Minutes – Full Council (Special meeting) – 24 October 2022
The agenda and papers for this meeting are available here: Full Council (Special Meeting) – 24 October 2022 – agenda and papers
The minutes of this meeting are presented below.
You can also download a PDF copy of the minutes here: Minutes – Full Council (Special meeting) – 24 October 2022
SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL
Minutes
Date: 24 October 2022
Time: 4.00pm – 4.34pm
Location: The Council Chamber – The Council House • North Street • CHICHESTER • West Sussex • PO19 1LQ
PRESENT: The Mayor (Councillor Joy), the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Plowman) and Councillors Apel, Barrie, Bell, Carter, Corfield, Dignum, Gaskin, Gershater, C Hughes, J Hughes, Lishman, Quail, Scicluna and Sharp
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk, Member Services Support Officer
Co-option applicants – Mr Simon Oakley, Mr Rhys Chant
ATTENDING VIA ZOOM: Co-option applicant – Mr Philip Wilson-Marks
44. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
RESOLVED to accept and approve apologies and reasons for absence from the meeting from Councillor Harry.
One vacancy.
45. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST BY MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN MATTERS ARISING ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING
No declarations were made
46. CO-OPTION PROCESS
The Town Clerk reminded Members about the co-option process that he had previously briefed them about.
They were advised that, after presentations by the applicants and any follow up questions, Councillors would vote on the applications.
They were further advised that the successful applicant would be a City Councillor with the same rights as the sitting Councillors as soon as the result of the final vote had been announced.
Members were informed that the voting method would be decided once the presentations had been completed.
47. PRESENTATIONS FROM APPLICANTS FOR CO-OPTION TO THE CASUAL VACANCY ON THE CITY COUNCIL (EAST WARD)
The Mayor welcomed the three applicants and asked them to give a short presentation in support of their applications.
Members were invited to ask follow-up questions at the conclusion of each presentation.
The applicants were:
- Mr Philip Wilson-Marks
- Mr Simon Oakley
- Mr Rhys Chant
Once the presentations had been completed, the Mayor thanked the applicants for attending and advised Members that the Councillors would now consider the applications and move to a vote.
48. CONSIDERATION OF CO-OPTION APPLICATIONS
The Deputy Mayor proposed that a secret ballot be held where Members voted for their preferred candidate by means of a traditional cross against their choice’s name.
He further proposed that voting continued until a candidate received an absolute majority of the votes cast. This would mean a candidate gaining more than 50% of the votes in a round would automatically be co-opted.
After a short discsussion it was RESOLVED that the voting method, as proposed by the Deputy Mayor, be adopted for the co-option to the casual vacancy in East Ward.
The Mayor asked Members to confirm their understanding of the process and ask questions for clarification.
No questions were received.
Members then cast their votes in the first round.
The Mayor announced the votes as follows:
- Mr Philip Wilson-Marks – 6 votes
- Mr Simon Oakley – 1 vote
- Mr Rhys Chant – 9 votes
As Mr Chant had received an absolute majority of votes cast, the Mayor announced that Mr Rhys Chant was duly co-opted to the City Council.
DATE OF NEXT ORDINARY MEETING: 14 DECEMBER 2022
The meeting closed at 4.34pm