Agenda and minutes

The Mayor requested agreement to the proceedings being filmed.

The Council agreed.

1.                  To elect the Mayor for the ensuing year.

[The Local Government Act 1972 provides as follows with regard to election of Mayor:-

Schedule 2, paragraphs 2(1) and 13(3) – The Mayor shall be elected annually by the Council from among the Councillors.

Schedule 2, paragraph 3(1) – The election of the Mayor shall be the first business transacted at the Annual Meeting of the Council.

Schedule 2, paragraph 3(3) – In the case of an equality of votes, the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he/she may have.

The Mayor called for Nominations for the Office of Mayor for the Municipal Year 2008/09.

Councillor Sheila Peacock moved and Councillor Catherine Harris seconded that Councillor Alan Dobbie be elected Mayor.

Councillor Gorrie moved and Councillor Aitken seconded that Councillor Oakes be elected Mayor.

Having put the vote to the meeting there being 31 votes for Councillor Dobbie, and 22 votes for Councillor Oakes, the Council:

RESOLVED:

1.      That Councillor Alan Dobbie be elected Mayor for the Municipal Year 2008/09.

2.      The Mayor made and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which was witnessed by Councillors Peacock and Catherine Harris.

3.      The Mayor then addressed the Council, gave thanks for his election and outlined his objectives for his year of office.

4.      The Mayor’s Consort Lance Chinnian, was then invested with his Badge of Office.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Baker, Davies, Demirci and Rainger.

See Minutes 11, 12, 13, 15,17 &18.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/orif it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

Members were asked by the Mayor to declare any personal interest in respect of items on the agenda.  In accordance with Part 2 of the Members Code of Conduct set out in the Council Constitution, any Member disclosing a personal interest which was also prejudicial would be asked to withdraw from the Chamber during consideration of the item and neither were they to seek to improperly influence a decision on the said item.

There were no declarations of interest.

Copies of the Minutes of the last meeting having been circulated, they were taken as read.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 31 March 2008 be signed as a true record.

[The Local Government Act 1972 provides as follows with regard to the appointment of Deputy Mayor:-

Schedule 2, paragraph 5(1) – The Mayor may appoint a Councillor of the Borough to be Deputy Mayor, and the person so appointed shall, unless he/she resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until a newly elected Mayor becomes entitled to act as Mayor (whether or not he/she continues until that time to be a Councillor).

Schedule 2, paragraph 5(2) – The appointment of a Deputy Mayor shall be signified to the Council in writing and be recorded in the minutes of the Council.]

The Chief Executive reported that the Mayor had signified in writing the appointment of Councillor Bernice Vanier as Deputy Mayor for the ensuing year.

Councillor Vanier was invested with her Badge of Office. The Deputy Mayor’s Escort – Mr Vernon King was then invested with his badge of office.

A vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Mayoress and the retiring Deputy Mayor and Escort was moved by Councillor George Meehan and seconded by Councillor Neil Williams.

The retiring Mayor was presented with a badge marking his year of office. The Leader also presented the retiring Mayor with a photograph album. The Mayor presented the retiring Mayoress with a framed photograph.

RESOLVED:

That the Council extend to the retiring Mayor, Councillor Sheik Thompson, the retiring Mayoress Mrs Kyoko Thompson  , the retiring Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dilek Dogus, and the retiring Deputy Mayor’s Escort -  Mr Mustafa Dogus , its sincere thanks and appreciation for the services they had rendered to the Borough during the past year.

The retiring Mayor addressed the Council.

1. The Mayor thanked the flower children Muganthan Yogaratnam, Anitalia Nangozi and Damla Kurt  from Noel Park Primary School for attending the ceremony.  The Council gave them a round of applause.
   
   
2. The Mayor announced and presented his Parish Priest, Fr. Simon Clark of St. Mark's Church in Noel Park with a Chaplain's Badge as the Mayor's Chaplain for the year ahead.
   
   
3. The Mayor congratulated Councillor Thompson on receiving the Freedom of the City of London award for services to music and theatre art. 

Councillor Kober proposed that Councillor George Meehan be elected Leader of the Council for 2008/09. Councillor Reith seconded.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor George Meehan be elected Leader of the Council for 2008/9.

(to follow)

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business.  Appointments had only recently been finalised at Party Group Meetings and needed approval to permit Cabinet meetings to be convened.

It was moved by Councillor Kober that the tabled proposals be adopted.

RESOLVED:

That the numbers of Councillors and names of Councillors appointed to the Cabinet, as detailed in the tabled proposals, be agreed.

(List of Committees, Sub-Committees and other bodies to be appointed, with Chairs and Deputy Chairs indicated, to be tabled).

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business.  Appointments had only recently been finalised at Party Group Meetings and needed approval to permit committees to be convened.

It was moved by Councillor Kober that recommendations 1 – 2 as detailed be adopted.

Councillor Wilson moved an amendment  to recommendation 2, that Councillor Hare be appointed Chair of the Planning Committee. Councillor Allison seconded.

In respect of the amendment for the nomination for the Chair of the Planning Committee there being 22 votes for Councillor Hare, and 31 against, the amendment was lost.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the process for appointing to Committees, Sub-Committees and Chairs be approved on the “slate” basis prescribed.

2.      That the membership of committees, sub-committees and appointment of Chairs be agreed as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

(to follow)

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business.  Appointments had only recently been finalised at Party Group Meetings and needed approval to permit appointments to outside organisations to be made.

RESOLVED:

That the appointments to outside bodies be approved, as detailed in the schedule attached to the report.

To make provision for the Council having a full complement of 4 independent members on its Standards Committee for the 2008/9 municipal year.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the appointment of Annabel Loyd to serve as an independent member on the Standards Committee from May 2008 for four years be agreed.

2.      That the term of appointment of Irene Francis and Roger Lovegrove be extended for a further year until May 2009.  

(to follow).

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business as it dealt with matters considered at Party Group meetings within the last few days. 

RESOLVED:

That the composition of the following political groups be noted:

The Labour Group

Leader:                       Councillor George Meehan

Deputy Leader:         Councillor Lorna Reith

Chief Whip:                Councillor Claire Kober

Chair:                          Councillor Matt Cooke

Vice Chair:               Councillor  Ray Dodds

Secretary:                  Councillor GMMH Rahman Khan

Assistant Whips:       Councillors Councillor Sheila Peacock & Pat Egan

Group Treasurer        Councillor Sheila Peacock

Non-Executive members: Councillors Alan Dobbie and Sheik Thompson

Councillors:

The Liberal Democrat Group

Leader:                                  Councillor Robert Gorrie

Deputy Leader:                    Councillor Richard Wilson

Chief Whip:                           Councillor Monica Whyte

Deputy Whip                          Councillor Matt Davies

Group Chair                        Councillor Laura Edge

Group Deputy Chair            Councillor David Beacham

Councillors:

It was moved by Councillor Kober that the recommendations as detailed be adopted.

RESOLVED:

That the schedule of meetings for 2008/09, as circulated with the tabled amendment for May and June 2008, be approved.

(to follow).

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business.  The statement was not available at the time of despatch as information was still being gathered.

It was moved by Councillor Kober that the statement of attendance be noted subject to any changes being reported to the next meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the statement of members’ attendance be noted, subject to any changes being reported to the next meeting.

(to follow).

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business.  The statement was not available at the time of despatch as information was still being gathered.

It was moved by Councillor Kober that the end of Year statement be noted.

RESOLVED:

That the allowances paid to each Member for 2007/08 be noted.