To elect a Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

It was proposed by Councillor J N Smith and seconded by Councillor Mrs B S Fortune that Councillor M J Prest be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.  There were no other nominations.

THE DECISION:

That Councillor M J Prest be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

(The Chairman then signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took the Chair).

To appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

It was proposed by Councillor C A Les and seconded by Councillor T Swales that Councillor S P Dickins be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.  There were no other nominations.

THE DECISION:

That Councillor S P Dickins be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

(The Vice-Chairman then signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office).

The Chairman announced that he would be supporting the RNLI as his chosen charity for his term of office.

To receive a report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented a report which set out the role of various Officers of the Council.  Following the recent management restructure there was a need to designate new posts as Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer and authorise Officers to deal with certain official documents.  There was also a need to make certain consequential amendments to the Constitution to reflect the management changes.  This report asked Council to make the necessary changes.

THE DECISION:

That:-

(1)     the Director of Support Services be designated as the Council’s Section 151 Officer;

(2)     the Head of Legal and Information Services be designated as the Council’s Monitoring Officer;

(3)     the Head of Legal and Information Services be authorised to authenticate documents and attest the sealing of documents and authorise others to do the same; and

(4)     the Chief Executive be authorised to make any minor or consequential amendments to the Constitution required by the management restructure.

To receive a report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented a report which asked the Leader to inform the Council of the appointments to the Cabinet for 2014/15 and asked the Council to consider approving the Scheme of Delegation for Officers.

THE DECISION:

That:-

(a)     the appointments to Cabinet by the Leader for 2014/15 be noted as follows:-

          Councillor Peter Wilkinson              -        Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for  Economic Development and Finance

          Councillor Brian Phillips                   -        Portfolio Holder for Environmental and Planning Services

          Councillor Nigel Knapton                 -        Portfolio Holder for Support Services

          Councillor Mrs Bridget Fortune       -        Portfolio Holder for Customer and Leisure Services

(b)     that the Scheme of Delegation for Officers be approved.

To receive a report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive asked the Council to consider approving the appointment of various Committees and appointments to Outside Bodies.

To comply with the Constitution that required Committee appointments to be made by Council; waive proportionality rules in respect of the membership of Licensing and Appeals Hearings Panel and the Standards Hearings Panel; confirm that the Scrutiny Committee continues to be responsible for crime and disorder issues; appoint Members as the Council representatives on Outside Bodies; appoint the Cabinet Portfolio holder for Environment and Planning Services as the representative on the North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership; appoint the Leader of the Council as the District Council’s Member of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel and appoint the Portfolio Holder for Support Services as the Council’s representative on the Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London Adjudication Joint Committee.

The Chief Executive reminded Council that the Council’s Disciplinary Procedures had been revised whereby Elected Members would no longer determine Disciplinary matters.  An appeal had been received from an ongoing case which required endorsement from Council to permit the appeal to be dealt with under the former procedure which would allow a Panel of Members to meet to determine the appeal. 

THE DECISION:

That:-

(1)     the Council appoints the Committees indicated at Annex  ‘A’;

(2)     proportionality rules be waived in respect of the membership of the Licensing and Appeals Hearings Panel and the Standards Hearings Panel;

(3)     Membership of the Committees be that shown at Annex ‘B’;

(4)     the Council appoints as the Council’s representatives on Outside Bodies identified with an asterisk within Annex ‘C those Members indicated against those Outside Bodies

(5)     the Scrutiny Committee be responsible for crime and disorder issues;

(6)     the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Planning Services be appointed as the representative on the North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership;

(7)     the Leader of the Council be appointed as the District Council’s Member of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel;

(8)     the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Support Services be appointed as the representative on The Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London Adjudication Joint Committee; and

(9)     that the Licensing and Appeals Hearings Panel Pool and the Standards Hearings Panel Pool continue to hear staff disciplinary appeals until the Chief Executive considers appropriate.