STANDING ORDERS & CODE OF CONDUCT

September 2006

STANDING ORDERS (7 - 15)

QUORUM

7. Seven Members shall constitute a quorum, but a motion to suspend Standing Orders shall not be moved unless there are at least two-thirds of the Members present.

8. If a quorum is not present or if during a Meeting the number of councillors present (not counting those debarred by reason of a declared interest) falls below the required quorum, the Meeting shall be adjourned and business not transacted shall be transacted at the next Meeting or on such other day as the Chairman may fix.

VOTING

9. Members shall vote by show of hands or, if at least two members so request, by ballot.

10. If a member so requires, the Clerk shall record the names of the members who voted on any question so as to show whether they voted for or against it. Such a request must be made before moving on to the next business.

11. (1) subject to (2) and (3) below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote and in any case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote whether or not he gave an original vote.

(2) If the person presiding at the annual Meeting would have ceased to be a member of the Council but for the statutory provisions which preserve the membership of the Chairman and Vice Chairman until the end of their term of office he may not give an original vote in an election for Chairman.

(3) The person presiding must give a casting vote whenever there is an equality of votes in an election for Chairman.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

12. At each Annual Meeting the first business shall be

(a) To elect a Town Mayor.

(b) To receive the Town Mayor’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received.

(c) To elect a Deputy Town Mayor.

(d) To receive the Deputy Town Mayor’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received.

(e) In the ordinary year of election of the Council to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations.

(f) To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office and written undertakings to observe the code of conduct adopted by the Council which have not been received as provided by law, shall be received.

(g) To appoint Statutory or Standing committees set out in [i] and [ii] below.

[i] The Management Committee – which shall consist of eight Councillors plus the Town Mayor. Proportional representation shall be used to select members.

[ii] The Planning Committee – which shall consist of fifteen Councillors.

(h) To appoint other bodies set out in [i] to [iii] below, and thereafter follow the order set out in Standing Order 15.

[i] The Burial Ground Steering Group – which shall consist of the Management Committee plus the Deputy Mayor.

[ii] The Foreshore Negotiation Group – which shall consist of the Management Committee plus the Deputy Mayor.

[iii] The Honours Working Group – which shall consist of one Member from each political party.

13. At every Meeting other than the Annual Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a Chairman if the Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor be absent and to receive such Declarations of Acceptance of Office (if any) and undertaking to observe the Council’s code of conduct as are required by law to be made or, if not then received, to decide when they shall be received.

14. In every year, not later than the Meeting at which the estimates for next year are settled, the Council shall review the pay and conditions of service of existing employees. Standing Order 38 must be read in conjunction with this requirement.

15. After the first business has been completed, the order of business, unless the Council otherwise decides on the grounds of urgency, shall be as follows:-

(a) To read and consider the Minutes; provided that if a copy has been circulated to each member not later than the day of issue of the summons to attend the Meeting, the minutes may be taken as read.

(b)  To receive apologies for absence (Councillors absent without apologies are to be regarded as absent and recorded in the minutes as such).

(c) After consideration to approve the signature of the minutes by the person presiding as a correct record.

(d) To deal with business expressly required by statute to be done.

(e) To dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last Meeting.

(f) To receive such communications as the person presiding may wish to lay before the Council

(g) To answer specific questions Councillors may wish to raise.

(h) To receive and consider reports and minutes of committees.

(i) To receive and consider resolutions or recommendations in the order in which  they have been notified.

(j) To authorise the sealing of documents.

(k) If necessary, to authorise the signing of orders for payment.

     

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