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Minutes To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the previous meeting(s) of the Committee held on the following dates(s) as a correct record: · 17th June 2015 · 7th September 2015 Minutes: The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the previous meetings held on 17th June 2015 and 7th September 2015 as a correct record.
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: No apologies of absence were received.
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Declarations of interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda. Minutes: No declarations of interest were received.
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Report of the Solicitor to the Council To receive the report of the Solicitor to the Council. Minutes: The Committee received the report of the Solicitor to the Council. (Copy filed with signed minutes).
A. General Standards Issues for County Councillors and Co-opted Members
A1 Code of Conduct Training
Further Code of Conduct training was arranged for the eleven Members who had yet to attend mid-term refresher training (ten who had not yet attended and a newly elected Member). This had been held on 23rd September 2015 and sevenMembers had attended. Arrangements had been made for the remaining four Members to receive refresher training by means of the Members providing written responses to 3 or 4 questions considered at the refresher training sessions. One of these Members was investigating if training dates at another authority would be available.
A2 Member Development
The County Council on 15th July, 2015 approved the arrangements for mandatory and non-mandatory training. The only amendment to the report was to delete a provision requiring a Member who failed to attend/complete a “mandatory development” in the timescale set out in the document to appear before Council to apologise and agree to complete the required development in a timescale required by the Standards Committee.
A3 Council Constitution
The final sections of the new Council Constitution was approved at the County Council meeting on 15th July, 2015 and the new Constitution in its entirety came into force on 1st September, 2015 following an internal publicity campaign to raise the awareness of officers to various sections of the new Constitution over the summer.
B. Referral of Councillors to Public Services Ombudsman
B1. County Councillor Referrals
B1.1 The following matters are with the Ombudsman:
6/15/CC Ombudsman investigating 7/15/CC Ombudsman not investigating 8/15/CC awaiting a decision whether or not to investigate 9/15/CC awaiting a decision whether or not to investigate
C. Other Standards Issues
None.
D Dispensations
D1. Applications - County Councillors
No applications for dispensation have been received.
E. Attendance
Responses from County Councillors M. Alexander and G. Price had been received regarding their attendance levels of below 60% for the period.
Cllr Alexander advised that had the Montgomeryshire meetings been included in the calculations her attendance would be above 60%. She also noted that she had work commitments which whilst she tried to avoid clashes these were sometimes inevitable.
Cllr Price advised that the attendance records included meetings for which he was placed on a committee by his group but knew he was unable to attend and has since been replaced by another group member. Had these dates not been included in the calculations his attendance would be above 60%. He also notes that he has attended a number of other meetings which do not count in the calculations.
The Committee accepted the reasons provided by the Members and that no further action was necessary.
F. Appointment of Independent Member
The term of office for Independent Member R. Miller finishes on 25th January 2016. The appointment process for his replacement commenced with approval of the process at County Council on 21st ... view the full minutes text for item S15-2015 |