Agenda item
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING(S)
- Meeting of (Postponed from 15 July 2014), Standards Advisory Committee, Monday, 8th September, 2014 7.30 p.m. (Item 4.)
- View the background to item 4.
To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Standards (Advisory) Committee held on 18th March 2014.
Minutes:
Matter arising from minutes of 18th March SAC
The Chair, referencing resolution 2 of the minute pertaining to agenda item 3 [page 2 of minutes page 6 of agenda] commented that he had not yet received the report to be emailed to Chair and all SAC members. Meic Sullivan-Gould, Interim Monitoring Officer (IMO), briefly outlined the matter previously raised, apologised that the Chair and SAC members had not received the report, and undertook to progress chase David Galpin, Service Head Legal Services, on the outstanding action as his further information was required before an update could be provided.
Eric Pemberton, Vice-Chair, referencing:
· resolution 1(a) of the minute pertaining to agenda item 3 [page 2 of minutes page 6 of agenda], which noted the importance with which SAC viewed Member timesheets and their timely submission.
· the minute pertaining to agenda item 5 “Member Attendance and Timesheets Monitoring” [page 4 of minutes page 8 of agenda], which also noted the above in the context that significant numbers of Members were not submitting timesheets; and also the introduction of electronic timesheets post-election.
Commented that he had reviewed the Authority’s website and no Member timesheets were available for the last few months, and re-emphasised the importance with which SAC viewed Member timesheets and their timely submission. The Chair commented that the regular 6 monthly monitoring report on Member attendance and Timesheet Monitoring was due for consideration at the next SAC meeting. Additionally there was an update from the Committee Services Manager to be tabled at Agenda item 6 “Any Other Business”
A discussion followed which focused on the following points:-
· Clarification sought as to whether it was a correct understanding that backdated timesheets relating to the period prior to the recent Local Government election would no longer be published due to the roll out of a new system. Comment that this would be extremely frustrating for those Members who had undertaken the time intensive task of completion. Meic Sullivan-Gould, IMO, undertook to respond at the next SAC meeting.
· Consideration that there had been a lack of training for new Members regarding timesheet completion and this was a historic problem, and a need to fall back on the help and advice of party colleagues. Similarly with training of new Members on the Members Enquiry process and engaging with the Council and its processes generally. Consideration also that there had been few induction events for new Members and these had been of poor quality; also that several such sessions were held on the same evening with the volume of information very difficult to assimilate as a consequence. Consideration that Member training specific to different committees had been of poor quality. Consequently SAC members proposed and it was agreed that SAC examine induction training generally, but also training specific to different committees delivered in the first few months of the Municipal Year, at the October SAC meeting. The Chair noted that this could be linked to the regular monitoring report on training.
· Comment that it was a source of considerable frustration for some Members that others did not complete their timesheets nor undertake the necessary research/ record keeping, all of which was time intensive. The matter of the significant inaccuracy of some timesheets also needed to be addressed. The Chair commented that non-completion of timesheets was also a constant source of frustration for SAC. The regular Timesheet Monitoring report and a presentation on the new electronic timesheet system and improvements to democracy web pages would be received at the October SAC meeting, so timesheets would be reviewed then and also ways to capture and report other Member activity in a more transparent way than historically. Some consideration also that SAC should examine performance measures for Members in some depth and that non completion of timesheets for a specified period of time should be viewed as a breach of good Member conduct and the subject of sanctions.
· Consideration that Group Leaders needed to be asked to urge all their Members to complete timesheets and also to consider ways to improve transparency of Member activity.
The Chair Moved and it was:-
Resolved
That the unrestricted minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Standards Advisory Committee, held on 18th March 2014, be agreed as a correct record of the proceedings, and the Chair be authorised to sign them accordingly.
Action by:
Angus Taylor (Principal Committee Officer, Democratic Services, LPG)
Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer, LPG)
John Williams (Service Head Democratic Services)
Beverley McKenzie (Member Support Manager)
Supporting documents: