57.
MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the
Minutes of the meeting held on 27 October
2004 be confirmed.
58.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of interest received at this stage.
59.
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Questions were
put to the Chairman as follows :
Mr Hague on behalf
of Mrs Bloomfield regarding Rew Street, Gurnard (PQ38/04)
Mr J Wortham
ask a verbal question regarding recent staff vacancies with a supplementary
question on savings that were proposed to be achieved following the move to a
unitary Council. In the absence of the
Resources Portfolio Holder, the Leader offered to supply a written response.
60. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The Chairman updated Members on her recent Civic
activities that she had attended in the last month.
The Chairman requested a limited agenda
of business for the next Full Council meeting on the 8 December 2004, in order
to have a full debate on adopting the Licensing Policy and to receive a short
report on the possible dewarding of Seaview and Nettlestone Parish Council. At the Chairman’s request Members agreed to
the limited agenda and not to receive reports from the Portfolio Holders.
61.
CUSTOMER SERVICES CHARTER STANDARDS
The Strategic Director of Adult and
Community Services gave a presentation on the Customer Service Charter and
Standards.
Following the presentation, The Deputy
Leader moved a motion for debate.
The motion was seconded and a debate took
place.
Following the debate it was:
RESOLVED :
THAT this Council, in being determined to
deliver Great Access to Great Services:
(i)
Recognises that the Customer Service Charter as adopted by the
Executive, setting out the commitments of both the Council and the customer, is
essential;
(ii)
Recognises that to be excellent, standards of customer service need to
be high and to be challenging; and
(iii)
Will support both staff and Members to deliver the standards of customer
service now expected
62.
MOTION SUBMITTED UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 11 BY MR A SUTTON
The Council considered the following motion
from Mr A Sutton:
“In view of the overwhelming rejection of an
elected assembly for the North East England Region, this Council calls
for the abolition of SEERA, the unelected assembly for South East
England, which makes major planning and other decisions which affect the Isle
of Wight. This action would enable the
return of important decisions to locally elected members who are closer to
understanding local issues.”
The motion was seconded and
a debate followed, upon voting the motion was lost.
63.
PETITION FOR MAYORAL REFERENDUM
The Council considered the
report and update from the Chief Executive Officer on the recent petition for a
Mayoral Referendum.
Following consideration, The Leader after
receiving the updated report, moved the following motion for debate:
“This Council recognises:
1.
the high level of public interest in the debate about the advantages and
disadvantages of and elected mayor and cabinet form of Executive.
2.
that over 5,000 voters on the electoral role have signed a petition
calling for a referendum, even though the regrettable lack of flexibility in
the law prevented many of those name from counting towards the validity of the
petition.
And therefore resolves to:
(i)
Adopt the petition
presented on 18 November as the statutory consultation exercise required before
changes to the form of executive can be proposed
(ii)
Draw up proposals for a
proposed change to a mayor and executive form of executive for submission to
the Secretary of State, and
(iii)
To hold a referendum on
those proposals, to be held within the next 6 months
(iv)
To determine at the
January meeting of full council, the detail of the proposal to be sent to the
Secretary of State and arrangements for the referendum.”
A motion to amend the recommendation was
moved and seconded, upon voting the amendment was lost.
Following the debate on the
substantive motion it was:
RESOLVED :
THAT this Council
(i) Adopt the petition presented on 18 November as the statutory
consultation exercise required before changes to the form of executive can be
proposed
(ii) Draw up proposals for a proposed change to a
mayor and executive form of executive for submission to the Secretary of State,
and
(iii) To hold a
referendum on those proposals, to be held within the next 6 months
(iv)
To determine at the
January meeting of full council, the detail of the proposal to be sent to the
Secretary of State and arrangements for the referendum.
62.
POLITICAL PROPORTIONALITY
The Council considered a report submitted by the Chief
Executive Officer regard the allocation of seats to political groups following
the result of the Cowes Central by election.
A motion was proposed and seconded to recommend option
2 (a) of the report, a debate followed where an amendment was proposed but
failed to be seconded and was withdrawn.
A subsequent amendment was then proposed and seconded, it was:
RESOLVED :
THAT this item be deferred to the next Full Council
meeting on 8, December 2004.
63.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE
During the debate of the
item below, Mr R G Mazillius declared a personal interest, as a member of his
family is Director of a firm of architects.
Consideration was given to
the recommendations of the Standards Committee, relating to the Code of
Practice for Members and Officers dealing with Development Control
Matters.
It was:
RESOLVED :
THAT, allowing for
amendments of typographical errors, the draft Code of Practice for Councillors
and Officers dealing with Development Control Matters as set out at Appendix A
to the recommendation from the Standards Committee be adopted.
64.
