Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk reporting action taken since its last meeting.

A Member referred to the decision to reconfigure the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen’s IT Room into two separate rooms. He stated that he had understood that the rooms would form part of package of a dedicated support for the Chairmen of the Police, Finance, Planning and Transportation and Establishment Committee. He suggested that the rooms be made available principally for use by those Chairmen and their Deputies with other Chairmen being able to use the room only when it was available. Several Members supported his suggestion.

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee expressed concern about the high volume of work being undertaken by chairmen in general. She advised that she was happy for the Policy Chairman’s meeting room to be used when available. With regard to the future use of newly converted rooms, she suggested that should the above mentioned proposal be supported all Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen should be consulted. She also referred to, and expressed support for, the introduction of a video conferencing facility being made available particularly in the current climate.

The Assistant Town Clerk reminded Members that meeting rooms were also available for Members to use in the North Wing. He advised that booking rooms for Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen would become easier once the new Chairmen’s PAs were been recruited. He advised that in his view the Pas should be responsible for booking the new meeting room.

Detailed discussion ensued during which it was agreed by the majority of Members that the IT room should be designated for use exclusively by the four Chairmen and their Deputies and that in terms of the adjoining meeting room, the four Chairmen and the Deputiesshould have first call but, when not in use, the room should be available for use by all other Chairmen or Deputy Chairmen. Consultation should take place with all Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen on this basis and that a further meeting of the Sub-Committee should  be convened on the morning of the next meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee to consider the outcome in order to make a recommendation to the Grand Committee.

RESOLVED – That all Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen be consulted on the proposal as set out above and that a further meeting of the Sub-Committee be convened on the 19 October 2017 to consider the outcome of the consultation and to make a recommendation to the Policy and Resource Committee thereon.