriate and to make recommendations to Cabinet in terms of the organisational structure of the Council. Mr Clark stated that it may be best to refer the matter to the Audit Working Group for consideration under the proviso that all members of the Committee could take part in the discussion.
Dr Geoff Jones, Chairman of the Audit Working Group, expressed concern that the AWG could not be expected to start with a blank piece of paper in terms of designing a new constitution and that the AWG would require advice from Mr Clark and a report in order to facilitate the discussion. Mr Clark stated that he hoped to draft a report for the consideration of the AWG meeting on 9 April.
After further discussion, members agreed that the issue would be discussed at the Audit Working Group on 9 March 2015, a number of routine items on the agenda for the AWG meeting on 9 April would need to be moved, that the meeting should begin an hour earlier in order to extend the meeting and that an invitation to the AWG would be sent to all members of the Committee.
RESOLVED: to take a report to the Audit Working Group on 9 April 2015, the Meeting to start at 1.00 pm and routine items to be moved from that Agenda to allow for a full and frank discussion (to be agreed by Independent Chair Geoff Jones).