Agenda and minutes

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.

ELECTION OF MAYOR: The Mayor called for Nominations for the Office of Mayor for the Municipal Year 2009/10.

Councillor Haley moved and Councillor Lister seconded that Councillor Vanier be elected Mayor.

Councillor Mughal moved and Councillor Alexander seconded that Councillor Baker be elected Mayor.

Having put the vote to the meeting there being 22 votes for Councillor Baker, and 30 for Councillor Vanier, the Council:

RESOLVED:

1.      That Councillor Bernice Vanier  be elected Mayor for the Municipal Year 2009/10.

2.      The Mayor made and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which was witnessed by Councillors Haley and Lister.

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

4.      The Mayor’s consort Mr Vernon King was then invested with his Badge of Office.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dodds, Oakes and Wilson.

See Minutes 10, 11, 12, 15, 17 and 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.

Councillor Dobbie declared a personal interest in respect of Item 13 as a Council tenant of the Borough.

Councillor Aitken declared a personal interest in respect of Item 13 as a Council tenant of the Borough.

Councillor Thompson declared a personal interest in respect of Item 13 as a Council tenant of the Borough.

Members were also asked by the Mayor to consider whether they needed to make a declaration in accordance with Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act in relation to unpaid community charge or council tax liability which was two months or more outstanding.

The Mayor advised that those Members to whom this applied must make a declaration if they were present at any part of the meeting and must not vote on any matter relating to the budget, and that it was not sufficient for such members to refrain from voting or to absent themselves from the chamber for particular parts of the meeting.

There were no declarations.

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

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 30 March 2009 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 Eddie Griffith as Deputy Mayor for the ensuing year.

Councillor Griffith was invested with his Badge of Office. The Deputy Mayoress, Mrs Hazel Griffith was then invested with her badge of office.

A vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Consort and the retiring Deputy Mayor and Consort, and Mayor’s Chaplain was moved by Councillor Claire Kober and seconded by Councillor Robert Gorrie.

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

RESOLVED:

That the Council extend to the retiring Mayor, Councillor Alan Dobbie, the retiring Mayor’s Consort Mr Lance Chinnian, the retiring Deputy Mayor, Councillor Bernice Vanier, the retiring Deputy Mayor’s Consort Mr Vernon King, and the Mayor’s Chaplain, its sincere thanks and appreciation for the services they had rendered to the Borough during the past year.

The retiring Mayor addressed the Council.

The Mayor thanked the flower children Mahalel and Anh from Northumberland Park School, and also the parents and staff for making the arrangements.

The Mayor announced that her Special Fund was to support the Alzheimer’s Society (Haringey Branch).

The Mayor advised that she would be making further announcements about fundraising events on her web page.

Councillor Goldberg proposed that Councillor Claire Kober be elected Leader of the Council for 2009/10. Councillor Reith seconded.

On a vote there being 31 for, Nil against, and 23 abstentions it was:

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Claire Kober be elected Leader of the Council for 2009/10.

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 Goldberg that the tabled proposals be adopted. On a vote there being 31 for and 23 against it was:

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 Goldberg that recommendations 2.1- 2.2  as detailed in the report be adopted.

Councillor Allison moved an amendment to recommendation 2.2, that Councillor Hare be appointed Chair of the Planning Committee. Councillor Whyte seconded.

On a vote, there being 23 for and 31 against, the Motion was declared LOST.

Councillor Hare moved an amendment to recommendation 2.2, that Councillor Winskill be appointed Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Williams seconded.

On a vote, there being 23 for and 31 against, the Motion was declared 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.

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.

It was moved by Councillor Goldberg that the tabled proposals be adopted subject to the following amendment – The Bridge (Seven Sisters) NDC Partnership Board – delete Councillor Diakides. The Council:

RESOLVED:

That the appointments to outside bodies be approved, as detailed in the schedule attached to the report subject to the following amendment – The Bridge (Seven Sisters) NDC Partnership Board – deletion of Councillor Diakides.

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

RESOLVED

1.      That approval be given to a revised housing rent increase for 2009/10 at  an average of £2.34 per week (2.94% increase over 2008/09) and that housing rents be revised from 6 July 2009 in order to achieve this.

2.      That approval be given to a revised HRA budget as set out in appendix A of the report with a revised cash limit surplus of £607,000.

To make provision for the Council having a full complement of 5 independent members on its Standards Committee for the 2009/10 Municipal Year.

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

RESOLVED

1.      That approval be given to the appointment of Rachael Chambers and Jonathan Batterham to serve as Independent Members on the Standards Committee from May 2009 for four years (increasing the number of Independent Members of the Standards Committee to 5 for 2009/10)

2.      That the term of office of Independent Member – Roger Lovegrove be extended for a further year to May 2010.

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 Claire Kober

Deputy Leader:                     Councillor Lorna Reith

Chief Whip:                           Councillor Joe Goldberg

Chair:                                     Councillor Ali Demirci

 Deputy Chair:                       Councillor  Toni Mallett

Secretary:                              Councillor Gmmh Rahman Khan

Assistant Whips:                   Councillors Sheila Peacock & Liz  Santry

Group Treasurer                   Councillor Sheila Peacock

Non-Executive members     Cllrs Adje, Patel & Adamou

Councillors:

Amin                           Dodds                                    Lister             

Basu                           Dogus                         Meehan                     

Bevan                       Egan                 Stanton                      

Bull                              Griffith                         Thompson

Canver                        Haley                          Vanier

Cooke                                    B.Harris                                                                     

Diakides                    C.Harris         

Dobbie                       Jones                         

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 David Beacham

Group Deputy Chair             Councillor Carolyn Baker

Councillors:

Aitken                                     Engert             Reid

Alexander                               Hare                            Scott  

Allison                        Mughal                        Weber           

Beynon                                  Newton                        Williams                                     

Bloch                                      Oakes                         Winskill                      

Butcher                                   Oatway          

Edge                                       Rainger         

a)     The Constitution Review Working Group – report 1/2009-10

Councillor Kober moved the Constitution Review Working Group Report 1 – 2009/10 together with the circulated addendum.   

RESOLVED:

That report 1 of the Constitution Review Working Group 2009/10 and addendum be received and that the following recommendations contained within it be agreed:

1.      That the statutory duty placed on the Council to resolve to adopt a new form of executive arrangements by 31 December 2009, to come into effect in May 2010 be noted.

2.      That the differences between existing executive arrangements and the new options contained in the 2007 Act as set out in section five and appendix one of the report be noted.

3.      That the Constitution Review Working Group have member oversight of the implementation of new executive arrangements in Haringey and formulate recommendations for consideration and adoption by full Council as required.

4.      That to ensure compliance with the statutory timelines for implementation of new executive arrangements, the indicative implementation timetable and route map as outlined in section ten and illustrated in appendix two of the report be adopted by Council on 18 May 2009.

5.      That the suggested approach for consultation as set out in section eleven and illustrated in appendix three of the report be adopted by Council on 18 May 2009.

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.

RESOLVED:

That the statement of members’ attendance for the 2008/09 Municipal Year be noted.

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 Goldberg that the end of Year statement be noted.

RESOLVED:

That the allowances paid to each Member for 2008/09 be noted.