MEETINGS

Under normal circumstances meetings will be held as follows:

1. The Statutory Annual Meeting:

(a) in an election year shall be held on the Monday during the second or third week following the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections to the Council and

(b) in a year which is not an election year shall be held on the second Monday in May.

2. The three other statutory meetings shall be held on the first Monday in the months of July, November and April, except when the first Monday in April is a public holiday, when the April meeting will be held on the second Monday in April.

3. Additional meetings shall be held on the first Monday in the months of June,

September, October, January, February and March and the second Monday in

December, except when the first Monday in January is a public holiday, when the

January meeting will be held on the second Monday in January.

CHAIRMAN OF MEETING

4. The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the Meeting.

QUORUM

5. Three members shall constitute a quorum.

VOTING

6. 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.

7. (1)  Subject to (2) and (3) below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote even though he gave no 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

(In an election year Councillors should execute Declarations of Acceptance of Office in each other’s presence, or in the presence of a proper officer previously authorised by the Council to take such declaration, before the annual meeting commences).

8. 8. At each Annual meeting the first business shall be  (a) To elect a Chairman.
   

(b) To receive the Chairman’s declaration of acceptance of office or, if not then

received, to decide when it shall be received. (c) In the ordinary year of election of the Council to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations. (d) To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office which have not been received as provided by law shall be received.

9.  At every meeting other than the Annual Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a Chairman if the Chairman and Vice-Chairman be absent and to receive such declarations of acceptance of office (if any) as are required by law to be made, or if not then received to decide when they shall be received.

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

(a) After consideration to approve the signature of the Minutes by the person

presiding as a correct record.

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

RESOLUTIONS OF EXPENDITURE

11. Any resolution which, if carried, would, in the opinion of the Chairman, substantially increase the expenditure upon any service which is under the management of or reduce the revenue at the disposal of any committee, or which would involve capital expenditure, shall, when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of the Council, and any committee affected by it shall consider whether it desires to report thereon.

EXPENDITURE

12. Orders for the payment of money shall be authorised by resolution of the Council and signed by two members.

VOTING IN COMMITTEES

13. Chairmen of committees and sub-committees shall in the case of an equality of votes have a second or casting vote.

ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT

14. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this Standing Order or by statute, all accounts for payment and claims upon the Council shall be laid before the Council.

(b) Where it is necessary to make a payment before it has been authorised by the Council, such payment shall be certified as to its correctness and urgency by the appropriate officer.  Such payment shall be authorised by the committee, if any, having charge of the business to which it relates, or by the proper officer for payments with the approval of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Council.

(c) All payments ratified under sub-paragraph (b) of this Standing Order shall be

separately included in the next schedule of payments laid before the Council.

15.  The Clerk shall supply to each member at the ordinary meeting next after the end of the Financial Year a statement of receipts and payments.

ESTIMATES

16. (a) The Council shall approve written estimates for the coming financial year at its meeting in the month of November.

(b) Any committee desiring to incur expenditure shall, not later than 1st November give to the Clerk a written estimate of the expenditure recommended for the coming year.

INTERESTS

17. The Clerk shall record in a book to be kept for the purpose, particulars of any notice given by any member or any officer of the Council of a pecuniary interest in a contract, and the book shall be open during reasonable hours of the day for the inspection of any member.

INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS

18. All Minutes kept by the Council and by any committee shall be open for the

inspection of any member of the Council.

ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS TO MEETINGS

19.  The public shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and its committees (and sub-committees) which may, however, temporarily exclude the public.

20. The Clerk shall afford to the press reasonable facilities for taking their report of any proceedings at which they are entitled to be present.

STANDING ORDER ON CONTRACTS

   (a)  Where it is intended to enter into a contract exceeding £5,000 but not

exceeding £10,000 in value for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works, the clerk shall give at least three weeks public notice of such intention in the same manner as public notice of meetings of the Council is given.

Where the value of the intended contract exceeds £10,000, similar notice shall be

given in addition in such newspapers circulating in the district as the Council shall direct.”

(b)    Notice of a contract exceeding £10,000 shall state the general nature of the

intended contract and state the name and address of the person to whom tenders are to be addressed and the last date by which those tenders should reach that person in the ordinary course of post.

(c)  Tenders shall be opened by the Clerk or other person to whom tenders are

required to be addressed on the date specified pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Order and shall be reported by the person who opened them to the Council or, where the tenders have been sought by a committee or sub-committee to that committee or sub-committee.

(d)  Neither the Council nor any committee, or sub-committee is bound to accept the lowest tender.

(e)  If no tenders are received or if all the tenders are identical the Council may make such arrangements for procuring the goods or materials or executing the works as it thinks fit.

VARIATION OR REVOCATION OF STANDING ORDERS

22. A resolution permanently to add, vary, or revoke a Standing Order shall when

proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of the Council.

STANDING ORDERS TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS

23. A copy of these Standing Orders shall be given to each member by the Clerk upon delivery to him of the member’s declaration of acceptance of office.

 

Amended by Council – 3rd March 2008

Issue 2.