Issue - meetings

Report CSD22015

A motion to approve the following recommendations from the Standards Committee was moved by Councillor Nicholas Bennett, seconded by Councillor Vanessa Allen and CARRIED.

(1) That the following wording should be used for declarations at quasi-judicial meetings in the interest of openness and transparency:

“I know X purely as a Councillor” or “I know X socially and I have not discussed this matter with them” or “I know X socially and have discussed with them but have not made any commitment”.

(2) That the Procedure for Handling Code of Conduct Complaints be amended to reflect that in cases where the conduct of a councillor, whilst falling short of the high standards of conduct expected, has been judged not to have amounted to a breach of the Code of Conduct, the Monitoring Officer is encouraged to give informal words of advice.

(3) That in the rare instances of disagreement between the Monitoring Officer and an Independent Person, the Standards Committee or a Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee should consider a report from the Monitoring Officer which outlines the view of both the Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person.

(4) That the Monitoring Officer establish an induction process for Independent Persons.