Agenda item

(A report by John Medler, Assistant Director – Governance & Monitoring Officer)

The Assistant Director – Governance & Monitoring Officer introduced a report  relating to the establishment of committees, appointments to outside bodies, the programme of meetings, and the appointment of Independent Persons. Members were advised that, following the earlier decision to adopt a single scrutiny committee, the relevant appendices (1A, 2A, and 3A) should be referred to, which were included in the supplementary agenda pack that had been tabled.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed a minor amendment to the list of nominations to outside bodies: one nominee had withdrawn from the Witham Fourth District Internal Drainage Board, resulting in the number of nominees matching the number of available seats. The Monitoring Officer also confirmed a minor revision to recommendation 6 in the report which clarified that the Independent Person appointments were for the Municipal Year 2025/26. 

Prior to the vote on the full set of recommendations, Members were advised that two nominations had been received for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee. In accordance with procedure, a vote was required to determine the appointment. Nominations were received for two Members, Councillor Mike Gilbert and Councillor Anton Dani, each of whom had been duly proposed and seconded. The Mayor invited Members to vote by show of hands for each nominee in turn.

Resolved:

That Councillor Gilbert be appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee for the 2025–2026 municipal year.

The outcome of the vote was noted without further debate, and the meeting proceeded to consider the remaining recommendations within the Democratic Arrangements report. These included:

1.    Approval of the establishment of committees, sub-committees, panels, and working groups for the municipal year, including the allocation of seats and appointments as nominated by political group leaders.

2.    Appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of committees and panels.

3.    Approval of the programme of ordinary Council and committee meetings for the year, with delegated authority to the Chief Executive to amend dates if required.

4.    Noting of Cabinet membership and portfolio allocations.

5.    Appointment of representatives to outside bodies.

6.    Appointment of Independent Persons and approval of their allowance, along with the establishment of the Council’s Independent  Panel.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Anne Dorrian and seconded by Councillor Dale Broughton.

Resolved:

1.    That the establishment of Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and Working Groups for the municipal year 2025/26, including the allocation of seats to political groups and appointments (and substitutes), as set out in Appendix 1A as tabled, be approved;

2.    That the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels for the municipal year 2025/26, as set out in Appendix 2A within the report, be approved;

3.    That the Programme of Ordinary Council and Committee Meetings for the municipal year 2025/26, as set out in Appendix 3A within the report be approved; and that delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant Chairman, to amend meeting dates or cancel meetings as and when required;

4.    That the membership of the Cabinet and Portfolios for the for the municipal year 2025/26, as set out in Appendix 4 within the report, be noted;

5.    That the appointments to the Council’s Outside Bodies, as set out in Appendix 5 as tabled, be approved with the appointments to automatically terminate at the end of the appointment term or if the Member ceases to be a Member of the authority; and

6.    That Amanda Boustred and David Irvine be appointed as Boston Borough Council’s Independent Persons for the municipal year 2025/26, that an Independent Person annual allowance rate of £1,200 be approved and that  the Council’s Independent Panel be appointed as set out in section 7.6 within the report.