Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Epsom Town Hall, https://www.youtube.com/@epsomandewellBC/playlists. View directions

Contact: Fiona Cotter, tel: 01372 732124  email:  fcotter@epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

25.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made by councillors regarding items on the Agenda.

26.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Meetings of the Council held on 17 October 2017 and 28 November 2017 (Annexe 1) respectively.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Meetings of the Council held on 17 October 2017 and 28 November 2017 respectively were agreed as a true record and signed by the Mayor.

27.

Mayoral Communications/Business

To receive such communications or deal with such business as the Mayor may decide to lay before the Council.

Minutes:

The Mayor wished everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and made a number of announcements relating to forthcoming charity events. She also informed members that she had recently attended the rededication of the grave of Lt. Colonel Northey of Epsom, a young officer killed in the Zulu wars of 1800s. Among the guests were a Zulu princess and members of the Northey family.

28.

Questions from Councillors pdf icon PDF 102 KB

To answer any written questions from Councillors

 

Note:  The deadline for questions is 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2017 (17.00 hours on the third clear working day before the meeting).


Minutes:

Eight questions had been addressed to Committee Chairmen to which written answers had been provided and published.

29.

Scheme for Members Allowances pdf icon PDF 100 KB

This report asks the Council to consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and to determine its Scheme for Members’ Allowances.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council received and considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel regarding a Scheme for Members Allowances.

Upon the recommendations of the Panel being put, it was MOVED by Councillor Clive Smitheram and SECONDED by Councillor Hannah Dalton that:

the Council:

(1)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IPR in regard to the uplift in Basic Allowance and retains the current system of Basic Allowances and indexation;

(2)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to award the majority Group Chairman/Leader a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,703 for 2018/19 (under current formulae £4,113) subject to any indexation that may apply;

(3)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IRP in regard to the allowance for a Leader of a Minority Group and agrees to retain the current funding arrangements;

(4)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairman of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee;

(5)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the independent person for standards matters (currently £1,012.44 per annum) and replace it with a daily rate of £250 payable only when the post is required by the Council to perform the duties of an Independent Person;

(6)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to implement one Special Responsibility Allowance per member;

(7)          Accept the recommendation of the  IRP to replace the reference to the National Living Minimum Wage for Dependent Carer’s Allowance with the appropriate rate of the National Living Wage;

(8)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to continue to adopt HMRC rates for calculating reimbursement of Members mileage and that subsistence payments should be in accordance with those paid to Officers of the Council;

(9)          Approve an additional £150 (as originally recommended to Strategy and Resources Committee in March 2015) to be consolidated within the 2017/18 Basic Allowance, to reflect the previous provision and support arrangements for broadband, phone lines, printers and IT technical support which has ceased;

(10)       Adopt recommendation (1) to (8) above from 1 April 2018.

The amendment was CARRIED, there being 23 members in favour, 7 members against and 5 abstentions.

It was thereupon MOVED by Councillor Vince Romagnuolo and SECONDED by Councillor Kate Chinn that:

“Officers look to investigate a scheme based on expenses only and report back to Full Council”

Upon being put, the amendment was LOST, there being 6 members in favour and the majority against

RESOLVED that:

the Council:

(1)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IPR in regard to the uplift in Basic Allowance and retains the current system of Basic Allowances and indexation;

(2)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to award the majority Group Chairman/Leader a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,703 for 2018/19 (under current formulae £4,113) subject to any indexation that may apply;

(3)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IRP in regard to the allowance for a Leader of a Minority Group and agrees to retain the current funding arrangements;

(4)          Accept the recommendation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

30.

Calendar of Meetings 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 59 KB

This report sets out a proposed Calendar of Meetings for 2018/19.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council received a report from the Head of Legal & Democratic Services regarding the proposed Calendar of Council and Committee meetings.

Councillor Eber Kington MOVED, and Councillor Clive Smitheram SECONDED, the recommendation in the report subject to reporting that the Democratic Services Manager would seek to resolve a clash in proposed dates.  The calendar currently listed the Environment Committee and Local Committee as both taking place on 11 June 2018 and the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee and Planning Committee both taking place on 18 April 2019.

Upon being put, the recommendation that the Council approve the 2018/19 Calendar of Meetings was CARRIED.

RESOLVED

that the Calendar of Meetings for 2018/19 be approved

31.

Motions to Council

In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, to consider any Motions submitted by the due deadline.

 

No Motions received by the deadline.

 

Note: The deadline for Notice of Motions was 5.00pm on Wednesday 29 November 2017 (17.00 hours on the eighth clear working day before the meeting)

 


Minutes:

No motions to Council had been received by the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday 29 November 2017 (eight clear working days before the meeting).