Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: John Addison  Governance Manager

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Items
No. Item

80.

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Mayor and the Leader of the Council.

Minutes:

 

The Mayor took the opportunity to thank all volunteers for their work across Trafford to help the Borough’s vulnerable people during the current Coronavirus pandemic. The Mayor also paid tribute to all the key workers and council staff working tirelessly during difficult circumstances. The Council joined with the Mayor in recognising the efforts of all key workers, volunteers and the Council’s frontline services delivering public services, including those of the One Trafford Partnership.

81.

Postponement of Annual Council and Changes to Governance Arrangements

For Council to receive a report outlining the proposal to postpone the Annual Meeting of Council and to agree a number of Governance changes required in the interim.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

In light of the Coronavirus global pandemic, the Executive Member for Public Safety, Governance and Reform and Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy submitted a joint report recommending a series of temporary measures to enable the Council to continue functioning democratically during the crisis.

 

Members were asked to note the postponement of the Annual Council Meeting and to adopt a revised six-month timetable of Council and Committee meetings that would be held virtually in light of new legislation.

 

The Council was also asked to consider the temporary suspension of its Scrutiny arrangements and approve the creation of a time limited Trafford Pandemic Scrutiny Committee.

 

The report also detailed the Memberships of the Executive and Shadow Executive and going forward into the 2020/21 Municipal Year, recommended reconfirmation of the Committees of the Council and their membership and confirmation of member appointments to outside bodies.

 

The Council was further asked to approve the appointment of the Governance Manager as the Statutory Scrutiny Officer for Trafford Council.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)        That the Council notes that the Annual Meeting of the Council scheduled for 27 May 2020 has been postponed to a date to be determined.

 

(2)        That, in the event the Annual meeting is required to be postponed beyond July 2020, the term of office of the incoming Mayor at that time will continue to the Annual Meeting of Council in May 2022.

 

(3)        That the Standing Committees and their membership, as set out in Appendix ‘A’ to the report, be confirmed, subject to Councillor Rigby replacing Councillor Bunting on Planning and Development Management Committee.

 

(4)        That the Council’s three scrutiny Committees be suspended until 30 September 2020 and that the establishment of the Trafford Pandemic Scrutiny Committee be approved to carry out the Scrutiny function as outlined in Appendix ‘B’ in the intervening period.

 

(5)        That the Council notes that the arrangements for the holding of virtual meetings and the operation of the proposed scrutiny arrangements will be subject to review by a cross party Constitution Working Group which will have the ability to make recommendations in relation to the continuation of the operating arrangements after 3 months.

 

(6)        That the Council meeting scheduled for September 2020 consider a further report from the Monitoring Officer, following consultation with the Constitution Working Group, in relation to the calendar of meetings for the remainder of the Municipal year and the proposed arrangements for all meetings for that period.

 

(7)        That Council approves a general extension to the six-month Councillor attendance rule of 3 months where any member is unable to attend meetings in the circumstances set out in the report, subject to confirmation by the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Standards Committee in each individual case, in advance of the six-month period expiring.

 

(8)        That Council approves the appointment of John Addison, Governance Manager, as the Council’s Statutory Scrutiny Officer and that the Council’s Constitution to be amended to reflect the appointment.

 

(9)        That the timetable of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81.