Agenda item

To consider a report by the Corporate Director, Legal and Democratic.

The Leader of the Council presented a report and recommendation to amend the Constitution of Dorset Council which was adopted by the Shadow Council in April 2019.

 

The review of the Constitution had been brought forward after consultation with Group Leaders, the Chief Executive and the Monitoring Officer. This would enable any changes to the structure of committees and the roles of members to be approved by the Council, to be implemented at the Annual Council Meeting in May so that they take full year effect.

 

It was proposed by Cllr S Flower seconded by Cllr C Sutton

 

Decision

 

That the Council:-

 

(a)       Supports the changes to the Constitution set out in the following sections of the report to Council of 18 February 2020:

 

(i)         10.4    To enable the Leader to designate up to six members from the controlling group as Lead Members to work alongside portfolio holders.

 

(ii)        11.10  To replace the existing four overview and scrutiny committees with two overview committees and two scrutiny committees.

 

(iii)       11.11  That the Chairmen of the two scrutiny committees shall be members of the largest opposition group and the vice chairmen shall not be members of the controlling group.

 

(iv)       11.12  That People and Health Overview Committee should include the statutory education co-optees (for education business only) and that the People and Health Scrutiny Committee should exercise the Council’s statutory health scrutiny and crime and disorder functions

 

(v)        12.3 to 12.6   To simplify and clarify the role and composition of the Staffing Committee when making senior officer appointments.

 

(vi)       13.1    To add the arrangements for the appointment and terms of office of co-opted members of the Harbours Committee.

 

(vii)      14.3    To implement the recommendation of a multi-agency task and finish group that the pan-Dorset Community Safety & Criminal Justice Board be disbanded. 

(viii)     15.1    To delete the interim arrangements which operated between 1 April 2019 and the first elections to Dorset Council.

(iv)       15.2    To make other consequential changes including to Council Procedure Rule 9 (Public Participation) to reflect the importance of the voice of Parish and Town Councils and the experience of the Chairman of Council and Democratic Services in operating the rules.

(x)        16.1    To give the Leader authority after consulting the Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee to make necessary drafting changes prior to publication of the Constitution.

 

 (b)      And that the Council

 

(i)         Ask the Audit and Governance Committee to determine any changes needed to those parts of the Constitution which contribute to the internal control environment.

 

(ii)        Ask the Independent Remuneration Panel to include the outcomes of the review the Constitution in their review of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances. 

 

(iii)       Agree that the next major review of the Council’s governance arrangements should not take place before February 2022.

 

 

Reason for Recommendation:  

 

To provide the Council with the good governance arrangements needed to enable the Council to be effective and efficient and achieve its ambitions for Dorset’s communities - Member led and governance lite.