Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor I. Gregory who was substituted by Councillor Mrs Saunders.

To receive any declarations of interest.  Members are advised to consider the extract from the Standard Board Code of Conduct for Members, which forms part of the Declaration of Interest Form at the back of this Agenda.  If a Member declares an interest, they should complete that Form and hand it to the Officer clerking the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 26 April 2011, copy attached.

Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

Members wanted to know progress on the Coach House issue. Sue McGonigal, CEx said that an update report on the Coach House was going to be considered by Cabinet on 23 June 2011. Members wanted an update on what had become of the previous Panel’s recommendation to set up the RNLI Lifeboat Station Working Party. Mr Harvey Patterson, Corporate & Regulatory Services Manager said that the issue would be considered elsewhere in the agenda.

Members asked why the recommendations that were agreed by the Airport Working Party on 26 April 2011 were not included within the agenda of this meeting. The Chairman asked the Clerk to make available copies of the relevant published minutes of the Airport Working Party and adjourned the meeting for ten minutes..

The Clerk having obtained the minutes, the Panel discussed whether they should be considered by the Panel. 

Sue McGonigal assured Members that the issue was no longer going to the June Cabinet meeting. Mr Patterson said under such circumstances it would be advisable for Members to defer discussion to the next scheduled Panel meeting.

The Chairman then deferred the item to the next scheduled Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting where a fuller report from the responsible officer would be considered by Members.

Report to follow.

Councillor D. Green proposed, Councillor Watkins seconded and Members agreed that the Panel reconstitutes the following:

a.  Airport Working Party;

b.  Asset Working Party;

c.  Corporate Improvement & Budget Working Party;

d.  Shared Services Working Party.

Councillor Harrison proposed, Councillor D. Green seconded and Members agreed, that each of the formal working parties would consider their draft terms of reference at their first meeting and forward them to the next scheduled meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel:

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor D. Green seconded and Members agreed that the Ramsgate Port & Marina Working Party be reconstituted as a formal working party with a membership of seven.

Councillor D. Green proposed, Councillor Watkins seconded and Members agreed to disregard political proportionality and that each of the five formal working parties would have a membership of seven with a ratio of 3:3:1 (3 Conservative Group; 3 Labour Group; 1 Independent Group).

Councillor D. Green proposed, Councillor Watkins seconded and Members agreed that the Panel delegates to each Political Group the authority to nominate Members to serve on these working parties, and forwards to the Democratic Services Team the names of Members to sit on each, such nominations to be reported to the next scheduled Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

Councillor D. Green proposed, Councillor Wiltshire seconded and Members agreed that all other informal working parties be discontinued with the exception of the Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) Working Party.

Members of the Panel agreed that the size of the CDRP Working Party would be determined at the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

To receive the schedule of Cabinet reports which are likely to involve a “key decision” being made during the period from 1 June 2011 to 1 December 2011. Copies of the schedule of significant changes will be circulated separately.

Members requested that Cabinet Portfolio Holders should be invited to Overview and Scrutiny Panel meetings to respond to questions from Panel Members on specific service areas.

The Chairman, Councillor King proposed, Councillor D. Green seconded and Members agreed that Cabinet Members be invited to Overview and Scrutiny Panel meetings subject to Cabinet having made the relevant policy decisions.

Sue McGonigal said that Thanet District Council had deferred making a decision on creating new arrangements for Street Cleansing Services because of contractual obligations with Canterbury City Council. The Council was exploring possibilities for joint working with Canterbury City Council and that she intended producing a paper on options. Members requested that the options paper be considered by the Panel at the appropriate time. Sue McGonigal agreed, subject to the options paper being considered by Cabinet first.

Councillor Harrison proposed, Cllr Driver seconded and the Panel agreed that the options paper on Street Cleansing Services should be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel before it goes to Cabinet.

Members expressed their disappointment at the quality of the pictures and the often unreliable audio system in the Council Chamber. There was a need to identify sources of funding for continued webcasting. Glenn Back said that he would be putting a paper to Senior Management Team regarding options for upgrading the audio system in the Council Chamber.

Councillor Harrison proposed, Councillor Wiltshire seconded and Members agreed:

1.  That Council continues web casting Council meetings (in the interest of transparency and equity) but review the recording devices with a view to investment in alternative technology to reduce officer time.