Issue - meetings

Standards Committee

Meeting: 03/11/2017 - Full Council (Item 201)

201 Independent Standards Committee Member pdf icon PDF 54 KB

To seek delegated authority for the Monitoring Officer, acting in conjunction with three Group Leaders, to secure an Independent Committee member appointment, from a neighbouring local authority, to serve on the Standards Committee, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Standards Committee introduced the report and advised that delegated authority was sought for the Monitoring Officer to appoint an Independent Committee Member for the Standards Committee.

 

The Monitoring Officer advised that the Council needed to appoint an Independent Committee Member.  This was a member of the public who would serve on the Committee to act as an independent public check who would be bound by the Members Code of Conduct.  It was possible to go through an advertisement progress which would take approximately 6 weeks which could result in no one coming forward.  Monitoring Officers across Devon believed they could share these posts across authorities ensuring no delays and reduced costs for training.  He stated that one such person had offered to serve on Teignbridge’s Standards Committee if the Council so wished.

 

The differences between the Independent Member and Independent Person were significant.  The Independent Person was someone the Council appointed to work in conjunction with the Monitoring Officer and was consulted over all code of conduct complaints about district, town and parish councillors.  They were fully trained and made a judgement as to whether a complaint needed to be investigated further or how it should be progressed.  They did not sit on the Standards Committee.

 

Councillor Connett believed Teignbridge should have its own Independent Standards Committee Member and indeed a second Independent Person to call on should the need arise and proposed that:

 

(a)  The Council begins an advertisement process to appoint an Independent Committee Member for the Teignbridge Standards Committee;

 

(b)  The Council agrees to the Monitoring Officer approaching neighbouring authorities to secure an interim Independent Committee member to sit on the Teignbridge Standards Committee until such time as the Council appoints its own Independent Committee Member;

 

(c)  The next meeting of the Standards Committee be tasked with beginning the process to appoint a second Independent Person.

 

Councillor Prowse seconded the proposal and, following a question from Councillor Hook, advised she would submit a progress report to the next meeting of Full Council.

 

Resolved

 

(a)  That the Council begins an advertisement process to appoint an Independent Committee Member for the Teignbridge Standards Committee;

 

(b)  That the Council agrees to the Monitoring Officer approaching neighbouring authorities to secure an interim Independent Committee member to sit on the Teignbridge Standards Committee until such time as the Council appoints its own Independent Committee Member;

 

(c)  That the next meeting of the Standards Committee be tasked with beginning the process to appoint a second Independent Person.

 

Councillor Dennis submitted that having been a Member of the Standards Committee since 2012 he was surprised to learn that he Chairman of the Committee did not receive a special responsibility allowance and suggested this remuneration be included when allowances were next reviewed.