Issue - meetings

To Consider an amendment to the Standards Arrangements. (Report of the Executive Director – Strategy and Governance enclosed)

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Director – Strategy and Governance (Monitoring Officer) which proposed an amendment to the Standards Arrangements for consideration.

The Executive Manager - Governance introduced the report. Within the Arrangements a need for flexibility around Standards Panel membership had been identified. It was proposed that changes be made to allow for a bilateral agreement with another, similar authority to allow the Function of conducting a hearing to be delegated to another authority where the interests of fairness were served.

The Executive Manager – Governance stated that there was a typographical error in recommendation 3 of the report. Where recommendation 3  referred to paragraph 1.4, it should have, in fact, referred to paragraph 1.5.

DECISION:

1)    That the Monitoring Officer and/or the Deputy Monitoring Officer be authorised to delegate to any other local authority final determination of complaints made under the Council’s Standards Arrangements, subject to consultation with the Chairman of the Council’s Standards Panel, and subject to the officer being satisfied that this is in the interests of fairness;

2)    That the Monitoring Officer and/or the Deputy Monitoring Officer be authorised to accept similar delegations to South Holland District Council from other local authorities, subject to consultation with the Chairman of the Standards Panel;

3)    That the Standards Arrangements be amended in accordance with paragraph 1.4 of the report; and

4)    That the Constitution be amended accordingly.