Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Atkins, Billington, Field-Johnson, Johnson, Leffman, E Smith, R Smith, Reynolds and Walker.

This report applies in the event that, earlier on 10 July, Full Council reaches a decision to make an appointment to the post of ‘Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service’, in partnership with Cherwell District Council. Following any such decision, Cabinet members will have been consulted during the day about these intentions, in accordance with the Council’s Constitutional, and statutory rules.

This report therefore sets out the decisions that would need to be confirmed if Full Council is now minded, in the light of any comments from Cabinet members, to proceed with an appointment and subsequent redundancy. The rationale and context is supplied in the report of the same title on the Full Council agenda, at the meeting held earlier today.

An addenda to this agenda will be circulated, to summarise the views of Cabinet members as to whether they have any objections or not.

Council is RECOMMENDED:

1.         Having received the views of Cabinet in consequence of Full Council’s earlier decisions then, as appropriate:

(a)      confirm the appointment of Yvonne Rees as Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service of Oxfordshire County Council in accordance with paragraphs 8 and 9; and as a consequence

(b)      confirm the ending of the current Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service role on the grounds of redundancy in accordance with paragraphs 14-15 and Annex 2, and that a Notice of Termination be issued on the 30 September 2018 ending Mr Clark’s employment; and

(c)      ask the Director of Human Resources to issue the necessary offer of appointment to Yvonne Rees;

(d)      ask the Monitoring Officer to amend the Constitution to reflect these decisions, as appropriate;

(e)      agree that these decisions are subject to Cherwell District Council confirming its decision to enter into joint working with Oxfordshire County Council, which it is currently scheduled to do on 16 July 2018.

The Council had before it a report (CC4) which applied in the event that, earlier on 10 July, Full Council reached a decision to make an appointment to the post of ‘Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service’, in partnership with Cherwell District Council. Following that decision, Cabinet members had been consulted during lunchtime about these intentions, in accordance with the Council’s Constitutional, and statutory rules.

The report therefore sets out the decisions that would need to be confirmed if Full Council was minded, in the light of any comments from Cabinet members, to proceed with an appointment and subsequent redundancy. The rationale and context was supplied in the report of the same title on the Full Council agenda, at the meeting held earlier today.

The Leader of the Council, in moving the recommendations confirmed that the Cabinet had all been consulted individually and had agreed to the proposals before the Council today.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that the statutory duty  of returning Officer set out in the main duties and responsibilities in Annex 1 was indeed an error and that the correct information was contained in paragraph 11 to the report.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Hudspeth, seconded by Councillor Brighouse and carried by 41 votes to 11):

Having received the views of Cabinet in consequence of Full Council’s earlier decisions then, as appropriate to:

(a)      confirm the appointment of Yvonne Rees as Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service of Oxfordshire County Council in accordance with paragraphs 8 and 9; and as a consequence

(b)      confirm the ending of the current Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service role on the grounds of redundancy in accordance with paragraphs 14-15 and Annex 2, and that a Notice of Termination be issued on the 30 September 2018 ending Mr Clark’s employment; and

(c)       ask the Director of Human Resources to issue the necessary offer of appointment to Yvonne Rees;

(d)      ask the Monitoring Officer to amend the Constitution to reflect these decisions, as appropriate;

(e)      agree that these decisions are subject to Cherwell District Council confirming its decision to enter into joint working with Oxfordshire County Council, which it is currently scheduled to do on 16 July 2018.