Meeting documents

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 decisions that are required at the Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) regarding the appointment of members to internal, partnerships and outside bodies for 2022/23 (up until the next Annual General Meeting).

Paper A – Appointments to Committees and County Council meeting dates for 2022/23

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

Proposed by Cllr Bill Revans and Seconded Cllr Leigh Redman, 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 – Appointments to Internal, Partnership and Outside Bodies

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

Proposed by Cllr Bill Revans and Seconded Cllr Liz Leyshon, 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 – Interim Constitution for 2022/23

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

Proposed by Cllr Bill Revans and Seconded by Cllr David Fothergill, 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 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.