Agenda and minutes

Rev. Sally Bayliss, of St. Paul’s Church, Daybrook, gave the opening prayer.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Boot, Fox, Hope, Pepper, Quilty, Spencer and Weisz.

The Mayor welcomed Councillor Lynda Pearson to her first meeting, following her election on 27 March 2014.

The Mayor reported that since the last meeting of Council he had attended 64 civic engagements and had enjoyed meeting a variety of people who make a vital commitment to the community. The Mayor also reported that he had attended almost all of the sheltered housing schemes in the Borough to meet with residents and staff.

Since the last meeting of Council, the Mayor reported that his Civic Dinner had taken place with great success, being attended by over 120 people. An evening at the Banyan Tree, which former Mayor Dr. Raj Chandran had helped to organise, had raised over £1300 for the Mayor’s charity and the Mayor expressed hope for similar success at a future event due to be held at the San Marino Restaurant.

The Mayor paid tribute to former Councillor Gordon Tunnicliffe, who had recently resigned his seat on health grounds. A number of Councillors paid tribute to Gordon, who had served on the Council for 19 years, praising his work in the community, particularly with the Scouts and Gedling Youth Club, and his gentlemanly demeanour.  

The Mayor invited Councillor John Clarke to speak. Councillor Clarke announced Councillor Payne’s selection as the Labour Party’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Newark and congratulated him on his achievement.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

It was moved, and duly seconded, that that the order of business be varied and Item 9 (Renewal of Integrated Payroll and Human Resources System Contract) shall be considered at the end of the agenda after Item 14 (To consider comments, of which due notice has been given, under Standing Order 11.03(a)).

RESOLVED:

To vary the order of business, to consider Item 9 at the end of the agenda, following an exclusion of the press and public.

None.

None received.

None received.

Report of the Corporate Director (Paula Darlington).

Consideration was given to a report of the Corporate Director, which had been circulated prior to the meeting, requesting a waiver of Contract Standing Orders to enable the Council to enter into a new contract to upgrade the current leisure management software in the 5 leisure centres.

RESOLVED:

To waive Standing Orders to enable a new contract to be entered into with Omnico.

Consideration was given to a report of the Council Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, which had been adjourned without discussion at the meeting of Council on 3 March 2014, seeking  approval for an addition to the Procedural Standing Orders in the Constitution to comply with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

RESOLVED:

1.  To approve the adoption of the Standing Order requiring that votes at key budget decision meetings are recorded as set out in the report; and

2.  To authorise the Council Solicitor and Monitoring Officer to make the appropriate amendments to the Constitution to incorporate the Standing Order.

Report of the Service Manager Elections and Members’ Services.

Consideration was given to a report of the Service Manager Elections and Members’ Services which had been circulated prior to the meeting, seeking approval for an amendment to the Constitution which will permit substitutions at some Committees and Sub-Committees.

Councillor David Ellis proposed the motion with the following amendments to the text:

1)    In paragraph 31.1 of the proposed new standing order to insert the words “rounded up” so that the first sentence shall read ”For each of the standing committees and sub-committees for the Council there shall be appointed a pool of members not greater than one quarter (rounded up) of the total number of members allocated to each of the duly constituted political groups on that committee who will be permitted to attend that Committee or Sub-Committee as a substitute in accordance with this Standing Order.

2)    To insert the word “a” into paragraph 31.3 so that it reads “A substitute member shall not be permitted to attend a meeting of the Planning Committee, Environment and Licensing Committee or Licensing Act Committee unless (s)he has previously received appropriate training to the satisfaction of the Council Solicitor and Monitoring Officer.

3)    To insert the word “automatically” into paragraph 31.5 so that it reads “If the original member of the Committee or Sub-Committee is the Chair or Vice-Chair of that Committee or Sub-Committee the substitute member shall not be automatically entitled to act in that office”. 

RESOLVED:

That the matter stand adjourned without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of the Council.

Report of the Service Manager Elections and Members’ Services.

Consideration was given to a report of the Service Manager, Elections and Members’ Services, which has been circulated prior to the meeting, seeking approval of changes to representation on committees.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Councillor Lynda Pearson be added to the membership of the Planning Committee; and

2.    That Councillor Hollingsworth is replaced by Councillor Gregory on the Environment and Licensing Committee and the Licensing Act Committee.

None received.

In accordance with Standing Order 11.01, a number of comments were made and responded to by the appropriate Cabinet Member or Committee Chair.

It was moved, and duly seconded, that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the ensuing report on the grounds that the report contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:

That, the Members being satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the ensuing reports on the grounds that the report involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Report of Service Manager for Finance.

Consideration was given to a report of the Corporate Director and Chief Financial Officer, which had been circulated prior to the meeting, requesting a waiver of Contract Standing Orders to enable the Council to enter into a new contract for the integrated Payroll and Human Resources (HR) system.

RESOLVED:

To waive Standing Orders to enable a new contract to be entered into with the current supplier of the Payroll and HR system.