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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ystafell Gwyrfai, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. LL55 1SH

Contact: Eirian Roberts  01286 679018

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES

          To receive any apologies for absence.

 

Minutes:

None.

2.

DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

          To receive any declaration of personal interest.

 

Minutes:

          No declarations of interest were received from any members present.

 

3.

URGENT ITEMS

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

 

 

Minutes:

None.

4.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 240 KB

          The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 18th April, 2016 be signed as a true record  (attached).

 

Minutes:

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous committee meeting that took place on 18 April, 2016, as a true record.

 

Councillor Lesley Day thanked her fellow members for their good wishes.

 

Councillor Michael Sol Owen noted that he had inadvertently forgot to send an apology. 

 

5.

THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE'S ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 pdf icon PDF 181 KB

To consider the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted – the report of the Monitoring Officer appending a draft of the committee's annual report for the period from 1 April 2015 up to 31 March 2016.  The committee's observations and approval of the document were invited.   It was noted that the Chair and the Monitoring Officer would add a foreword to the report prior to its publication.

 

The Senior Solicitor noted that it was intended to circulate the report to the clerks of community and town councils following the full Council meeting in October.

 

Members were asked to check their personal details and to then e-mail the Senior Solicitor.

 

During the discussion on the contents of the report:-

 

·         It was suggested that a reference should be made to Linda Byrne's inability to continue as an independent member due to illness. 

·         Councillor Lesley Day noted that she was not the chair of the Democratic Services Committee in 2015/16.

 

It was asked if it would be possible to present the annual report to the Council's July meeting from now on, however, the Monitoring Officer explained that the calendar did not favour this.

 

          RESOLVED to approve the draft of the annual report and to submit it to the Council’s meeting on 6 October.

 

 

6.

ATTENDING AND OBSERVING MEETINGS pdf icon PDF 112 KB

To consider the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

Minutes:

Submitted - the report of the Monitoring Officer reviewing the system of visiting Cyngor Gwynedd meetings and the County's Community Council meetings and the benefit gained and requesting the committee to consider if there was value in identifying a more structured programme to observe meetings.

 

During the discussion:-

 

·         It was suggested that it would be useful for the Standards Committee to observe the work of preparing for the 2017 Local Government Elections, and specifically the sessions to raise awareness of prospective candidates and the induction programme for elected members following the elections.    It was also suggested that it would be a good idea to include an item on the work of the Standards Committee in the awareness raising sessions in order that prospective candidates know how to behave in campaign activities.   The Monitoring Officer noted that he was already in discussion with the Democratic Services regarding raising awareness within the induction system about the role of the Standards Committee.

·         It was suggested that it would be sensible to contact councils beforehand to inform them of a member's intention to come and observe a meeting, especially if that member required a translation service.

 

RESOLVED

(a)     That there was value in identifying a more structured programme of observing meetings and to trust in the Monitoring Officer and the Senior Solicitor to agree on a draft programme of visits to as many councils as possible, over the next 12 months. 

(b)     To request that the Monitoring Officer provides a brief report to the next meeting outlining the preparation work for the 2017 Local Government Elections and how the Standards system interweaves with this. 

 

7.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MEMBERS pdf icon PDF 12 KB

To consider the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

Minutes:

Submitted, for information – the report of the Monitoring Officer on formal complaints made against members.

 

Further to the contents of the written report, the Senior Solicitor noted that the Ombudsman had now informed the Council that he was investigating Case 201600999.

 

RESOLVED to note the report.