Agenda item

The Monitoring Officer, David Clark, introduced the report which set out for the 2023/24 municipal year the proposed allocation and appointment of members to committee places/seats (see Paper A), the proposed appointment of members to Outside Bodies (see Paper B) and the Council’s approval to the accuracy of minutes of several former committees of legacy district councils (see Paper C).   

The Council discussed the report and the following points were raised:-

Paper A

• Councillors supported the recommendations but questions were raised regarding the delay in the publication of the report.

Paper B

• The Deputy Leader highlighted that the representatives on the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust should be Councillor Adam Dance and Councillor Heather Shearer to ensure continuity of representation.

·       It was noted that as a mark of respect, any Outside Body appointments formerly held by Councillor Mike Lewis had been left vacant at this time.

·       Councillors questioned when the Outside Bodies would be notified of any changes to their nominated member representatives.

Paper C

• Councillors requested work was undertaken to ensure that actions agreed by the previous councils were not lost in the transition period.

Councillor Liz Leyshon proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Heather Shearer.

Having been duly proposed and seconded the Council RESOLVED to approve:

Paper A

1)     Note the political balance of the Council and agreed the proposed allocation of committee places as set out in this report and its appendices;

2)    Agree the terms of reference, size and quorum arrangements for all committees as set out in the Council’s Constitution

3)    Continue to agree the recommendation of the political group leaders to continue to set aside the political balance rules for the Standards Committee and the four area-based Planning Committees and instead allocated places for those committees on the basis set out in Appendix 3; 

4)    Approve the appointment of Chairs, Vice-Chairs, members and co-opted members to the Council’s committee and joint committees as set out in the Appointments Schedule (see Appendix 3)

5)    Delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the appropriate political group leader, to make in-year changes to committee and joint committee appointments (excluding the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs) in accordance with the allocation of places to political groups by the Council and the wishes of the relevant political group leader.     

Paper B

6)    Agree the appointment of members to internal, partnership and outside bodies for 2023/24 until the next Annual General Meeting, as set out in Appendix 1. 

7)     Delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the  political group leaders, to make in-year changes to internal, partnership and outside bodies appointments in accordance with the wishes of the relevant political group leader.     

Paper C

8)    Approve the accuracy of the minutes of several former committee meetings of legacy councils as set out in Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. 

9)    Agree the case for exempt information for the minutes of the former Mendip District Council Audit Committee meeting on 22 March 2023 (Appendix 1), the Mendip District Council Asset Management Group meeting on 24 March 2023 (see Appendix 1), the Somerset Waste Board meeting on 10 February 2023 (see Appendix 3) and the Somerset Joint Waste Scrutiny meeting on 8 February 2023 (see Appendix 3) to be treated in confidence, as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information.

10) Agree to exclude the press and public from the meeting where there was any discussion at the meeting regarding the minutes of the former Mendip District Council Audit Committee meeting on 22 March 2023, or the former Mendip District Council Asset Management Group meeting on 24 March 2023, or Somerset Waste Board meeting on 10 February 2023 or the Somerset Joint Waste Scrutiny meeting on 8 February 2023 (to be treated as exempt information).