Minutes – Annual Meeting of the City Council (Mayor Making) – 15 May 2024
The agenda and papers for this meeting are available here: Annual Meeting of the City Council (Mayor Making) – 15 May 2024 – agenda and papers
The minutes of this meeting are presented below.
You can also download a PDF copy of the minutes here: Minutes – Annual Meeting of the City Council – 15 May 2024
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Minutes
Date: 15 May 2024
Time: 6.00pm – 6.29pm
Location: The Council Chamber – The Council House • North Street • CHICHESTER • West Sussex • PO19 1LQ
PRESENT: Councillors Apel, Butler, Chant, C Gershater, J Gershater, Hitchman, Kondabeka, Loxton, McHale, Miall, Moore, Pramas, Quail, Scicluna and Vivian.
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Incoming Mayor’s Consort, Incoming Deputy Mayor’s Consort, Retiring Mayor’s Chaplain, Incoming Mayor’s Chaplain, Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk, Council Services and Support Officer, Communities Officer, Civic and Council Support Officer, Macebearer, Front of House Supervisor, Finance Assistant, Mr Richard Plowman (Second Chance Chichester).
A number of members of the public.
Apologies were noted for Councillors Corfield and Knight.
Councillor Squire was absent from the meeting.
1. ELECTION OF MAYOR 2024-2025
The retiring Mayor, Councillor Craig Gershater, in the Chair for this item only.
It was proposed by Councillor Chant, seconded by Councillor Butler and unanimously RESOLVED that Councillor Sarah Quail be and is hereby elected Mayor of the City of Chichester until the date of the next Annual Meeting and that the allowance to be paid to her be at the rate of £4,000 per annum (exclusive of additional allowances already paid).
The new Mayor’s Consort, Mr Anthony Quail, was invested with the Mayor’s Consort Badge by the retiring Mayoress, Councillor Judy Gershater.
2. DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE BY THE MAYOR
Councillor Quail in the Chair.
Councillor Quail, having been invested with the Chain of Office and presented with the Mayor’s ring, walking stick and gold snuff box, then made and subscribed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
3. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY MAYOR 2024-2025
It was proposed by Councillor Apel, seconded by Councillor McHale and unanimously RESOLVED that Councillor Stuart Loxton be and is hereby appointed Deputy Mayor of the City of Chichester until the date of the next Annual Meeting.
The Deputy Mayor’s Badge and Walking Stick were presented to Councillor Loxton and the Deputy Mayor’s Consort Badge was presented to Mrs Amy Loxton.
The new Deputy Mayor responded and informed those present that he was deeply honoured to have been appointed and would do his utmost to fulfil the responsibilities of Office and support his fellow Councillors as well as the wider population of Chichester.
4. ELECTION OF BAILIFF 2024-2025
It was moved by Councillor Miall, seconded by Councillor J Gershater and unanimously RESOLVED that Councillor Kondabeka be elected Bailiff of the City of Chichester until the date of the next Annual Meeting.
The Bailiff’s Badge of Office and Walking Stick were presented to Councillor Kondabeka.
At this point, the Mayor noted her thanks to her fellow Councillors for electing her to Office and also the City Council Officers for their efforts in arranging the meeting itself.
5. SELECTION OF STANDING COMMITTEES 2024-2025
The Mayor presented the document outlining the proposed memberships of the three Standing Committees that had been circulated to Councillors.
RESOLVED to accept the proposed Standing Committee memberships as tabled.
6. MINUTES OF COUNCIL
It was moved by the Mayor and duly seconded and RESOLVED that the minutes of the Meeting of Council held on 24 April 2024 be approved, adopted and signed as a correct record.
7. MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Mayor thanked her fellow Councillors for her election and informed those present that she was looking forward to being Mayor and getting involved in the Chichester community.
She informed Members that her Mayor’s Chaplain would be the Reverend John-Henry Bowden.
The retiring Mayor thanked the retiring Mayor’s Chaplain, Mr Bruno Kondabeka, for his support during his Mayoral year.
The Mayor advised Councillors that the Mayor’s charity for the year 2024-2025 would be Chichester District Food Bank.
She further advised those present that her first charity event would be a Regency style ball to be held in the Council House in October 2024.
8. VOTE OF THANKS TO THE RETIRING MAYOR
The Mayor thanked the retiring Mayor for his service to the City during the previous year.
She informed Members that she felt he had been a good Mayor and that he and the Mayoress had performed their roles with enterprise and dignity.
She reminded those present that particular highlights of his time in office had been a busy meeting with Scouts groups and tree planting at Parklands.
The retiring Mayor thanked the Mayor for her words and thanked the retiring Mayoress for her support during his Mayoral year.
He told Members he had felt privileged to have been Mayor and glad to have been offered the role.
The retiring Mayor thanked his fellow Councillors, the Town Clerk and City Council Officers for their support and expressed particular thanks to the Civic and Council Support Officer for helping him navigate his way through his busy engagement schedule.
He expressed the opinion that being in politics was about being in service to the people and that the Mayoral role was a bridge between politics and community.
The retiring Mayor mentioned some areas that had had a particular impact on him, including the homeless and the Stonepillow charity that supported them, refugees and asylum seekers in the City and the volunteer groups that were vital to the life of the City.
He also expressed the opinion that the City was in a unique position within Europe with its four Twinning and Friendship links and that the associated Friends groups were seeking to strengthen these ties.
9. COMMON SEAL
RESOLVED that the Common Seal be affixed to any documents necessary to give effect to the resolutions passed at this meeting.