From May 2011, the Council has operated under the strong leader model. Councillor Bick was therefore appointed in May 2012 for the remainder of his term of office and is responsible for determining the size of the Executive and areas of responsibility, and for allocating decision-making powers.

The Civic Affairs Committee is asked to note the appointments of Executive Councillors and any changes to portfolios.

The Committee noted the following councillor appointments and changes to Executive Councillor portfolio responsibilities made by the Leader of the Council:

In addition to the Leader’s portfolio covering Strategy, there were no changes to the following portfolios/personnel:

Executive Councillor for Environmental & Waste Services: Councillor Swanson

Executive Councillor for Housing: Councillor Smart (and Deputy Leader of the Council)

Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate Change: Councillor Ward

The committee requested that the Leader provide a commentary to explain the changes made for the Annual Meeting of the Council.

Council is recommended

i) To amend the terms of reference of scrutiny committees to reflect the changes to portfolios made by the Leader of the Council and to make Environment Scrutiny Committee responsible for scrutiny of the Public Places portfolio.

ii) To authorise the Head of Legal Services to update the Constitution to reflect the changes to portfolios and the recommended change to the terms of reference of scrutiny committees.

The rules on political balance set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 will be applied to both scrutiny and regulatory committee composition so that, once the size of committees has been determined, the division of seats among the political groups on the Council will be automatic and the Council must appoint those members which each political group puts forward for its seats.

In considering the allocation of committee places to political groups, the Council is legally required to take into account the following principles:

(1)    That the controlling group should have a majority of seats on each committee

(2)    That the total number of committee places allocated to each political group must be in proportion to the number of members of that group on the Council.

(3)    That on each committee the number of places allocated to each political group must be in proportion to the number of members of that group on the Council.

The order of precedence of these principles is the order in which they are given - i.e. (1) takes highest priority, then (2) then (3).

The Civic Affairs Committee is requested to make nominations for the positions listed below for the consideration of Council on 23 May.

Scrutiny Committees

•         Strategy & Resources

•         Community Services

•         Environment

•         Housing Management Board (for either role the holder need

         not be a Councillor)

Regulatory Committees

•         Civic Affairs

•         Employment Appeals Sub

•         Licensing

•         Planning

•         Joint Development Control Committee (Spokesperson)

Any former member who had given a long period of service to the City Council should be eligible for appointment as an Honorary Councillor under the following scheme.

1.              No person shall be eligible normally for election as an Honorary Councillor unless s/he has served as a Councillor at least 10 years (or a person who has been Mayor, for 8 years) whether continuously or not.

2.              Application for election as an Honorary Councillor shall be made either by the applicant him/herself or by some member of the Council on his/her behalf.  Such application shall be submitted to the Chief Executive for consideration by the Civic Affairs Committee of the Council.  It shall be in the discretion of the Civic Affairs Committee to make or withhold a recommendation to the Council.  The names of those applicants who are not recommended by the Civic Affairs Committee shall not be recorded in the report of that Committee to the Council.

3.              Election to the position of Honorary Councillor shall be by a resolution of the Council passed on the recommendation of the Civic Affairs Committee by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting thereon at a meeting of the Council, the summons to which contains special notice that included in the business to be transacted is the election of an Honorary Councillor.

4.              An Honorary Councillor shall be entitled to the following rights and privileges –

a)             In civic processions, Honorary Councillors shall take precedence immediately after serving Councillors and shall have precedence amongst themselves according to the number of years service on the Council.

b)             On request to receive a copy of the Council summons, together with Council and Committee minutes.

c)              At each meeting of the Council to have a seat in a block reserved for the use of Honorary Councillors.

d)             The use, in common with members of the Council, of the Members’ Rooms in the Guildhall.

e)             To be invited, where circumstances permit, to those civic functions to which all members of the Council are invited.

f)               To receive a copy of the Diary and Year Book issued by the Council.

g)             On death, to have a flag flown above the Guildhall at half-mast.

The Committee considered a report from the Head of Human Resources recommending the establishment of an Employment (Senior Officer) Committee to deal with the employment matters of the Chief Executive, Directors, section 151 officer and Monitoring Officer.

Council is recommended–

To establish an Employment (Senior Officer) Committee with the terms of reference set out below and that the Constitution is amended accordingly.  

Note: The committee will be governed by the provisions contained within Part 4I of the Constitution (Officer Employment Procedure Rules)

The committee placed on record its appreciation of the Chair during his years of service in the role.