Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – LEGAL AND COMMUNITY/MONITORING OFFICER

To update Members of the Committee on standards issues generally - nationally and at NHDC.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the content of the report entitled Standards Matters be noted;

(2)       That the Learning and Development Champions be requested to consider ways to encourage Member uptake of training opportunities;

(3)       That all Members continue to be offered the offered the opportunity to attend the training sessions provided as part of the Member Induction Programme.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure good governance within the Council.

Audio recording – 6 minutes 16 seconds

The Service Director Legal and Community and Monitoring Officer presented the report entitled Standards Matters and drew attention to the following:

Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) - Local Government Ethical Standards

·                Paragraphs 8.1 and 8.2 outlined the background and the current position in respect of the Model Code of Conduct.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·                Councillor Judi Billing;

·                Councillor David Levett.

Ongoing Review / Consultation by CSPL on Electoral Regulation and Standards Matter 2 landscape review of institutions

·                Paragraphs 8.3 and 8.4 of the report detailed the current position.

North Hertfordshire Complaints/ Issues Update

·                Paragraphs 8.5 and 8.6 outlined 6 complaints received against District Councillors and that there were ongoing issues at Great Ashby Community Council.

The following Member asked a question:

·                Councillor Sean Prendergast.

In response the the question the Monitoring Officer advised that under usual circumstances the identity of those havening a complain made against them was confidential, however in respect of complaint 1/2020 they had given consent to their identity being disclosed and this was Councillor Sam North.

Member Training

·                Training usually took place following an election.

·                The election in 2020 was postponed due to Covid-19 as was the associated training.

·                The next round of training would take place following the election in 2021

·                Members were asked to comment on additional training required such as Use of Social Media.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·                Councillor Judi Billing;

·                Councillor Claire Strong;

·                Councillor Mike Rice;

·                Councillor Ruth Brown;

·                Councillor Clare Billing;

·                Councillor David Levett;

·                Parish Councillor Rebecca Elliott;

·                Reserve Independent Person Peter Chapman.

Comment from Members included:

·                That the Cabinet Panel on Community Engagement and Cooperative Development would be discussing social media and had invited administrators of social media sites to join the meeting in November.

·                Information sessions could be provided for Members as well as training sessions.

·                Social Media information included in the Code of Conduct was quite old a needed to be reviewed;

·                That the expectation from members of social media groups is that Councillors and/or the Council will respond to posts on each and every group;

·                That the Committee should wait for the Model Code of Conduct to be published.

Recruitment of further Reserve Independent Person and co-option of further Parish Council representatives to Standards Committee

·                Parish Councillors Rebecca Elliott and Martin Griffin had been co-opted onto the Standards Committee;

·                John Richardson had been appointed as Reserve Independent Person.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the content of the report entitled Standards Matters be noted;

(2)       That the Learning and Development Champions be requested to consider ways to encourage Member uptake of training opportunities;

(3)       That all Members continue to be offered the offered the opportunity to attend the training sessions provided as part of the Member Induction Programme.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure good governance within the Council.