Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bright, Colman, Hewett, Irvine, Osborne and Watson. Clive Mailing (Roman Catholic voting representative on the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee) had submitted apologies for absence for the Joint Meeting of Committees.  

Discussion:

The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member), Councillor O’Brien proposed and Councillor Carr supported the nomination of Councillor Kemp to the Office of the Mayor of Medway for the forthcoming municipal year. Councillor Kemp was duly elected.

Councillor Mackness proposed and Councillor Avey supported the nomination of Councillor Maisey to the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Medway for the forthcoming municipal year. Councillor Maisey was duly elected.

The newly elected Mayor made the declaration required by law and signed the declaration of acceptance of office. The Mayor also accepted the ceremonial sword and silver oar as symbols of his office as Constable of Rochester Castle and Admiral of the Water of Medway from Sheerness to Hawkwood respectively.

The newly elected Deputy Mayor made the declaration required by law and signed the declaration of acceptance of office.

The Mayor then addressed the Council and announced that his nominated charities would be Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, Medway Young Carers, Oliver Fisher Special Baby Care Trust, Streetcops Trust and Headway.

Councillor Mackness proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor, supported by Councillor Carr.

The Mayor presented the outgoing Mayor and Consort each with a past mayoral badge and flowers were presented to the retiring Mayor’s Consort and the Deputy Mayor’s Consort. The outgoing Mayor (Councillor Iles) responded to the vote of thanks and highlighted a number of successful events that she took part in during the year. She also stated that approximately £8,000 had been raised for her chosen charities during the year (Demelza Kent, Help for Heroes, Medway Age UK and Caring Hands in the Community).

Decision:

(a)   That Councillor Kemp be elected to the Office of Mayor of Medway for the 2014/2015 municipal year.

(b)   That Councillor Maisey be elected to the Office of Deputy Mayor for the 2014/2015 municipal year.

(c)   That a vote of thanks be given to the Outgoing Mayor. 

The Mayor announced that Reverend Judy Henning had accepted an invitation to act as his Chaplain for the forthcoming year.  

The Mayor informed Members that the remaining business on the agenda would be followed by a short Joint Meeting of Committees.

The Mayor also thanked Heather Baker for arranging the flowers at this meeting.

A member need only disclose at any meeting the existence of a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) in a matter to be considered at that meeting if that DPI has not been entered on the disclosable pecuniary interests register maintained by the Monitoring Officer.

A member disclosing a DPI at a meeting must thereafter notify the Monitoring Officer in writing of that interest within 28 days from the date of disclosure at the meeting.

A member may not participate in a discussion of or vote on any matter in which he or she has a DPI (both those already registered and those disclosed at the meeting) and must withdraw from the room during such discussion/vote.

Members may choose to voluntarily disclose a DPI at a meeting even if it is registered on the council’s register of disclosable pecuniary interests but there is no legal requirement to do so.

Members should also ensure they disclose any other interests which may give rise to a conflict under the council’s code of conduct.

In line with the training provided to members by the Monitoring Officer members will also need to consider bias and pre-determination in certain circumstances and whether they have a conflict of interest or should otherwise leave the room for Code reasons.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

This report advises the Council of the Members of the Cabinet for 2014/2015 as appointed by the Leader of the Council and their portfolios, appointments made by the Leader to outside bodies as set out in Appendix A and the delegation of executive functions to officers agreed by the Leader as set out in Appendix B (which also incorporates the scheme of officer delegations for matters which are not the responsibility of the Cabinet and have to be agreed by the Council).

Discussion:

This report provided details of the Members of the Cabinet for 2014/2015 as appointed by the Leader of the Council, and their Portfolios.

Details of the Cabinet portfolios were tabled at the meeting as Appendix A to the report (Supplementary Agenda No.2). The report also included details of the delegation of executive functions to officers agreed by the Leader as set out in Appendix B to the report. This also incorporated the scheme of officer delegations for matters which were not the responsibility of the Cabinet and were a matter for Council.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Rodney Chambers, supported by the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Deputy Leader, Councillor Jarrett, proposed the recommendations as set out in the report.

