“Due to the significant nature and the possible impact of any decisions of the Joint Standards Committee meetings that are due to be held in August, it is proposed that the Statutory Annual Council Meeting is postponed for 4 weeks.
This prudent motion, if approved, will allow the Council and its elected members to formulate all positions required within group membership, membership of committees and appointments within the council.
Motion 1
It is proposed that the 2020 Statutory Annual Meeting is postponed for four weeks.”
In accordance with Procedure Rule 12 and in addition to the proposer and seconder the received Motion bears the names of an additional eleven Members.
Minutes:
Prior to the Motion being put to the Council, the Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer referenced the Motion pre-amble and its mention of a Joint Standards Committee meeting. He provided the Council with information relating to an investigation that had been undertaken by the Acting Monitoring Officer and reported that this matter had been finalised and could not be brought back to the Joint Standards Committee or further considered by the Council. The Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer advised that as the motion stood the pre-amble had nothing in it that, in his view, would justify Motion 1.
Councillor W Stamp raised a point of order as the person putting a Motion should be allowed to speak first prior to any debate ensuing. She asked that it be minuted that she felt the Chairman had stopped this. In response, the Chairman advised that she felt it important that the Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer spoke first. The Chairman then invited Councillor Stamp to present her motion.
Councillor W Stamp read out her Motion (as set out below):
In accordance with Procedure Rule 4, Councillor W Stamp proposed the following motion which was duly seconded by Councillor R H Siddall:
“Due to the significant nature and the possible impact of any decisions of the Joint Standards Committee meetings that are due to be held in August, it is proposed that the Statutory Annual Council Meeting is postponed for 4 weeks.
This prudent motion, if approved, will allow the Council and its elected members to formulate all positions required within group membership, membership of committees and appointments within the council.
Motion 1
It is proposed that the 2020 Statutory Annual Meeting is postponed for four weeks.”
It was noted that in accordance with Procedure Rule 12 and in addition to the proposer and seconder the received Motion bears the names of an additional eleven Members.
Councillor Stamp provided the Council with background information to her Motion. She then proposed that the motion be amended to read “that the 2020 Statutory Annual meeting of the Council is postponed for eight weeks’, advising that the reason for this was to relieve the pressure of Committee Services and to allow other meetings to take place. Councillor R H Siddall had seconded the original motion and confirmed that he would also second the revised motion reiterating comments made about Officer pressures and asked Members to support the motion.
Councillor C Morris raised a number of points and was reminded by the Chairman of the subject of the Motion and to take accord of what was said by the Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer. Following further debate Councillor Mrs M E Thompson proposed that Councillor C Morris no longer be heard. This proposal was duly seconded.
In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 13 (3) Councillor Morris requested a recorded vote.
The Chairman then put the proposal that Councillor Morris no longer be heard, and the voting was as follows:
For the recommendation:
Councillors E L Bamford, Miss A M Beale, Mrs P
A Channer, A S Fluker,
M W Helm, A L Hull and Mrs M E Thompson.
Against the recommendation:
Councillors M G Bassenger, B S Beale,
V J Bell, M R Edwards, B E Harker, M S Heard, K W Jarvis, K M H
Lagan, C Mayes, C Morris, S P Nunn, N G F Shaughnessy,
R H Siddall, N J Skeens, W Stamp and J Stilts.
Abstention:
Councillors M F L Durham, Mrs J L Fleming, C Swain and Miss S White.
The Motion that Councillor Morris not be heard was therefore lost and the Chairman allowed Councillor Morris to continue, advising all Members to talk to the Motion.
A lengthy debate ensued, and a number of Members commented on the Motion, particularly referencing the Joint Standards Committee and the results of a recent investigation which had been published. A point of order was raised during the debate.
In response to a question, the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance advised that there was a project plan in place to deliver the Statutory Annual Council on 3 September and this was possible within resources. He provided further information advising that Officers would deliver whatever Members’ decided.
A further point of order was raised at this point. Councillor A S Fluker proposed that if the Council did not hold it Statutory Annual meeting on 3 September that it be held on 1 October and he reported that the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance had confirmed that the team were ready to do that. The Chairman advised that she had a motion, duly seconded, being debated and should that not be agreed then Councillor Fluker could put his proposal.
In response to a question, the Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer provided Members with guidance from the Council’s Constitution in relation to the procedure for dealing with breaches of the Code of Conduct and further information in relation to the investigation carried out by the Acting Monitoring Officer.
Further detailed debate ensued, following which Councillor Stamp was given the opportunity to reply to comments raised. Councillor Stamp reiterated her revision to the Motion.
The Chairman put the proposed amendment to the Motion by Councillor Stamp, duly seconded and upon a vote being taken this was agreed (by assent). The Chairman advised this then became the substantive motion and sought confirmation from all Members whether they would change their vote from how they voted on the amendment. Following no Member advising they were changing their vote, the Chairman declared that this was therefore agreed (by assent).
RESOLVED that the 2020 Statutory Annual meeting of the Council is postponed for eight weeks.