Venue: Ystafell Gwyrfai, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. LL55 1SH
Contact: Eirian Roberts 01286 679018
No. | Item |
---|---|
APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: None. |
|
DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declaration of personal interest. Minutes: No
declarations of interest were received from any members present. |
|
URGENT ITEMS To note any items that
are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration. Minutes: None. |
|
The Chairman shall propose that the
minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 3rd October, 2016 be
signed as a true record (attached). Minutes: The Chair signed
the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 3 October 2016,
as a true record. Referring to item
3 in the minutes, Preparations for the Local Government Elections 2017, the
Monitoring Officer noted that he and the Senior Solicitor had recently attended
a series of awareness raising meetings for prospective candidates and had given
a short presentation on the Members Code of Conduct. |
|
APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATION PDF 266 KB To consider
the report of the Monitoring Officer
(attached). Additional documents: Minutes: Submitted – (1) The Monitoring Officer
requested that the committee consider and determine applications by Councillor
Dilwyn Morgan, Gwynedd Council Member for Y Bala, for a dispensation relating
to the educational re-organisation of the catchment area of Ysgol y Berwyn, Y
Bala. (2) A further request was
received by Councillor Elwyn Edwards, Gwynedd Council Member for Llandderfel,
after the report had been prepared, for a dispensation relating to the same
matter. Before considering the requests, the
Monitoring Officer gave an outline of the school organisation process in the
catchment. (1) Application by Councillor Dilwyn Morgan The Monitoring Officer noted
that:- ·
The
Councillor had an interest in the matter because his grandson was a pupil at
Ysgol Bro Tegid. ·
The
Councillor had also noted on his form that he was a Governor at Ysgol y Berwyn,
but that this would not prevent him taking part in discussions as the Code of
Conduct gave specific permission for governors appointed by the Council to take
part, except when applications for permissions (such as planning) are being
discussed. ·
The
Councillor had requested a general dispensation, because of his role as a local
member, to participate in any meeting where he was invited to express the views
and opinions of his electorate. ·
The
Councillor did not believe that his participation would damage public
confidence. Reference was made
to previous decisions in similar cases where members with an interest had been
granted dispensations to take part in only the local discussions, and it was
suggested that the precedent that had already been set should be adhered to so
that the committee was consistent in its decisions. RESOLVED to approve the application for
dispensation for Councillor Dilwyn Morgan to speak, but not to vote at
Council-sponsored meetings about the reorganisation of schools in the Ysgol y
Berwyn catchment, Bala, which are held in the area. However, he would not be
allowed to speak, or be present or vote in any meeting of the Council, Cabinet
or any of his committees; and he is required, at every meeting in which he
participates, to clearly state that he has received a dispensation, and explain
the exact nature of the restraints on him, and that this is noted in the
minutes of such meetings. (2) Application by Councillor Elwyn Edwards The Monitoring Officer noted
that:- ·
The Councillor
had an interest in the matter because his grandsons and granddaughter were
pupils at Ysgol y Berwyn. ·
The
Councillor was given a dispensation in November 2009 to contribute to the
Catchment Review Panel discussions; but, because the nature of the local
discussions had changed since then, the recommendation was to update that
dispensation to reflect the current situation. ·
The
Councillor's existing application specifically requested a dispensation to sign
a petition calling for the new Berwyn Lifelong Learning School to be given
community status and to gather names for it. In considering the matter, it was noted that this was an application to act as a member of the Council, where the Gwynedd Council ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
|
THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE'S MEMBERSHIP FOLLOWING THE LOCAL AUTHORITY ELECTIONS 2017 PDF 269 KB To consider
the report of the Monitoring Officer
(attached). Minutes: Submitted – the report of the Monitoring
Officer requesting the committee's opinion on the proposed arrangement for
appointing elected members and community committee members to the Standards
Committee following the 2017 Local Government elections. The Senior Solicitor noted that he intended
to write directly to all community and town councils before the elections in
May, so that they could consider the matter at their first meetings following
the elections. Additionally, he intended
to make all Members of Gwynedd Council aware of the need to appoint a new
community committee member to the Standards Committee and asked that they relay
the message to their community and town councils. RESOLVED to approve the proposed process. |
|
NORTH WALES STANDARDS COMMITTEES FORUM PDF 117 KB To consider
the report of the Monitoring Officer (attached). Minutes: Submitted – the report of the Monitoring
Officer detailing the role, remit and arrangements of the North Wales Standards
Committee Forum and a request for members' opinions on the development of the
forum. The Monitoring Officer noted that a request
submitted to extend the forum to include the Powys and Ceredigion Councils'
Standards Committees had been positively received by the other counties in
North Wales. The Chair noted the importance of ensuring
that each meeting of the forum should be for a particular purpose and that
outcomes were delivered. Members were reminded of their right to refer
any matter to the forum for discussion. RESOLVED to state that this committee supports the
application to extend the North Wales Standards Committee Forum to include the
Powys and Ceredigion Councils' Standards Committees. |
|
THE REGISTER OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS PDF 182 KB To consider
the report of the Monitoring Officer
(attached). Minutes: Submitted, for information – the report of
the Monitoring Officer on the preparatory work for compliance with the
requirement to publish the Interests Register in an electronic format, so that
each member's declarations could be viewed through their personal pages on the
Council's website. The importance of ensuring that any new
Council member elected in May was fully aware of the stated arrangement was
emphasised, and that this would be included in the first induction sessions on
the Behavioural Code. The Senior Solicitor stated that the
preparatory work for publishing the register in an electronic format had
highlighted the need to improve the form and content of the declaration of
personal interest forms. It was noted, if town and community councils
were also required to publish their registers of interest electronically, that
the Monitoring Officer should inform them of this when writing to them to
invite nominations to this committee. RESOLVED to note the report. |
|
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MEMBERS PDF 110 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. RESOLVED
to note the report. |