REPORT OF
THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL ON MEMBERS ALLOWANCES
Members gave consideration to
the report from the Independent Remuneration Panel. The recommendations of the Panel were moved and seconded. The Leader read out a letter on behalf of
the Chairman of the Licensing Committee regarding the Special Responsibility
Allowances (SRA) for Committee Members.
During the debate the original
mover and seconder accepted changes to their motion as follows:
(i)
to extend the
category of approved duties for the payment of travel and subsistence to
include meetings at County Hall when attended at the request of other officers;
(ii)
that the scheme
be backdated to 1 April 2004; and
(iii)
that in the
future the Remuneration Panel be asked to look at the Green Travel Policy and
its effects on members travel, mobile phones and homeworking and the true cost
benefit of the current claim arrangements compared to an annual lump sum.
Following further debate it was:
RESOLVED :
a)
That the principle of
Travel and Subsistence being paid on the basis of monthly claims (as at
present) remains.
b)
That the schedule of
Approved Duties for which Members can claim Travel and Subsistence be
modernised as set out at Appendix A and be effective as from 1, April 2004.
c)
That it be explicitly
stated in the scheme that Travel and Subsistence cannot be claimed for any
Constituency Work.
d)
That the recommendation
contained on the last report of the Panel with regard to the SRA payable to the
Chairman of the Licensing Committee remains unaltered.
e)
That no SRA be paid to
ordinary members of the Licensing Committee.
f)
That the Council’s
scheme be amended requiring that any mainland travel should be at the lowest
reasonable cost to the authority – bearing in mind the overall efficiency of
the Council.
g)
That in the future the
Remuneration Panel be asked to look at the Green Travel Policy and its effects
on members travel, mobile phones and homeworking and the true cost benefit of
the current claim arrangements compared to an annual lump sum.
65.
EXECUTIVE
a)
Reports of the Portfolio Holders
Owning to the long duration of the meeting, it was
requested that the reports of the Portfolio Holders be moved on block, as the
majority had circulated written updates and that no Member questions had been
received. Members agreed this, the
Portfolio holder for Sustainable Development, Environment and Planning Policy, requested that she could give a short update, which
was agreed.
i)
Sustainable Development, Environment and Planning Policy
The Portfolio Holder updated Members on the
recent Best Value inspection results that had been received regarding the
Councils Planning Department. The
Inspectors rated the department as “Fair, with promising prospects.”
The Portfolio Holder then answered an oral
question on staff resources of the Planning Enforcement team and on Enforcement
issues.
The meeting closed at 2.05 pm
CHAIRMAN
Appendix A
SCHEDULE
II
MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES
APPROVED
DUTIES FOR THE PAYMENT OF TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES
a)
Attendance at a meeting
of the Council.
b)
Attendance at a meeting
of the Executive, or any Committee, Sub Committee, Panel, Working Party or Task
Group of the Council (regardless of whether actually a member (or deputy) of
that body).
c)
Attendance (as the duly
appointed or nominated member), at any other body to which the Council appoints
or nominates a member, or any Committee or Sub Committee of such a body. (Other
than where the body itself pays or attendance and travel).
d)
Site visits or
inspections by the Executive, or any Committee, Sub Committee, Panel, Working Party
or Task Group when acting as such a body (regardless of whether actually a
member (or deputy) of that body).
e)
Training and any other
development activities as and when approved by the Council in accordance with
the scheme for approval of attendance at such event or where specifically
invited by the Leader or Chairman of a Committee or an officer.
f)
Attendance at briefings
for the Executive, Committees or Sub Committees were such briefings have been
prior arranged.
g)
Conferences organised by
other bodies where such attendance has been approved under the scheme for the
approval at conferences and seminars or the Executive or relevant Committee has
approved attendance.
h)
Meetings with Government
Departments and nationalised bodies as Portfolio Holder or when deputed by the
Executive or a Committee.
i)
Pre-agenda meetings
(Chairman of the Council, Vice Chairman
of the Council, Leader, Deputy Leader, Chairman and Vice Chairman of Committees
only)
j)
Briefings for the
Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council, Leader and Deputy Leader and for the
Chairman and Vice Chairman of Committees.
k)
Attendance at Council
offices by Members at the request of Directors/Heads of Service or other
Officers.
l)
The performance of any
duty in connection with the discharge of any function of the authority
conferred by or under any enactment and empowering or requiring the authority
to inspect or authorise the inspection of premises.
m)
Where attendance is
required at County Hall in connection with the opening of tender documents in
accordance with Contract Standing Orders.
n)
Attendance at civic
functions or on civic duties by the Chairman of the Council or by the Vice or
Deputy Chairman at the request of the Chairman if transport has not been
provided by the Civic Office.
o)
The above scheme be
backdated to 1, April 2004.
