Issue - meetings

The Chairman drew Councillors’ attention to the reports of the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer which invited Council to:

• appoint the various committees of the Council and review the allocation of seats on those committees to political groups according to their respective political strengths on the Council;

• make appointments to committees in accordance with such a review taking into account the wishes of the political group leaders;

• appoint chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees excluding the Standards and Select Committees which would be asked to make such appointments at their respective first meetings;

• agree to extend the terms of office of the current chairman and vice-chairman of all Area Boards to the first meeting of those Area Boards following this Annual Meeting of Council to enable them to oversee, where appropriate the election of chairman and vice-chairman for 2011/12; 

• to agree to extend the term of office of Mrs Isabel McCord as an independent member on the Standards Committee;

• appoint nine Wiltshire Council members to serve on the Combined Fire Authority for the ensuing year.

The Chairman explained that Group Leaders had been consulted on the principles of what was being proposed.

The Leader proposed a motion which encompassed all of the above, details of which were circulated and this was duly seconded.

A discussion ensued on whether chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees should be appointed by Council at this meeting or left to the committees themselves to determine at their first round of meetings following this meeting.

An amendment was proposed by Cllr Francis Morland and seconded by Cllr Jon Hubbard to the effect that the appointment of committee chairmen and vice-chairmen should not be taken today but left to the committees to determine and that the current chairmen and vice-chairman stay in situ until their successors were appointed.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.

A further amendment was proposed by Cllr Jon Hubbard and seconded by Cllr Peter Colmer which gave an alternative list of vice-chairmen of committees to that which was proposed in the Leader’s motion.  On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.

The Chairman then put the Leader’s motion to the vote which was CARRIED and it was

Resolved:

To note the reports and the legal requirements.

(a)       To appoint the following committees with the terms of reference as set out in the Constitution:-

                                    Strategic Planning

                                    Area Planning – East, North, South and West

                                    Licensing

                                    Standards

Organisation and Resources Select

                                    Children’s Services Select

                                    Health and Adult Social Care Select

                                    Environment Select

                                    Audit

                                    Appeals

                                    Staffing Policy

                                    Officer Appointments

                                    Pension Fund

Joint Committee for Appointment to Wiltshire Police Authority

(b)       To approve the aggregate number of committee places available to members of the Council being 169 and the number on each committee as follows:-