Agenda and minutes

Before inviting nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council, Councillor Don Seale (the retiring Chairman) addressed the meeting, reflecting on his year in office and his time as a Councillor at Oxfordshire County Council.  He thanked the Vice-Chairman (Councillor Hallchurch), his wife and his Personal Assistant (Sara Lenihan) for all their help and support during the year.  He then presented Sara Lenihan with flowers as a token of his appreciation.

Councillors Hudspeth, Brighouse and Patrick paid tribute to Councillor Seale.

Councillor Seale then invited nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.

Councillor Hudspeth proposed and Councillor Patrick seconded that Councillor Hallchurch be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.

There being no other nominations and no dissent, Councillor Hallchurch was declared elected.  He read and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

RESOLVED: (nem con) that Councillor Tim Hallchurch be elected as Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.

The Chairman called for nominations for the office of Vice-Chairman.  Councillor Patrick proposed and Councillor Brighouse seconded that Councillor Anne Purse be elected as Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.  There being no other nominations and no dissent, Councillor Purse was declared elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.  She read and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

RESOLVED: (nem con) that Councillor Anne Purse be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2013/14 Council Year.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 2 April 2013 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 2 April 2013 were approved and signed.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Kevin Bulmer.

The Chairman reported as follows:

A Group Photo was scheduled to take place on the rising of the Annual General meeting.  Members were asked to go to the Common hall Café following the meeting, where further advice would be given.

There would be two Extraordinary Meetings of the County Council following the formal group photograph.  The first meeting was due to start at 12.30 pm and a bell would be sounded to call members to the Council Chamber.

There would an opportunity for members to catch up on post-election administration directly following the Annual General Meeting.  Staff from Democratic Services would be located in the Common Hall Café to assist members.

To receive the Returning Officer’s Report (CC7) (TO FOLLOW) on the election of Councillors on 2 May 2013.

The Council had before them a report by the Returning Officer (Annex 1, Schedule of Business) setting out the results of the election of Councillors on 2 May 2013.

Councillor Beale indicated that his name had been misspelt in the report.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to note the Returning Officer Report at Annex 1 to the Schedule of Business, subject to the entry for Councillor Beal being amended from ‘Beale’ to Beal.

Under the provisions of Part 2, Article 14 of the Constitution the Monitoring Officer will monitor and review the operation of the Constitution to ensure that its aims, principles and requirements are given full effect and make recommendations on any necessary amendments to it to the Council.  In undertaking this task he shall:

(a)          observe meetings of different parts of the member and officer structure;

(b)          undertake an audit trail of a sample of decisions;

(c)          record and analyse issues raised with her/him by members, officers, the public and other relevant stakeholders; and

(d)          compare practices in the authority with those in other comparable authorities, or national examples of best practice.

The Monitoring Officer is authorised to make any changes to the Constitution which are required:

(a)  to comply with the law; or

(b)  to give effect to decisions of the Council or (so far as within their powers) the Cabinet, scrutiny committees and ordinary committees; or

(c)  to correct errors and otherwise for accuracy or rectification.

All other changes to the Constitution will only be approved by the full Council after consideration of a recommendation from the Monitoring Officer.

The Council is therefore RECOMMENDED to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any necessary changes to the Constitution, if required, following the Election to allow the Council to operate lawfully.

The Council had before them a report which sought agreement to the Monitoring Officer making any necessary changes to the constitution between the period of the County Council elections and the meeting of County Council in July.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Hallchurch, seconded by Councillor Anne Purse and carried nem con) to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any necessary changes to the Constitution, if required, following the Election to allow the Council to operate lawfully.

Report by the Monitoring Officer (CC9).

At its Annual Meeting, Council is required to agree the officer scheme of delegation within the Council's Constitution. The scheme of officer delegation is contained in Part 7.3 of the Council’s Constitution.  The Scheme of Delegation itself, gives delegated authority to the Chief Executive, directors and other chief officers whose titles and/or areas of responsibility are set out in Part 2, Article 11 of the Constitution.  

The Scheme of Delegation itself is unchanged. However, the areas of responsibility and post titles contained in Part 2, Article 11 are in need of update by the addition of the Director of Public Health as a Chief Officer within paragraph 1(b).  

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the amendment to Article 11 of the Constitution identified in paragraphs 4 & 5 above and to approve the Scheme of Officer Delegation contained in Part 7.3 of the Council’s Constitution.

The Council had before them a report by the Monitoring Officer (CC9) which set out the proposed changes to the Council’s Officer Scheme of Delegation set out in the Constitution.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Hallchurch, seconded by Councillor Purse and carried nem con) to note the amendment to Article 11 of the Constitution identified in paragraphs 4 & 5 above and to approve the Scheme of Officer Delegation contained in Part 7.3 of the Council’s Constitution.

The revised meetings schedule for 2013/14 (CC10) has been drawn upfollowing the decision taken at Council about new governance arrangements.

Council is RECOMMENDED to agree the revised meetings schedule for 2013/14 subject to any changes agreed at the meeting.

The Council had before them a revised meetings schedule for 2013/14 (CC10) which had been drawn up following the decision taken at council to adopt new Governance arrangements.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Hallchurch, seconded by Councillor Purse and carried nem con) to agree the revised meetings schedule for 2013/14.

(a)          To make appointments to:-

(1)          The office of Leader of the Council;

(1a)     The Leader to announce appoints to the Cabinet;

(2)          The office of Leader of the Opposition.

(b)          To review the political balance on Scrutiny and other committees and to appoint members to them (CC11) (ANNEXES TO FOLLOW).

At the conclusion of the Council’s proceedings all members are asked to remain in their seats in the Council chamber while committees meet for the purpose of electing Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

(a)          to make appointments to:

(1)                      The office of Leader of the Council.

Councillor Lilly moved and Councillor Greene seconded that Councillor Hudspeth be appointed to the office of Leader of the Council for the 4-year Council term.

There being no other nominations or dissent it was:-

RESOLVED:            (nem con) to appoint Councillor Hudspeth to the office of Leader of the Council for the 4-year Council term.

(1a)     to note the following appointments to the Cabinet:

A report by the Leader of the Council (a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the minutes) was then circulated to all members of the Council.  The report set out the appointments of the Leader of the Council had made

RESOLVED: (nem con) to note the proposed new Cabinet Member portfolios set out in the report circulated at the meeting.

(2)          The office of Leader of the Opposition.

RESOLVED:            to note that Councillor Brighouse was the Leader of the Opposition.

(b)