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Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

This has been more like it.

Managed to find my way to the Civic a couple of times, as well as a few other things.

Weds afternoon and I was the facilitator for a meeting between The Leader, Exec for Regen and a community-focussed professional who's very keen to provide what I consider to be ( and Des and Don agree with me ) a very useful service to the community.
You'll appreciate that I can't say any more than that ( in fact, apart from ther names there's not a lot more I can say ) but we are looking at an initiative which if it comes off will have a big feel-good factor about it.

Sorry if it's a bit mysterious but you'll know more ( commercial confidentiality notwithstanding ) in the Autumn, one way or the other.

I've mentioned it simply to show that sometimes a councillor's work isn't er.. council work. I was approached and asked a few questions, as a lot of people do and as a result a proposal was forthcoming, which I've relayed to the leadership.

Next was a call to Carys, who is organising the Blues Festival.
We've a nice little take-up for camping and I think that providing transport between the Park, Leisure Centre ( for showering ), and town ( refreshment solid or liquid ) will be well received.
One call, mini-shuttle fixed, and that's helped Carys put on an enhanced festival this year, something she deserves for her application to the task.

Weds. evening wasn't really council work but a meeting related to it.
It was the eve-of-Council meeting of our Partnership Group.
Some, perhaps most of you are aware that political ( that's with a very small 'p', simply to show we are talking about government ) groups and groupings have meetings so they can go forward as one with ideas and policies.

We have two meetings - one the evening before Council.
At this we discuss the next day's business, going through the items on the agenda, almost like our own mini-council meeting.
It's usually just a case checking all the Minutes are OK, nominations for any vacancies ( School Governors etc ) that might need to be filled and what the Leader will be handling in Members' Questions.
In the other - which is halfway through the 6-week cycle - we look at things we would like brought forward, put into place etc.

Anyway, Weds' meeting.
This was slightly strange in that it was what ws not on the forthcoming agenda that we needed to sort out, not what was on it.
It sounds strange but let me explain some of the workings.

We have a 6-week cycle of meetings, which culminates in Full Council.
This meeting has all the Minutes from the other meetings since the last Council put before it.
There's a minimum notice ( 7 days ) required for all business.
So, for this week's meeting the deadline was 2nd July, but obviously because things can't be done instantly any meetings etc. in the week before that wouldn't have have had its Minutes typed up and checked.

Therefore, it would have to wait until the October meeting of Council.

And guess what ?
A meeting of the Standards Committee fell into this category. This was important because it dealt with the case of Cllr. Nigel Daniels, as no doubt you've seen reported in the media etc.

If a Councillor is 'disciplined' it has also to be dealt with by their Council and this was the meeting for dealing with it.

The Standards Committee isn't comprised of just councillors, in fact they are in the minority.
There are independent people from outside public life, a local communnity councillor and 3 BGCBC councillors.
This Committee has prepared a report into the case but it and the Minutes couldn't be prepared in time for this week's Full Council.
Clearly an issue of such public interest and indeed of conduct in public office can't be put on hold for almost 3 months.

Suggestion ? - why, hold a special Full Council meeting to mop up both this and Minutes of another meeting that fell into the same category. Job done.

Anyway, on to Thursday and said Full Council.
Someone in the Public Gallery ( I know, but it is a little unusual and at least a handful of Members always note it and wonder who it is or why they are there ). And the Press was there. Although this isn't unusual they don't often come if it's a routine agenda ie. Minutes, nominations to outside bodies.
What was unusual ( a record I think ) was the number of Labour Members present.
Anyway, business transacted as usual - until Cllr. Hedley McCarthy makes the statement '....we haven't the Minutes of the Standards Committee... I know that deadlines were short......I know that where there's a will there's a way... but we can't wait until October........' or words to those effects.

Mmmmm ....... didn't seem to be a way for our rail link did there ?

Anyway, I digress.

Des Hillman, Leader of the Council reads from his prepared statement ( which Cllr. McCarthy's intervention delayed ), stating that by the end of the month there will be a special Full Council to receive the Minutes ( and any Report ) from that Standards Committee.

So - watch this space.

Friday morning and it's training. The Council has had a grant in order to run a training program for HoV councillors ( us, Merthyr and Torfaen ) and our council offciers are doing the training.
This is the 2nd of 4 and today we discussed the art of being Chair of a committee. That's not just how to control a meeting but how to ensure all relevant facts are available, that decisons can be taken with all the facts and that those who make the decisions can be properly held to account.
Another good thing about these sessions is the chance to see how other councils do things.
And to work with those other councillors.
The Merthyr people are very knowledgeable and good company. It's a pleasure working with and meeting them.

Unfortunately the Torfaen councillors seem to attend the repeat sessions that I don't, so I'll have to wait a bit longer to say the same about them.

Tomorrow will see me out and about seeing if I can get a few more special offers/discounts for our visitors next week.

Perhaps if you hear people with Scouse, West Walian, Brummie or Devonian accents around town you'll ask if they're here for the Blues and help make sure they go home talking about them, not with them.

Cheers.

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Rocke