Issue - items at meetings - Monitoring Officer's Report

Issue - meetings

Monitoring Officer's Report

 

 

Meeting: 22/09/2010 - Standards Committee (this Committee has now been combined wit the Audit, Standrds and Governance Committee and no longer meets) (Item 17)

17 Monitoring Officer's Report pdf icon PDF 100 KB

[To receive a report from the Monitoring Officer on any matters of relevance to the Committee.]

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted the contents of the Monitoring Officer’s (“MO’s”) report and the following issues were raised during the consideration of this:

 

(i)         Monitoring Officer’s Other Action

The MO informed Members (in regard to Standards Committee Complaint References 03/10 and 04/10) that the Equalities training had been delivered by the Deputy Monitoring Officer (“DMO”) and the Council’s Equality Officer.  The DMO informed the Committee that the training had been well attended.  Members expressed concerns that the MO’s Other Action had involved all Parish Councillors receiving the Equalities training but noted that the Equalities training had been well attended and that a number of issues had been discussed so a positive outcome had been achieved. 

 

The DMO informed the Committee that with regard to other action concerning a district councillor’s Register of Interests, the councillor concerned had now updated their Register of Interests form.  However, a number of requests had been made to the councillor regarding appropriate training which also formed part of the Sub-Committee’s decision but a response had not been received on that.

 

(ii)        Member Training

The Monitoring Officer (“MO”) advised Members that in accordance with the Council’s Constitutional requirements the refresher training for all relevant board/committee Members had been delivered.  Code of Conduct training had been delivered on 21st June 2010.  Planning and licensing training had been run at both Bromsgrove and Redditch and been available to Members of both Councils thus offering more flexibility as to dates for Members.  The Planning training had also been open to Parish Councillors with a high take up of Parish attendees.  The Modern Councillor Steering Group had agreed that the Chairman of the respective boards/committees would inform and ensure that those Members who had not undertaken the required mandatory training would be made aware they could not sit on that board/committee.

 

Further internal training identified by Heads of Service would take place later in the year.

 

(iii)       Parish Council Matters

The Monitoring Officer (“MO”) informed Members that the Ethical Standards Officer had contacted Parish Council Clerks regarding informal quarterly liaison meetings to discuss electoral and ethical governance issues, including appropriate legislative updates, which fell within the Monitoring Officer’s remit.  The offer of such meetings had been warmly received and had made Parish Council Clerks aware of a local contact, namely the Ethical Standards Officer, for any questions or advice in addition to Worcestershire County Association of Local Councils.

 

Mr. Cypher informed the Committee that an event was being held by Worcestershire County Association of Local Councils on producing newsletters and part of that training would include editorial control.  The Committee agreed that Mr. Cypher make enquiries with regard to this event to ensure that any relevant issues arising from the previous complaints to the District Council were covered in this.

 

(iv)       Links between the Standards Committee, the Cabinet and the Senior             Management Team

The Monitoring Officer (“MO”) informed the Committee that, in view of the high number of ongoing complaints against Members following the July 2009 meeting of full Council, she  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17