Issue - meetings

Councillor Pursehouse had asked for this item to be included on the agenda under Standing Order 18. He introduced the report which included his proposals for:

·           increasing the current level of officer support (2 hours per week) for the Chair of the Council;

·           engaging officer support to help establish the charities fundraising committee as an independent charitable entity (thereby achieving tax benefits); and

·           a seminar as per recommendation B below.

The report invited the Committee to make a recommendation to Council based on the information provided. It advised that the additional cost of increasing the current level of PA  support to the proposed 7 hours (average) per week would be £5,263 per annum.

It was considered that, for the time being, the Chair of the Council’s annual civic allowance should be used to fund the increased level of PA support being sought by Councillor Pursehouse but that, otherwise, the Chair of the Council and the fundraising committee should be self-sufficient. Members also agreed that the proposed seminar be held in the near future to inform subsequent decisions about longer term arrangements for supporting the Chair of the Council, including the question of whether the annual civic allowance should be increased to cover the required costs.  

COUNCIL DECISION

(subject to ratification by Council)

            R E C O M M E N D E D -  that:

A.        a PA service be provided to support the Chair of the Council as and when necessary for an average of 7 hours per week (including support for the charities fundraising committee and the seminar referred to in B below) to be funded from the Chair of the Council’s annual civic allowance for the time being;

B.        a seminar be held in the near future to enable the Council to explore how it wants its Chair to represent TDC and what activities it wants them to undertake; and

C.        the longer term resource requirement for support to the Chair of the Council be considered in light of the outcome of B above.