Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting - Virtual Meeting. View directions

Contact: Email: sarah.selway@teignbridge.gov.uk 

Media

Items
No. Item

12.

Apologies

Minutes:

Councillor L Petherick gave her apologies.

 

Councillor Bullivant gave his apologies as he had a personal interest.

13.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

14.

Standards Complaint pdf icon PDF 966 KB

The Committee will consider the Investigator’s Report regarding alleged breaches by District Cllr L Mullone of the Council’s Code of Conduct as follows:

 

(a)  Introduction by Chairman

(b)  Report summary by Investigator

(c)  Representations from Cllr Mullone (including evidence from witness as notified by Cllr Mullone regarding facebook posts) and questions from the Committee on (i) report sections regarding the findings of fact; and (ii) whether a breach of the Code has occurred

(d)  Comments (if any) from Independent Persons

(e)  Committee adjourn (with Independent Persons) to determine whether breach occurred and only if a breach is found, which of the following available sanctions (if any) should be imposed:

·         Public censure / reprimand

·         Publish the Committee’s findings

·         Recommend to full Council that Cllr Mullone be removed from any committees (subject to compliance with allocation rules)

·         Training

(f)   Decision to be published within 7 days

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the published report in line with the procedure set out in the agenda.

 

Attached is the You Tube stream of the meeting Standards Committee 22 July 2020

 

The Committee resolved to go into confidential session to consider the Investigator’s recommendations regarding the alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

 

RESOLVED:

 

Having made a finding of facts as set out in its Decision Notice, the Committee concludes that Cllr Mullone breached the Members’ Code of Conduct as provided for in the Decision Notice and that

 

(a)          It is appropriate to publicly censure Cllr Mullone for the conduct which is detailed in the Report and has been upheld by this Committee.  Consequently, the decision notice on this matter is published.

(b)          Cllr Mullone is requested to write within 10 working days of this decision being notified to him, an unequivocal letter of apology (the content of such to be approved in advance by the Monitoring Officer and Chairman of Standards Committee) to those officers to whom the Committee has found he was disrespectful.

(c)          The Committee sends a letter to all staff within the Council making it clear that staff are not expected to tolerate disrespectful behaviour, intimidation or bullying conduct by councillors towards staff and that any concerns can be reported in confidence for action.

(d)          It be noted that if the Committee had the power to suspend Cllr Mullone from being a councillor, the Committee would have suspended Cllr Mullone for up to 6 months.

 

Decision notice attached.