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Venue: Committee Room 1 & 2, The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ. View directions
Contact: Sarah Steed Committee Manager
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies were received from Rob Bennett (Deputy Independent Person). |
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Declarations of Interest Members
are asked to declare at this stage any interests that they may have in any of
the following items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not
they should declare an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to
seek advice from the Head of Legal Services before the meeting.
Minutes: No declarations were made. |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting PDF 218 KB To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2016. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on the 17 February 2016 were approved and signed as a correct record. |
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Public Questions Minutes: There were no public questions. |
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Constitutional Changes The Committee will consider any updates (if required) following the elections on 5 May. Report to follow week commencing 9 May 2016 (if required). Minutes: The Committee noted the Leaders approval of the following
Councillors to the Executive and noted the revisions made to the Executive Councillor
Portfolios. The Opposition Spokes were noted.
Changes to Executive
Councillor Responsibilities The Leader of the Council made the following changes to portfolios for
2016/17. 1)
From
Executive Councillor for Strategy & Transformation (Leader of the Council)
to Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources: The development, implementation and
monitoring of the Council’s plans, policies and strategies relating to: ·
corporate implementation of improvements and efficiency reviews within
the City Council, and the development and monitoring of core performance
indicators and targets The
exercise of the Council’s functions and the delivery of services including ·
Business Transformation – internal service reviews The development, implementation
and monitoring of the Council’s plans, policies and strategies relating to: ·
Corporate and support services under “Functions and Services” below. ·
Procurement (at a strategic level - oversight of individual procurement
exercises will remain with the portfolio-holder for the relevant service area). Corporate and Other Services ·
·
Council strategy to expand trading activities and additional income
generation opportunities, including responsibility for those which do not fall
within the remit of another Executive Councillor. Customer Services and ICT ·
Delivery
of quality customer services and the customer access centre ·
Corporate
telephony and IT systems to support joined up customer service delivery. ·
The [also clarification of the Leader’s
responsibilities for transformation. Now
reads: ·
Leading Business Transformation, working with the Executive Councillor
for Finance and Resources; specific responsibility for leading
externally-facing shared services, trusts, service reviews and joint projects
involving other councils and organisations or which involve the
responsibilities of more than one other Executive Councillor] [also minor heading changes e.g. “Customer Services” under Exec Cllr for
Finance and Resources clarified to “Customer Services and ICT”; and addition of
discrete heading to cover “Trading Services” – actual wording, transferred from
Leader’s portfolio, remains unchanged] 2)
From
Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources to the Executive Councillor
for Communities ·
The Sharing Prosperity
Fund and the Anti-Poverty Strategy, including the powers and duties of the
Council in respect of issues of welfare, disadvantage and provision of
opportunities for individuals and communities in the City, including provision
of advice relating to citizens’ legal rights and responsibilities, welfare
benefits, money advice, employment and immigration. 3)
From
the Executive Councillor for City Centre & Public Places to the Executive
Councillor for Housing (as a Deputy Leader function) ·
Council communications
and consultation strategy and delivery, including the Council’s website. 4)
From
the Executive Councillor for City Centre & Public Places to the Executive
Councillor for Environment & Waste The exercise of the Council’s functions and the
delivery of services including ·
Policy and management of moorings Resolved (unanimously): i.
To note the changes to the Executive portfolios.
(A clean set of the Executive portfolios is attached for information). |
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Nomination For Committees For The Municipal Year 2016/17 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). Minutes: The Committee
considered a paper setting out the proposed Committee allocations by party and
the nominations received. The Committee considered the rules on political
balance set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in developing the
recommendations set out below. The Committee noted the nominations. Resolved
(unanimously) to: i.
Recommend to Council to agree the number and
size of committees and to note the nominations listed below. SCRUTINY COMMITTEES
REGULATORY COMMITTEES *Council will need to
agree a departure from proportionality rules
OTHER COMMITTEES
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Nominations For Chairs And Vice Chairs of Scrutiny & Regulatory Committees The
Civic Affairs Committee is requested to make nominations for the positions
listed below for the consideration of Council on 26 May. Scrutiny
Committees ·
Strategy & Resources ·
Community Services ·
Environment ·
Housing Scrutiny (Chair is a Councillor, the Vice Chair
is a tenant/leaseholder) Regulatory
Committees ·
Civic Affairs ·
Employment Appeals Sub ·
Licensing ·
Planning ·
Joint Development Control Committee (Spokesperson) Minutes: The Committee received nominations for Chairs and Vice
Chairs of Scrutiny and Regulatory Committees. It was noted that there were 2
nominations for Vice-Chair of Licensing Committee. Resolved (unanimously)
to:
i.
Agree the nominations for Chairs and Vice Chairs
of Scrutiny and Regulatory Committees as below:
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Nominations for Honorary Councillors The Committee will consider any nominations
if put. The requirements to be satisfied are set out below: 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. Minutes: Resolved: (unanimously) to recommend to Council the appointment of the
following former Councillors as Honorary Councillors. · Catherine Smart · Sian Reid |
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Independent Person and Deputy Council is requested to confirm the appointment of Mr Sean Brady as the Council’s Independent Person and Mr Robert Bennett as the Council’s Deputy Independent Person for the Municipal Year 2016/17. Minutes: Resolved (unanimously) to:
i.
Recommend that Council confirm the appointment of Mr Sean Brady as the Council’s Independent Person and Mr
Robert Bennett as the Council’s Deputy Independent Person. |