Issue - meetings
Members' Attendance, Timesheets and Declaration of Interests: Monitoring Report
Meeting: 29/06/2017 - Standards Advisory Committee (Item 4)
4 Members' Attendance, Timesheets and Declaration of Interests: Monitoring Report PDF 90 KB
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1-Members' TImesheet Monitoring Report, item 4 PDF 65 KB
- Appendix 2-Members' DOI and Training Attendance Report, item 4 PDF 54 KB
- Appendix 4-Sample Timesheet for Completion by Member, item 4 PDF 62 KB
- Appendix 5-Sample Website Report on Meeting Attendance for Individual Member, item 4 PDF 64 KB
- Appendix 3-Attendance at Formal Committee Meetings, item 4 PDF 44 KB
Minutes:
The Committee discussed the report and the following issues were highlighted:
In regard to attendance data the Committee highlighted that:
· The percentage attendance data displayed was inaccurate. Officers advised that this would be investigated.
· It was not clear how the percentages were calculated.
· Members of long standing might choose not to attend training as they already had experience, however this would reflect badly on them in terms of the attendance data displayed in the Council’s website.
· Training was insufficiently advertised and times of training poorly schedule which rendered some members unable to attend.
In regard to completion and submission of timesheets the Committee was advised that this was not a Council policy. Members then noted:
- That agreed guidance for Members on timesheet submission was needed.
- That the report reported that the Governance Review Working Group, had decided not to review this activity therefore the matter was not for the Committee.
- That completion of timesheets was not a true indicator of how well a Member was serving his/her constituents.
- At a meeting of the Labour Group there had been agreement that timesheet monitoring would continue. Elected Members of other political groups present did not verify the same and because there was no unified message on the matter, it was felt that a failure to submit timesheets could be used against members.
In regard to declarations, Members noted that the dates reported did not coincide with the reporting period.
The Acting Corporate Director noted the issues raised and advised that
- The Members Support Manager was to set up working group to look at the development of an annual training programme.
- Members would be canvassed on their views and a report taken to a future General Purposes Committee.
RESOLVED
1. That the information set out in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 in relation to Councillors’ submission of timesheets, completion of the register of interests and attendance at training events, and during the previous and current municipal years and attendance at formal meetings and Members’ comments on the data be noted.
2. That the updated position for the automatic publication of the attendance of Members at meetings be noted.
3. That it be noted that at this time, the Committee does not consider there is a need to ask the Chair to write to any Councillor(s) in connection with any of the monitoring information;
4. That SAC to receive further specific monitoring reports on attendance, timesheets and declarations of interest at six monthly intervals