Agenda item

e'>Community Meeting members will be the Councillors for the ward.

 

2.3 Invitees

a) Individuals and groups will be encouraged to attend and participate in the

meetings, including:

b) Local residents

c) Housing Associations

d) Primary Care Trusts

e) Police

f) Fire and Rescue Services

g) Tenant and Residents forum

h) Young Peoples Network

i) Older Peoples Network

j) Community Groups

k) Others as decided by the Committee

People attend should work or live in the ward.

A Community Meeting can appoint a number of non-voting community

partners. One of their roles would be to run informal meetings when there

is not a quorum for a formal meeting. (Additional guidance will be

developed on this issue).

 

2.4 Budget

a) A Community Meeting within a ward will have a budget allocated to it by

Cabinet

b) The principle for allocating resources would be to implement priorities

within the ward as set out in the ward action plans

c) Up to one third will be allocated to a community chest to fund projects to

be run by voluntary and community groups.

d) Two thirds will be allocated to service improvements, as identified in the

ward action plan

e) Additional funding may be attracted from other sources.

 

2.5 Working with Services

In phase one Environmental Services will work with community meetings

by:

a) Responding to local issues raised at community meetings.

b) Proactive dissemination of ward based information.

c) Service Planning and prioritisation.

This will be extended to other services in subsequent phases.

 

2.6 Voting and Decision-Making

a) As far as possible, Community Meetings should seek to reach agreement

by consensus rather than vote.

b) It is for the chair of the meeting to decide whether a matter should be

decided by a vote. Each Councillor shall have one vote. Issues put to the

vote shall be decided by a majority of the Councillors present at a quorate

meeting of the Community Meeting. In the case of equal votes, the chair of

the meeting shall have the second or casting vote.

c) Budget expenditure decisions must be in accordance with Council’s

Budget and Policy Framework, Contract and Finance Procedure rules.

Legal and financial implications must be considered and taken into

account.

d) Expenditure must be authorised by the Cabinet based on

recommendations by the community meeting and the views of the ward

councillors. In cases of demonstrated emergency, expenditure can be

authorised by a Corporate Director in consultation with the Leader of the

Council and the Cabinet Lead, with the decision being reported to the next

scheduled meeting of the Cabinet. No action or expenditure should be

incurred contrary to officer advice without referral to Cabinet.

 

2.7 Quorums

Two councillors from the ward constitute a quorum. Both must be present

to hold a formal meeting. Where there is no quorum a community partner

(where present) will be elected as chair (see 2.3 above), however no

formal decisions could be taken in the meeting (additional guidance will be

developed on this issue).

 

2.8 Meetings

a) Community Meetings will aim to meet between April and June 2008.

b) Meetings will take place in three monthly cycles.

c) At least one meeting should be held per cycle.

d) In the first year (from April 2008) the Community Meetings will aim to

operate in the following cycles:

e) First cycle: identify priorities for the ward to produce a Ward Action Plan.

f) Second cycle: Introduce new Environmental Services arrangements.

Agree Ward Action Plan

g) Third cycle: Implementation of Ward Action Plan.

h) Fourth cycle: Monitoring and review of Ward Action Plan

i) Where the Community Meeting needs to meet to conduct formal business,

the Council’s committee procedure rules will apply including those relating

to access to information, notice of meetings etc.

 

2.9 Agendas

a) The Community Meeting must set an agenda for each meeting by

agreement between the ward councillors where possible, otherwise at the

discretion of the person chairing the meeting.

b) The meeting will be in 2 parts.

c) The format of part 1 will encourage the engagement of local people and

partner organisations on local issues. The style of the meeting will facilitate

the expression of views of local people.

d) Part 2 will operate in a more structured way in accord with the Council’s

committee procedure rules and deal with business items, for example

allocation of the ward neighbourhood budget.

 

2.10 Chairing

The Committee will normally elect a Chair on an annual basis.

Arrangements for chairing will be confirmed at each agenda meeting. If

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