(a) Chairman’s Announcements
(b) Members not seeking re-election
To acknowledge that Councillor B Sandler, M McEwen, D Roberts and A Beales were not seeking re-election as Members of Epping Forest District Council at the District Election on Thursday 6 May 2021, this would be their last official Council meeting.
Ceremonial recognition of the length of service would be presented at the Annual Council on the 25 May 2021.
Minutes:
Chairman’s Announcements
(a) The Chairman reminded Members to submit their Related Party Declarations for the year 2020/21.
Councillor C C Pond stated that he and Councillor C P Pond had not received the related party declarations to complete.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager advised that he would check with accountancy and get back to the Councillors.
(b) Members as you are aware this would be the last Full Council meeting of the Civic Year and a time for us to reflect on the last 12 months.
There have been many changes for all of us over the year and I would like to acknowledge the strength and fortitude that many of us in our community have had to endure with when faced with Covid 19.
Many have escaped the virus but had restricted freedoms, many have suffered from Covid 19 and still suffer the consequences and many too have lost loved ones and their hearts are still broken. Indeed, not due to the pandemic, we have all suffered a loss back in July when our dear friend and valued council member Syd Stavrou passed away. I still miss her to this day.
But through these unprecedented times, we have all learnt valuable lessons, to appreciate those around us that we care and love and to value our community.
As a Council we have had to change to ensure our staff remained safe and that our residents and businesses were still supported and you too Members have had to adapt in so many ways. We have had to learn new skills, especially in how our council meetings were administered. We have all managed to join a meeting in zoom, learnt how to mute our microphones and to raise a hand, simple tasks now that almost seemed impossible 12 months ago.
Members, I would like to thank you all for overcoming the problems we all faced and for accepting my changes and adjustments to how a council meeting was conducted. I am sure you will agree with me that despite the adversity we have faced we have all risen to the occasion and ensured that council business was conducted in a fair and professional manner.
Looking back over the past year I cannot let this opportunity pass without mentioning the members of staff who work for Epping Forest District Council. They too have had to change, by changing how they work and where they work.
Change was not always welcome, but I know that we have a loyal and committed workforce who always go that extra mile to uphold the behaviours and values of the Council and for that I would like to say a personal thank you to each and every one of them.
The Chairman acknowledged some of the Council’s staff who had taken this opportunity to develop their own careers and had moved onto pastures new. Julie Chandler and Peter Charman, who helped me so much during the Leisure Contract, with the enhancements of the Loughton, Epping and Ongar Leisure centres and especially with the completion of the new Waltham Abbey Leisure centre.
She also extended her thanks to Kim Durrani and advised that she had met Kim before she had become a councillor through his work with the local community organisations (town partnership) in Waltham Abbey.
Kim started at EFDC in February 2002 as a Land Drainage Engineer, in 2008 he became Assistant Director Technical Services and later the Service Director for Contracts and Technical Services. He was responsible for all the major outsourced contracted services of the Council, like waste management, leisure management services and car parking as well as some of the more complex technical functions such as contaminated land, flood risk management, and pollution control.
Kim’s aim like Julie’s and Peter’s was always to embed the Council’s values and behaviours in the delivery of these front-line services and to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and better outcomes for our residents.
We will miss his measured views and logical thinking, but I am sure I speak for you all in wishing him every success in his new appointment.
Members as I said earlier this would be the last Full Council of the Civic Year and I cannot let this time pass without acknowledging some of our own Members who will not be standing again at the next election.
Public life was never easy, and it certainly can put a strain on your personal life, so I am sure you will join with me and thank those members who have chosen to stand down and will not be joining us again after May.
Members we will all have an opportunity at the Annual Council Meeting in May to acknowledge the service of these councillors but for now I would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to:
Debra Roberts, Amy Beales, Gavin Chambers, John Knapman, Brian Sandler and Maggie McEwen for their service and commitment to the Epping Forest District.
As Chairman I have had a very unusual year; I cannot sit here and recall the events I have attended or look back on an elaborate Civic Awards’ ceremony, but I can say it has been a rewarding year. I really have learnt so much and there are a few people I would like to personally thank.
First of all, to you Members for putting your trust in me and electing me Chairman of Council and to the staff from Democratic Services, Gary Woodhall, Jackie Leither and Adrian Hendry, who have guided me through our Council meetings. To Corporate Communications headed by Tom Carne, who has always ensured I am informed and up to date on current issues especially their guidance over the past few weeks since HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh passed away. Our website at the time was a fitting tribute to a very remarkable man. A person I will be forever grateful to was Pat Seager, her experience, her patience and her professional competence has made a great difference to me this year.
Finally, I would like to thank my husband Sam and my family for their total support throughout this very difficult year.