Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Vice-Chairman for the Municipal Year 2011/12.

Resolved:

That Tony James be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee for the 2011/12 Municipal Year.

Minutes of meeting held on 20^th January 2011 (previously circulated). 

With regard to minute 21, the Monitoring Officer reported that the Standards Dispensations Sub-Committee met on 15^th June 2011, and approved a request for dispensations for parish councillors Margaret Davy, Glyn Harmer, Andrew Robinson, and Diane Smith of Yealand Redmayne, to speak and vote on matters relating to the Klargester drainage system.  These renewed the dispensations previously granted.

The dispensations would be effective until the parish council elections of 2015.

In addition, it was noted that the Monitoring Officer had circulated a note to Parish Council clerks which reminded their Members of the duty to uphold the current Code of Conduct.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the previous meeting be approved as a correct record.

No items of urgent business were authorised by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

Report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Monitoring Officer gave an update on the progress of the Localism Bill, reporting that the Bill was progressing through Parliament and was expected to be enacted toward the end of the calendar year.  However, it was noted that amendments were expected to be made at the third reading stage in the House of Lords.

It was noted that the future of the standards regime remained uncertain, and that the Monitoring Officer would produce an update for members when further information was available.

Resolved:

1.         That the Monitoring Officer would email members of the Committee when a substantive update on the future of the standards regime was available;

2.         That the Monitoring Officer would call a further meeting of the Standards Committee, should it be required to make recommendations to Council on a future standards regime for the district.

Report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Monitoring Officer introduced a summary of complaints that had been received since the previous meeting and reported that of the five, one was ongoing.

Members registered concern that two more cases had been received about members of Morecambe Town Council, and there was agreement that the nature of the complaints were not symptomatic of an effective public body.  However, it was noted that the organisation had improved its procedural and administrative practices following the appointment of a new town clerk earlier in the year.

The Monitoring Officer reported that, in connection with complaint 4/11, she was due to meet the Town Clerk and Chairman of Morecambe Town Council once a new chairman had been appointed on the 20^th October, and would prepare an update report for the next meeting.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to all members who had given up their time to support the Standards Committee sub-committees, which had assessed the complaints under discussion.  Frank Senior was thanked for undertaking a particularly high volume of sub-committee work since the previous meeting in January 2011.

Resolved:

1.         That members noted the contents of the report and, in connection with complaint 4/11, the Monitoring Officer would meet with the Town Clerk and Chairman of Morecambe Town Council, once appointed, and prepare an update report on Morecambe Town Council for the next meeting;

2.         That thanks be expressed to all members, and in particular Frank Senior, for their hard work on the Standards Committee’s sub-committees over the course of the year.