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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Democratic Services Committee held on 11 September 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.
RESOLVED: a) That the strategy be renamed as the draft Public Participation Strategy and that it be approved as the basis for consultation. b) That the Democratic Services Committee receives a further report setting out the results of the consultation, a draft final version of the strategy, and accompanying action plan in due course.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Democratic Services Committee (13 November 2023) be provided as a response to the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales consultation.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Gail Jones and Amanda Jones (Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager).
None.
None.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Democratic Services Committee held on 11 September 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.
The minutes of the meeting of the Democratic Services Committee held on 11 September 2023 were submitted for approval. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Democratic Services Committee held on 11 September 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: a) That the strategy be renamed as the draft Public Participation Strategy and that it be approved as the basis for consultation. b) That the Democratic Services Committee receives a further report setting out the results of the consultation, a draft final version of the strategy, and accompanying action plan in due course.
The Head of Democratic Services presented a report seeking approval to go out to public consultation on the draft Public Participation Strategy, which focused on promoting access to local government. The following was discussed: • Increased input and participation from the public was welcomed. • Whilst the strategy had previously been called the ‘Community Involvement Strategy’, it was felt that ‘Public Participation Strategy’ was a more appropriate title. • The Head of Democratic Services acknowledged that improvements could be made in respect of linking the democratic trail of reports. • The Head of Democratic Services advised that in order for a report to be considered as exempt, a public interest test had to be applied. This was usually done by one of the Council’s solicitors and, if appropriate, a recommendation to consider the report as exempt was made to the committee. The Report Review Group also considered whether any exempt information needed to be included for Members to make an informed decision; if not, the information could be removed from the report to allow the matter to be discussed in open session • The Financial Peer Review report had acknowledged the Council’s communication issues. • It was confirmed that the strategy was an overarching document, which set out the Council’s ambitions for public engagement, however, costs and resource implications would have to be considered if the ambition was to add to existing arrangements. • Consulting with the public in respect of the Council’s budget would be a separate discussion, potentially requiring a Cabinet decision. • The Head of Democratic Services confirmed that whilst there was no formal guidance for public engagement, the Authority could look to other Local Authorities to share good practice. • It was suggested that the public should be given the opportunity to voice their opinions prior to decisions being made. Therefore, it was suggested that embedding public participation in committee meetings should be included in the action plan. • In respect of the action ‘to bring the Council’s consultation activities together’, the Corporate Improvement and Development Manager could provide Members with further information and an overview of what was being developed. • Reference was made to a public consultation held in Glan Conwy which was a good example of positive public participation. • It was suggested that the public could contact their local Member in order to discuss concerns or voice their opinions. RESOLVED: a) That the strategy be renamed as the draft Public Participation Strategy and that it be approved as the basis for consultation. b) That the Democratic Services Committee receives a further report setting out the results of the consultation, a draft final version of the strategy, and accompanying action plan in due course.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Democratic Services Committee (13 November 2023) be provided as a response to the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales consultation.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW): Draft Annual Report 2024/2025. The following was discussed: • The proposed increase was welcomed by some Members and it was noted that Councillors generally worked more hours than the suggested three days per week. • If the salary was increased it was up to individual Members to decide whether or not to accept the increase, based on their own personal circumstances. • It was suggested that in order to attract younger and more diverse Councillors, fair remuneration was required. • It was also suggested that other factors, such as holding more meetings during the evening could help to attract those with full time jobs. • It was confirmed that it was at the discretion of Council which Committee Chairs should be remunerated. • It was felt that any costs associated with a pay increase should be reflected within a council tax increase and not taken from other council budgets, i.e. it was not appropriate to cut services to fund any increase in Members’ salaries. • Reference was made to the significant costs associated with the increase in the number of Senedd Members and the introduction of Corporate Joint Committees. • It was suggested that Central Government should cover the cost of Councillor pay increases. • Some Councillors indicated that they would not accept the pay increase due to the financial difficulties facing their constituents. · The Head of Democratic Services would seek clarification in respect of any underspend within the Members budget, but it was usual for any underspend to contribute towards overspends in other budget areas at the end of the financial year. There could be an underspend if some Councillors did not accept the increase in salary or some senior salaries were not paid. • It was noted that in one Town Council, if a Councillor did not accept the amount they were entitled to claim towards the cost of expenses, the Town Council donated that money to a local food bank. • It was suggested that the Council’s response to the IRWP should explain the difficulties associated with accepting a pay increase whilst imposing a council tax increase on residents. • In respect of remuneration, constituents could choose not to re-elect Councillors who did not represent value for money. • It was felt that the as the Council had no say in the percentage increase that was offered, then they should not be asked to comment on the proposals. • Whilst reference was made to setting the level of payments for Councillors at the beginning of each Council term, it was felt that this was unrealistic as inflation would need to be taken into account and it was difficult to judge the level year on year. • There was no requirement for the Council to respond to the IRPW consultation, however the IRPW was required to consult. • The Head of Democratic Services would circulate the IRPW consultation to all Members, who could respond individually to the proposals and the specific questions within the consultation paper. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Democratic Services Committee (13 November 2023) be provided as a response to the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales consultation.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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