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Issue - meetings

Programme of Meetings 2024/25

 

 

Meeting: 22/11/2023 - Council (Item 76)

76 Programme of Meetings 2024/25 pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Purpose

To set a programme of Council and Committee meetings for 2024/25.

 

Recommendations

1.    Agree the programme of meetings from June 2024 to May 2025 as set out in Annexes A and B.

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Governance and Development (Monitoring Officer), in consultation with Group Leaders, to make changes to the programme of meetings in the event that there is any future decision of Council to change the committee structure or committee remits that impacts the programme of meetings.

3.    Delegate authority to the Democratic Services Business Manager to set the meeting dates for the Performance and Appointments Committee.

4.    Delegate Authority to the Director of Governance and Development (Monitoring Officer) to set dates for member training and briefing sessions, any working groups established by the Council and any meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committee (Licensing Act 2003 Matters) and the Standards Hearings Sub-Committee (if required).

5.    Agree that, subject to any alternative proposals Council considers and agrees, meeting start times will be rolled forwards from 2023/24.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to set a programme of Council and Committee meetings for 2024/25.

 

The Leader, Councillor Joe Harris introduced this item to Full Council as the proposer of the recommendations.

 

It was outlined that the Programme of Meetings would never be ideal for all councillor preferences, but that the programme would be a compromise for all.

 

The Leader noted that previously the Council like Gloucestershire County Council had held morning meetings but that this was not seen as best practice.

 

It was noted that many Members have employment and childcare commitments which evening meetings suit better.

 

The Leader in proposing this item also proposed the following amendment by the Liberal Democrat Group to the recommendations:

 

5. Agree that, subject to any alternative proposals Council considers and agrees, meeting start times will be rolled forwards from 2023/24. meeting start times as shown in Section 4.1 of the report except for meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny and Audit and Governance Committees which will start at 4pm.

 

6. Change the start time for meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Audit and Governance Committee to 4pm with effect from their meetings in January 2024

 

Upon doing so, Councillor Twells raised a Point of Order in regards to the proposing of the original recommendations and the amended recommendations at the same time. The Director of Governance ruled that the original recommendations of the report should be proposed and then followed by amendments in the order as received. It was also confirmed that the Conservative amendment to this item had been received first, and would need to be considered first.

 

The Deputy Leader in seconding the original recommendations, welcomed the efforts by officers to avoid meetings falling on Gloucestershire school holiday dates where possible for those with families who wish to be on holiday.

 

Councillor Stowe then proposed an amendment to the motion which struck out recommendation 1 and 5 of the report and inserted the following replacement recommendation:

 

1.    Instruct Officers to revise Annex A and B with new meeting times so that no meeting time agreed by Full Council starts after 3pm and request that this revised programme of meetings be returned to January Full Council for approval.

 

The following points were then raised by Councillor Stowe:

 

·         It was outlined that some Members with employment and family commitments may not be able to make meetings starting later in the day. It was also noted that there were concerns with evening meetings in being able to attend Town and Parish Councils.

 

·         It was outlined that the proceedings of meetings were webcasted which means that residents could tune into meetings later in the day.

 

·         It was also noted that the work of officers to attend meetings outside of normal working hours needed to be considered.

 

Councillor Twells formally seconded the amendment and reserved his right to speak.

 

There were various comments around the organisation of meetings in the day, and the impact on participation opportunities for residents. 

 

It was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76

 

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