Minutes

Constitution and Members Services Scrutiny Panel - Tuesday 17th March 2015 7.00 pm

Proposed venue: Committee Room 1

Contact: M Jenkins - The Office of the Chief Executive Tel: 01992 564607 Email: democraticservices@eppingforestdc.gov.uk

Note: This meeting is part two of the adjourned meeting from 3 March 2015

Items
No.	Item
44.	Meeting Reconvened Minutes: Following the adjournment of the meeting held on the 3 March 2015 at 9.32p.m., the meeting reconvened on the 17 March 2015 at 7.00p.m.
45.	Substitute Members (Council Minute 39 - 23.7.02) Minutes: It was noted that councillor C C Pond was substituting for Councillor S Weston.
46.	Declaration Of Interests Minutes: There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Member’s Code of Conduct.
47.	Terms of Reference / Work Programme PDF 18 KB Additional documents: Work Programme , item 47. PDF 23 KB Minutes: The Panel’s Terms of Reference and Work Programme were noted.
48.	Constitution Review - Council Procedural Rules PDF 61 KB View the background to item 48. Additional documents: Council Procedure Rules - Draft for discussion , item 48. PDF 309 KB Minutes: The Panel received a report regarding the Constitution Review – Council Procedural Rules from the Assistant Director (Governance and Performance Management) and undertook their review following the adjourned meeting on 3 March at Item 13 Motions – On Notice. The Panel progressed through to Item 26 Application to the Executive, Committees and Sub-Committees and completed the subsequent sections concerning Substitute Members, Political Group Representatives, Minority References, Reports and Petitions. In addition the Panel requested a further report in respect of the rules regarding 17.4 and 17.5 concerning Recorded Votes. This concerned the recent amendments to the law which stipulated that all votes were recorded in respect of agreeing Council budgets. RECOMMENDED: (1) That the Constitution Review – Council Procedural Rules be recommended to the Council; and (2) That a report be submitted to the Panel regarding rules 17.4 and 17.5 that concern the making of recorded votes in respect of Council budgets.
49.	Reports to be made to the Next Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Minutes: There were no reports forthcoming from this meeting to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
50.	Future Meetings Minutes: This was the last meeting of the Panel in its current guise as a scrutiny panel. From May 2015 it would become the Constitution Working Group reporting directly to the Council. The Chairman thanked members of the Panel and officers for their work and support during the Panel’s existence. Councillor D Stallan echoed these sentiments, particularly as he had served a year as Panel Chairman. It was advised that the first scheduled meeting date of the Working Group was 30 June 2015, which it was felt, was too wide a gap in time for effective continuity in carrying on the work of amending the Constitution. It was agreed to arrange an earlier meeting date in late May or June 2015.