Meeting documents

To invite nominations and elect the Chair of the Council to serve until the Annual General Meeting in May 2023

Councillor Mike Best was elected as Chair of the Council to serve until the next Annual General Meeting in May 2023.

Councillor Peter Clayton, former Vice Chair of Council invited nominations from proposers and seconders for the election of Chair of Council, to serve until the first Annual General Meeting of Somerset Council in May 2023.

Proposed by Councillor Revans and Seconded by Councillor Fothergill, the Council elected Councillor Mike Best  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

To invite nominations and elect the Vice Chair of the Council to serve until the Annual General Meeting in May 2023

Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey was elected as Vice Chair of the Council to serve until the next Annual General Meeting in May 2023.

The Chair invited nominations from proposers and seconders for the election of Vice- Chair of Council, to serve until the first Annual General Meeting of Somerset Council in May 2023.

Proposed by Councillor Revans and Seconded by Councillor Fothergill, the Council elected Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey as Vice Chair of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Apologies were received from Councillor Jo Roundell Greene.

Apologies were received from Councillor Jo Roundell Greene.

The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via request to the Democratic Service Team.

The following declarations of interest were made at the meeting:

(a)     Councillor Marcus Barr – member Wellington Town Council

(b)    Councillor Suria Aujila - member Bridgwater Town Council

(c)     Councillor S Ashton – member Crewkerne Town Council, Hinton St George Parish Council

(d)    Councillor Sue Osborne – member Ilminster Town  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Council is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 2022 were accepted as a true and accurate record and were signed by the Chair of the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 2022 were accepted as a true and accurate record and were signed by the Chair of the meeting.

To receive any communication or other business brought forward by the direction of the Chair of the Council

The Chair of Council referred to the events detailed on the Chair’s Information Sheet No. 16, circulated and published with the agenda. He also paid tribute to the former Chair of Council Nigel Taylor and to the former Vice Chair, Councillor Peter Clayton who had had to take on more duties when the Chair had become very unwell.

The Chair paid tribute to a number of former Councillors who had not been re elected at the elections on 5 May 2022.

The Chair of Council referred to the events detailed on the Chair’s Information Sheet No. 16, circulated and published with the agenda. He also paid tribute to the former Chair of Council Nigel Taylor and to the former Vice Chair, Councillor Peter Clayton who had had to take on more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive the County Returning Officer’s report of persons elected at the election held on 5 May 2022

The Council NOTED the report of the Returning Officer which informed the County Council of the persons elected as members of Somerset County Council at the elections held on 5 May 2022.

The Council considered a report by the Returning Officer, Pat Flaherty which informed the County Council of the 110 persons elected as Members (also known as Councillors) of Somerset County Council at the elections held on 5 May 2022 and welcomed the members to their first meeting.

The Council NOTED  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To invite nominations and elect the Leader of the Council

Councillor Bill Revans was elected as Leader of the Council.

The Chair invited nominations from proposers and seconders for the election of Leader of the Council. Proposed by Councillor Liz Leyshon and Seconded by Councillor Graham Oakes, Councillor Bill Revans was duly elected as Leader of the Council.

Leader of the Council make a statement to the Council, including their proposals for:

·         The proposed appointment of a Deputy Leader

·         The proposed number and appointment of Cabinet Members to form the Cabinet along with their responsibilities

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bill Revans made a statement to the Council, including his priorities for the forthcoming year and detailed the Executive Members and Associate lead members, as detailed below: -

·         Leader of the Council – Bill Revans

·         Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

(see explanatory notes attached to agenda)

This item includes the presentation of petitions. Details of any public questions / petitions submitted will be included in the Chair’s Schedule which will be made available to the members and to the public at the meeting.

There were public questions received from Mr David Redgewell and Mr Alan Debenham. In the absence of Mr Redgewell, the questions were read out by the Monitoring officer on his behalf.  The questions and the responses provided are attached to these minutes in Appendix A.

To consider reports by the Monitoring Officer with recommendations regarding:

A - Committee proportionality, Committee appointments and annual calendar of meetings (refer to pages 21 – 51)

B - Appointments to Partnership and Outside Bodies (refer to pages 53 – 59)

C - Interim Constitution 2022/23 (refer to pages 61 onwards)

Paper A – Report of Monitoring Officer - Appointments to Committees and County Council meeting dates for 2022/23

An updated Appendix 1 (proposed Committee and internal appointments) with names of Members was published prior to the meeting.

The Council RESOLVED to :

1.    Note the election and appointment of the Chair of the Council, Vice Chair of the Council and Leader of the Council agreed at this Annual General Meeting prior to this agenda item.

2.    Approve the County Council Appointments Schedule to this report (Appendix 1), to include, as necessary, summary revised terms of reference for proposed new committees, the proposed committees for appointments to be made to and the proposed appointments to Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority and Exmoor National Park Authority – see sections 3.1 and 3.2 for more detail. 

3.    That Councillor Peter Seib replace Councillor Henry Hobhouse as a representative on the Pension Fund Committee.

4.    To approve the payment of Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA) for any new equivalent SRA qualifying posts created in 1 and 2 above that fit within the existing SRA bandings scheme, pending the Council considering recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel in relation to the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

5.    To agree the dates already agreed for ordinary meetings of the County Council for the year as set out in section 3.3.

Paper B – Report of Monitoring Officer - Appointments to Internal, Partnership and Outside Bodies

An updated Appendix 1 (schedule of appointments to internal, partnership and outside bodies) was published prior to the meeting.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the appointment of members to internal, partnerships and outside bodies for 2022/2023 as set out at Appendix 1.

2.    Appoint Councillor Henry Hobhouse as the Armed Forces Member Champion.

3.    The representative to the Heart of South West LEP Board be changed to Councillor Nick Cottle

4.    Appoint Councillor Mike Best as representative on the Passion for Somerset Board

5.    Appoint Jane Lock as the independent Chair of the Corporate Parenting Board and thanks be sent to the former Chair, Jill Johnson.

Paper C – Report of Monitoring Officer - Interim Constitution for 2022/23

A revised Appendix 2 was published prior to the meeting, to clarify that the proposed quorum for a Full Council meeting is now 28 members.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the proposed revisions to its Constitution as set out in Appendices 2 (as revised) 3-5;

2.    That an updated Constitution will come be brought to the July Council meeting, for information;

3.    Approve the proposed guidance documents set out in Appendices 6–9;

4.    Note the further constitutional work to be undertaken during 2022; and

5.    Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary amendments required as a result of the decisions to the Council’s Constitution and publish the revised documents on the Council’s website.

This item was introduced by the Council’s Monitoring Officer, Scott Wooldridge. The Council had before it the following reports by the Monitoring Officer regarding:

A)   Committee proportionality, Committee appointments and annual calendar of meetings

B)    Appointments to Partnership and Outside Bodies

C)    Interim Constitution 2022/23

The three reports set out  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.