The Chief Executive Officer considered the
report presented at the informal meeting of Executive members held
on 13 July 2021. Having taken account of the options detailed in
section 5.7 of the report and the comments made by Executive
Members, he resolved for the reasons set out below in this decision
record to propose to full Council using his emergency delegated
powers that:
i. Remote access, live broadcast informal meetings be continued
with any formal decisions required by those committees subsequently
being taken by the Chief Executive Officer under his emergency
delegated powers, taking into account the views of the committee
Members and all relevant information;
ii. The continued use of remote access, live broadcast informal
meetings be reviewed in September 2021, to include giving further
consideration to the benefits of remote working e.g. carbon
reduction, financial savings and greater public participation, with
a report to full Council in November 2021;
iii. The meeting of the County Council on 17 November 2021 be held
as a remote access, live broadcast informal meeting;
iv. continue to be delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, in
consultation with the Leader, to make any decisions necessary to
enable virtual meetings for members to continue and to determine
which committee meetings should be held virtually (as informal
meetings) and which should be held physically (as formal meetings).
This to be reviewed in September 2021;
iv. Full Council to give its agreement that not attending a
physical meeting in person for a 6 month period (as opposed to
continuing to attend virtual informal meetings) will not disqualify
a county councillor under the automatic vacation of office
provisions set out in section 85 of the Local Government Act
1972.
By whom: Richard Flinton, Chief Executive Officer, under his
emergency delegated powers and after consultation with the
Executive Members