Minutes – Full Council (Special meeting) – 5 September 2022
The agenda and papers for this meeting are available here: Full Council (Special Meeting) – 5 September 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) – 5 September 2022
SPECIAL MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL
MINUTES
Date: 5 September 2022
Time: 3.00pm – 3.15pm
Location: The Old Court Room • The Council House • North Street • CHICHESTER • West Sussex • PO19 1LQ
PRESENT: The Mayor, Councillor Joy, and Councillors Apel, Carter, Corfield, Gaskin, C Hughes, J Hughes, Lishman, Quail and Scicluna
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk
Prior to the commencement of the meeting, the Mayor’s Chaplain said a prayer in remembrance of the late Councillor Kevin Hughes, whose untimely death had been advised last week. The Council stood in silence as a mark of respect to Kevin’s memory and the good work he had done as City Councillor for East Ward.
The Mayor’s Chaplain then left the meeting
25. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
RESOLVED to accept and approve apologies and reasons for absence from the meeting from the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Plowman, and Councillors Barrie, Bell, Dignum, Gershater, Harry and Sharp
One vacancy.
26. PUBLIC BODIES (ADMISSION TO MEETINGS ACT) 1960
RESOLVED that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for agenda item 3 due to the nature of the business to be transacted, namely confidential Councillor matters.
27. COUNCILLOR CATHERINE HARRY – SIX MONTHS ABSENCE
The Council considered a report of the Town Clerk on Councillor Harry continuing absence due to ill health.
The report reminded members of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 where 85 stated that unless the Council approved a reason for absence before the expiration of the six month period, Councillor Harry would cease to be a member of the City Council.
The Town Clerk explained the options to the Council and referred to action which would need to be taken if a casual vacancy occurred six months prior to the Parish Council elections in May 2023 and where a two stage procedure applied whereby the opportunity was given, with 14 days of the display of the Notice of Casual Vacancy for ten local government electors to request a Poll, if this request was not made then the Council could move to fill the vacancy by co-option. If, after the commencement of the six month period the casual vacancy would still need to be advertised, but the only requirement would be to invite co-option to the City Council.
The Council gave careful and sensitive consideration to this matter, in particular the challenges being faced by Councillor Harry’s husband and her family.
RESOLVED that for the purposes of Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, the City Council approve, until 1st December 2022, the reason of ill health in respect of Councillor Harry’s persistent absence.
DATE OF NEXT ORDINARY MEETING: 28 SEPTEMBER 2022
The meeting closed at 3.15pm