Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director of Legal and HR Services seeking approval to a number of changes to the Constitution, in accordance with Standing Order 27 (g).

AGREED

(1)      To approve the changes to the Constitution, as detailed within Appendix 1 of the report relating to Officer Delegated Powers; the officer decision making process and recordable decisions; definition of a Key Decision along with minor other changes.

(2)      To authorise the Director of Legal and HR Services to amend the Constitution accordingly, including making any necessary incidental or consequential changes.

(3)      To note that, to the extent changes relate to executive functions of the Council, these have been approved by the Leader.

The Mayor then moved on to invite Councillor M Butt to introduce the report from the Director of Legal and HR Services setting out a number of proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution.

In introducing the report Councillor M Butt advised that the report set out a number of proposals designed to streamline and increase the openness of the Council’s decision making arrangements including changes to committee memberships, officers delegated powers, the introduction of a specific financial threshold for key decisions and new category of recordable executive decision.  The report also proposed a number of other minor updates to the Constitution arising from the annual review process.

The Mayor then invited any other Members to speak, with Councillor Abdirazak expressing concern regarding the frequency of changes being proposed to the Constitution and at what he felt to be the limited consultation with Members on them.  In exercising his right of reply, Councillor M Butt highlighted the importance in ensuring that the Constitution was subject to regular review, reminding Members that the proposals being recommended for consideration had been designed to increase the transparency of the Council’s governance arrangements whilst ensuring that the Council was able to undertake its business as efficiently and effectively as possible.

As there were no other Members who indicated they wished to speak on the report, the Mayor put the recommendations to the vote by a show of hands and they were declared CARRIED.

It was therefore RESOLVED that:

(1)       the changes to the Constitution proposed within the report be approved;

(2)       the Director of Legal and HR Services be authorised to amend the Constitution accordingly, including the making of any necessary incidental or consequential changes.

(3)       to note that, to the extent the changes related to executive functions of the Council, they had been approved by the Leader of the Council.