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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Karen Strahan 01392 382264  Email: karen.strahan@devon.gov.uk

Note: This will be a virtual meeting - to view it as a live stream, please copy and paste the link into your browser - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjVmYTliODYtZjJlNC00YjQ5LThmMGEtMTU4YTcxNDdiNmUz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228da13783-cb68-443f-bb4b-997f77fd5bfb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b0735e0e-6faa-4f6a-91bb-917fd50284ca%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a 

Items
Note No. Item

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6.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2021.

Decision:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2021 be signed as a correct record.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Hughes, and

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2021 be signed as a correct record.

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7.

Items requiring urgent attention

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

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8.

Draft Calendar of Meetings for 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 863 KB

Draft calendar of meetings for 2022/2023, attached.

Decision:

RESOLVED that the draft Calendar for 2022/2023 be approved for publication, subject to the checking of the dates for the conferences outlined above.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the draft calendar of meetings for 2022/23 prepared in line with the pattern of previous years, known determinants and relevant factors.

 

The Committee noted that Scrutiny masterclasses had now been included in the calendar and that the Corporate Parenting Forum would take place twice per year, but on a different day to the full Council meeting and the additional bank holiday in June was also recognised for the Platinum Jubilee.

 

Members also discussed the potential dates for the Local Government Association Conference, the National Children and Adults Services Conferences and the revised date for the 2022 Devon County Show.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hannaford, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

 

RESOLVED that the draft Calendar for 2022/2023 be approved for publication, subject to the checking of the dates for the conferences outlined above.

9.

Removal of Title Honorary Alderman

Members are asked to consider whether the Council requires a mechanism by which it could withdraw / remove the title of Honorary Alderman from any person it has been previously awarded to.

 

Under section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 - Local Government Act 1972 (legislation.gov.uk), the Council is able to confer the title of honorary alderman on “persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services to the council as past members”.

 

Many Local Authorities have a protocol that covers issues such as the appointment, conferment, privileges and removal of the title.

 

If the Committee was minded to have a safeguard in place, it could be done reasonably simply with an amendment to the articles in the Constitution on the role of the Full Council to enable it to vote on a proposal to remove the title from an individual.

 

Suggested wording could be:

 

There may be occasions where, due to the past or future behaviour of individuals who have been appointed as Honorary Aldermen, the Council may wish to remove the title of Honorary Alderman from an individual. This decision will be taken by full Council following a report from the Chief Executive/Monitoring Officer to the Procedures Committee. Two-thirds of those present at Council must vote to pass the resolution.

Decision:

RESOLVED that the Constitution be amended to incorporate the following words.

 

There may be occasions where, due to the conduct of individuals who have been appointed as Honorary Aldermen, the Council may wish to remove the title of Honorary Alderman from an individual. This decision will be taken by full Council following a report from the Chief Executive/Monitoring Officer to the Procedures Committee. A simple majority of those present at Council must vote to pass the resolution.

Minutes:

The Committee had been asked to consider whether the Council required a mechanism by which it could withdraw / remove the title of Honorary Alderman from any person it had been previously awarded to.

 

Under section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 - Local Government Act 1972 (legislation.gov.uk), the Council was able to confer the title of honorary alderman on “persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services to the Council as past members”.

 

Many Local Authorities had a protocol that covered issues such as the appointment, conferment, privileges and removal of the title.

 

The Committee was asked to consider if it wished to have such a safeguard in place. If so, this could be achieved with a small amendment to the articles in the Constitution on the role of the Full Council to enable it to vote on a proposal to remove the title from an individual.

 

A suggested form of words had been included on the agenda.

 

Members discussed the wording and suggested removal of the words ‘past and future’ and replace the word ‘behaviour’ with the word ‘conduct’. Members also favoured a majority vote rather than two thirds.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Connett, SECONDED by Councillor Hart and

 

RESOLVED that the Constitution be amended to incorporate the following words.

 

There may be occasions where, due to the conduct of individuals who have been appointed as Honorary Aldermen, the Council may wish to remove the title of Honorary Alderman from an individual. This decision will be taken by full Council following a report from the Chief Executive/Monitoring Officer to the Procedures Committee. A simple majority of those present at Council must vote to pass the resolution.


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