Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED

That Councillor Tricia Youtan be elected Chairman of the Committee for the ensuing Council year.

RESOLVED

The Councillor David Coldwell be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the ensuing Council year.

RESOLVED

That meetingsof the Committee be held at 10.00am for the ensuing Council year.

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th March 2017

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15^th March 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

Councillor Michael Willett declared a personal interest in the local assessment section of the ethical framework update report as two of the complaints received related to Steyning Parish Council, of which he was a member.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee, the Chief Executive or the Monitoring Officer

The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, wished Councillor Roger Clarke a speedy recovery following his recent accident.

The Monitoring Officer advised Members that the Council, at its annual meeting on 24^th May 2017, had approved the appointment of Mr Philip Baxter as the second Parish Council representative on the Committee.

This was the last meeting of the Committee that Paul Cummins, the Monitoring Officer, would be attending before leaving to take up the position of Head of Legal Services at Milton Keynes Council.  Members of the Committee congratulated him on his appointment and thanked him for his significant contribution during his three years as Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer with the Council.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report on developments in the ethical framework that affected the role and activities of Councillors and the Council’s business.

Since the last Standards Committee the Monitoring Officer had given Ethical Governance and Code of Conduct training sessions at a number of parish councils. Further training sessions at Storrington Parish Council and Nuthurst Parish Council had been arranged for June 2017.  

The local assessment schedule, which contained details of complaints that had been received since March 2017, was noted.  The Committee noted that the schedule would be refreshed on a yearly basis so that it only contained current information.

Members discussed the importance of promoting the Standards Committee’s role to Members of the Council, staff and parish councils.  The Monitoring Officer indicated that a training/information event would be organised for all parish council chairmen and vice-chairmen and further work undertaken with parish clerks at a future clerks’ meeting.

RESOLVED

That the contents of the report be noted.

REASONS

(i)      To ensure that the Committee, the Members of the Council and others to whom the report is circulated are kept up to date with developments in the ethical framework. 

(ii)     To promote and maintain high standards of conduct amongst Members.

Items not on the agenda which the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as urgent because of the special circumstances

There was no urgent business.