Decision:

(a)   The Council noted the details of those appointed by the Leader to serve as Deputy Leader and Members of the Cabinet and the extent of their individual portfolios together with appointment to the Bus Lane Adjudication Service Joint Committee, as set out in Appendix A to the report.

(b)   The Council noted the delegations to officers agreed by the Leader in relation to executive functions and agreed to the delegation of non-executive functions to officers as set out in Appendix B to the report.

This report sets out the position regarding the overall allocation of seats on committees. On 24 April 2014, the Council agreed to make recommendations to this meeting regarding the committees and other bodies to be appointed for 2014/2015 and a programme of meetings.

The Council is also asked to make recommendations to the Joint Meeting of Committees immediately following the Annual Meeting of the Council, in respect of the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of committees and the establishment and membership of Sub-Committees and the Welfare Reform Task Group.

Discussion:

This report provided details of the position regarding the overall allocation of seats on committees and set out a number of recommendations regarding the membership of Committees, Joint Committees and other bodies, and the schedule of meetings for 2014/2015.

The report asked Council to make recommendations to the Joint Meeting of Committees, immediately following the Annual Meeting of the Council, which set out details of the establishment and membership of Sub-Committees and the current Task Group.

Appendices A and B to the report had been circulated to Members in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

The Mayor informed the meeting of two updates to the appendices, namely that in Appendix A Councillor Tolhurst should be listed as a member of the Health and Wellbeing Board instead of Councillor Hicks and in Appendix B Councillor Tolhurst should be appointed to represent the Council on the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, instead of Councillor Mackness.

Decision:

(a)   The Council agreed the establishment of committees, their size and the allocation of seats to political groups as set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report together with terms of reference as set out in the Council’s Constitution.

(b)   The Council agreed the establishment of an ad hoc committee to consider the removal of Council appointed school governors as and when necessary and to waive political balance in respect of this Committee.

(c)   The Council agreed the membership of each committee as set out in Appendix A to the report, including the appointment of voting and non-voting co-optees on Committees, subject to the following change to the membership of Health and Wellbeing Board:

Replace Councillor Hicks with Councillor Tolhurst.

(d)   The Council agreed the appointments to Joint Committees, outside bodies and other bodies as set out in Appendix B to the report, subject to the following change to the appointment to the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority:

Replace Councillor Mackness with Councillor Tolhurst.

(e)   The Council agreed the timetable of meetings for the 2014/2015 municipal year as set out in Appendix C to the report.

(f)     The Council recommended to the Joint Meeting of Committees the appointment of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees as set out in Appendix A to the report.

(g)   The Council recommended to the Joint Meeting of Committees the establishment of Sub Committees (with terms of reference as set out in the Council’s constitution), the Welfare Reform Task Group, their size and the allocation of seats to political groups as set out in Appendix A to the report.

At the conclusion of the Annual Meeting there will be a brief Joint Meeting of Committees.

Joint Meeting of Committees:

Agenda

(1)   Election of Chairman

(2)   Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests

(3)   To appoint Committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen*

(4)   To agree the establishment and membership of Sub- Committees and the Welfare Reform Task Group (as set out in Appendix A of item 8 on the agenda for the Annual Council meeting).

*Excluding the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB), both of whom will be appointed at the first meeting of the HWB on 17 June 2014.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Rodney Chambers, supported by the Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Maple, proposed a vote of thanks to staff.

In making the proposal, the Leader paid tribute to the dedication and commitment of staff, some of whom had embraced changes in their role over the last year or so.

The Leader made particular reference to the continuing high standards of service delivery and outstanding work carried out by many of the Council’s staff.

The Leader also expressed thanks to all those staff who had undertaken a variety of challenges, often on top of their normal working activities to fundraise for good causes including Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Children in Need, the NSPCC, the Bobby Moore Fund, the Saturation Trust, the Wisdom Hospice, Cancer Research UK and Sport Relief to name but a few.

Councillor Maple paid tribute to staff with particular reference to those staff who had passed away during the past year. He also thanked staff who had continued to work tirelessly to deliver services and those who worked for other employers, including Medway Norse, delivering Council services.

Councillor Maple also referred to those Councillors who would be standing down in May 2015 and thanked them for their service to the Council.

The Chief Executive responded on behalf of staff.

Decision:

That a vote of thanks be given to staff.