Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

Decision:

Councillor Mrs Diane Chambers was appointed Chairman for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

To elect a Vice-Chairman for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

Decision:

Councillor Kemp was appointed Vice Chairman for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

During this period, due the Coronavirus pandemic, it was informally agreed between the two political groups to run Medway Council meetings with a reduced number of participants. This was to reduce risk, comply with Government guidance and enable more efficient meetings. Therefore, the apologies given reflects that informal agreement of reduced participants.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Howcroft-Scott, Kemp, Potter, Price and Tranter.

To approve the record of the meeting held on 15 April 2020.

The record of the meeting held on 15 April 2020 was approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were none.

Members are invited to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct.  Guidance on this is set out in agenda item 4.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

This report summarises the content of agenda item 6, which, in the opinion of the proper officer, contains exempt information within one of the categories in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It is a matter for the Committee to determine whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the document. 

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the exempt material relating to agenda item 8 because consideration of this matter in public would disclose information falling within Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as specified in agenda item 7,and, in all the circumstances of the case, the Committee considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information. 

The Committee is requested to consider a complaint relating to Councillor conduct.

Discussion

The Monitoring Officer introduced a report which detailed a complaint received on 6 July 2020 relating to a Medway Councillor. The Committee considered the complaint as detailed in section 2 of the report, along with the full complaint submissions, which were appended to the report.

Decision

The Committee agreed to take no further action in relation to the Medway Councillor, who was the subject of complaint CCC/2020/003, as having completed the Screening Process, the Committee determined that there was no evidence that the Councillor had failed or may have failed to comply with the Council’s Code of Conduct.