Meeting documents

 

 

 

 

DRAFT Minutes

of the Meeting of the

Standards Sub-Committee

Monday, 26th November 2018

held at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare.

 

Meeting Commenced: 10.00am Meeting Concluded: 11.35am

 

Councillors:

 

P Ruth Jacobs	P Dawn Payne
P James Tonkin

 

 

P: Present

A: Apologies for absence submitted

 

Also present (co-opted, non-voting): Nick Carter-Brown (Independent Lay Person), Liz Frappell (Independent Town Councillor)

 

Officers in attendance: Julia Parkes (Corporate Services), Sara Saunders; Solicitor (Corporate Services)

 

SSC 7

Election of Chairman for the Meeting (Agenda item1)

Resolved: that Councillor James Tonkin be elected Chairman for the meeting

 

(Councillor Tonkin in the Chair)

 

SSC 8

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (Standing Order 37) (Agenda Item 3)

None

 

SSC 9

Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 August 2018 (Agenda Item 4)

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

 

SSC 10

Exclusion of Press and Public

Resolved: that the press, public and officers not required to remain during the exempt session by the members or officers advising, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that its consideration will involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 100I of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Item Reason for Exemption

 

Minute no. SSC11, SSC12

and SSC 13 Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

 

SSC 11

Complaint against a Town Councillor (07/2018) (Agenda Item 5)

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint received from a Town Councillor regarding another Town Councillor, stating that he had breached the Weston-super-Mare Town Council Code of Conduct applicable to Town Councillors.

 

The Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the complaint.

 

The Sub-Committee considered the complaint, together with the response from the Councillor concerned and received the views of the Independent Lay Person and Independent Town Councillor.

 

In considering the key issues, the Sub-Committee concluded that the Councillors actions had breached Weston-super-Mare Town Councils Code of Conduct, in particular 4.10 and 4.11.

 

Resolved: that

 

(1) the Councillor will be directed to offer an apology at the next Town Council meeting; and

 

(2) the Deputy Monitoring Officer write to the Councillor and the complainant advising of the decision.

 

SSC 12

Complaint against a Parish Councillor (10/2018) (Agenda Item 6)

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint received from two members of the public regarding a Parish Councillor, stating that she had breached the Long Ashton Parish Council Code of Conduct applicable to Parish Councillors.

 

The Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the complaint.

 

The Sub-Committee considered the complaint, together with the response from the Councillor concerned and received the views of the Independent Lay Person and Independent Town Councillor.

 

In considering the key issues, the Sub-Committee concluded that the Councillors actions had not breached the Long Ashton Parish Code of Conduct.

 

Resolved:

 

(1) that the Sub-Committee finds that the Councillors conduct did not breach the Code of Conduct and no further action is needed; and

 

(2) that the Deputy Monitoring Officer write to the Councillor and complainant giving reasons for the decision.

 

The Independent Parish Councillor left the meeting.

 

SSC 13

Complaint against a North Somerset Councillor (08/2018) (Agenda Item 7)

 

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint received from a member of the public regarding a North Somerset Councillor stating that he had breached the North Somerset Council Code of Conduct applicable to councillors.

 

The Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the complaint.

The Sub-Committee considered the complaint, together with the response from the Councillor concerned and received the views of the Independent Lay Person.

 

In considering the key issues, the Sub-Committee concluded that the Councillors actions had breached the Code of Conduct, in particular; to be as open as possible about decisions and actions and the decisions and actions of the authority and should be prepared to give reasons for those decisions and actions. In order to prevent breaches of this nature in the future, it was agreed that this matter would be addressed as part of the future planned training for Members.

 

Resolved: that the Deputy Monitoring Officer write to the Councillor and the complainant advising of the decision.

 

 

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Chairman

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