Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor K Roberts-Jones and Community Councillor M Morris.

In attendance:

Ms D Jones (Deputy Monitoring Officer), Mr W Richards (Head of Democratic Services), Mrs L Patterson (Scrutiny Officer), Ms C Johnson (Democratic Services Officer)

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on the following date as a correct record:

·         7^th February 2018

The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on the 7 February 2018 as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were received.

To receive the report of the Solicitor to the Council.

The Committee received the report of the Solicitor to the Council (copy filed with signed minutes).

A         Referral of Councillors to Public Services Ombudsman

A1.      Town and Community Councillor Referrals

The current position regarding existing matters with the Ombudsman was as follows: 

7/17/TCC       Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

14/17/TCC     Ombudsman not investigating

16/17/TCC     Ombudsman reviewing decision not to investigate

2/18/TCC       Complaint received – Ombudsman not investigating

3/18/TCC       Complaint received – Ombudsman not investigating

4/18/TCC       Complaint received – Ombudsman not investigating

5/18/TCC       Complaint received – Ombudsman not investigating but now subject to review

6/18/TCC       Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

7/18/TCC       Complaint received – Ombudsman not investigating but now subject to review

8/18/TCC       Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

9/18/TCC       Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

10/18/TCC     Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

11/18/TCC     Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

B.        Dispensations

B1.      Applications - Town and Community Councillors

One application for dispensation had been received from Councillor David Jones from Montgomery Town Council. This was received in November 2017 and unfortunately was not included on the agenda in February 2018.  The application was, in part, a continuation of a previous dispensation granted in December 2012 and the Chair and Vice-Chair agreed to grant a temporary dispensation to be formally confirmed at the next meeting of the Standards Community Sub-Committee.

As the application for a dispensation was a continuation of the previous dispensation and there are no changes in circumstances, the Committee was asked to reaffirm the dispensation granted on 5^th December, 2012 from the date of this meeting until the first meeting of the Standards Sub-Committee after the next Council elections in 2022.

The application also requested permission to speak with regards to Montgomery Show. The Clerk to the Council has confirmed that Councillor Jones has not been appointed to the Show Committee by the Town Council. However, this application was already covered by the general dispensation granted by the Sub-Committee in October, 2017 relating to the membership of voluntary bodies, and therefore the Committee did not need to take a decision in this respect.

C         Delegation of urgent matters

There are only three meetings a year of the Standards Community-Sub Committee in the diary.  Extraordinary meetings of Standards Community Sub-Committee may be called where urgent matters are required to be decided.  Members considered delegating authority to the Chair and Vice-Chair of Standards Community Sub-Committee together with the Monitoring Officer to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.