| 833 | RECORD OF THE MEETING |
| | | The record of the meeting held on 10 December 2009 was signed by the Chairman as correct subject to the removal of the word "a" in the second paragraph in minute 532. |
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| 834 | APPOINTMENT OF NEW INDEPENDENT MEMBERS |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer introduced a report that informed Members that in line with guidance from the Standards Board Independent members should not be appointed (or reappointed) for more than an eight year period. It was noted that the current Chairman and Vice-Chairman had now served in excess of eight years and so would now be standing down this municipal year.
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| In order to make the appointment of Independent Members a smoother process the Monitoring Officer asked members to recommend to Full Council that she be authorised to recruit Independent Members of the Standards Committee as vacancies arise and then report the names to Full Council to make the formal appointment.
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| Members extended their thanks to both Mike Coulson and Alan Povey for all their hard work over the past 9 years. |
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| | > Appointment of New Independent Members (pdf file 99.3kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | | (1) | The Committee agreed to ask Full Council to authorise the Assistant Director (Housing & Corporate Services) to recruit Independent Members of the Standards Committee as vacancies arise and then report the names back to Full Council for formal appointment.
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| | (2) | The Committee agreed that the two Independent Members that were due to stand down remain as Members of the Standards Committee until their replacements have been appointed. |
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| 835 | ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MONITORING OFFICER |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer introduced the Monitoring Officers Annual Report to the Standards Committee for the period May 2008 to March 2009. It was noted that the report gave members an update on Member conduct issues, and the work of the Standards Committee and the Monitoring Officer.
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| It was noted that it was intended in the future to publish the resister of Members' interests be published on the Council's website and that additional training on the Code of Conduct be offered to Members in the future.
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| Members were concerned over the length of time that the Standards Board for England had taken in replying to a request for clarification in respect of a complaint relating to a Member and asked the Chairman to write to the Chairman of the Standards Board for England complaining over the length of time the Standards Board has taken to respond to this query.
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| Members were unsure of the new role of the Standards Board for England and asked if one of their representatives could be invited to meet with Members in the future to discuss this with them. |
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| | > Annual Report of the Monitoring Officer (pdf file 103.3kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee agreed that:
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| | (i) | The register of Members' interests be published on the Council's website.
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| | (ii) | That additional training on the Code of Conduct be offered to Members.
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| | (iii) | That the Chairman writes to the Chairman of the Standards Board for England complaining about the length of time they have taken in replying to a request for advice relating to an outstanding complaint about a Member and he requests that he invites a representative of the Standards Board for England to meet with members in order to discuss the their new role. |
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