The Council considered the report of the Director of Resources seeking agreement to change the procedure for the sealing of documents.
The report outlined the Council’s current procedure for sealing documents and the proposal to amend the Constitution to require only one senior employee to sign whenever a document required sealing. It was noted that many authorities now only required one senior employee to sign a sealed document.
The Leader of the Council presented the report and put the recommendation as set out in the report.
Councillor Mrs P A Channer referred to how in the past Members had been involved in sealing of documents. She proposed that one employee (e.g. a Director, legal Officer or Officer reporting to a Director) and the Leader of the Council / Deputy Leader of the Council or Chairman of a Committee be required to sign whenever a document needs to be sealed. This proposal was duly seconded.
The Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer provided Members with some further clarification and explained that sealing a document did not include approval of the document but merely witnessing the sealing being applied.
The Chairman then put the proposal in the name of Councillor Mrs Channer to the Council and upon a vote being taken that was agreed.
RESOLVED that paragraph 3.1.2 of the Responsibility and Functions General Provisions document that forms a part of the Constitution be amended to require one employee (a Director, legal Officer or Officer reporting to a Director) and the Leader of the Council / Deputy Leader of the Council / Chairman of a Committee be required to sign whatever document needs to be sealed.