Questions about town and parish councils
Follow Councillor Q&A on BlueSky

Follow us on BlueSky

0 votes

2 Answers

0 votes
Probity would normally be thought of as honesty or decency, so checking for those behavioural intentions would not be straight forward. If the council resolves to approve £75  payment for burglar alarm maintenance for example, and the clerk has a copy of the receipt in the agenda papers, in what context might you suspect a lack of probity?
by (35.8k points)
0 votes
I don't understand the question!
by (11.8k points)
I record our parish council meetings. I am concerned that the draft minutes of the last meeting that were written and published by the clerk contain a 'resolution' that did not take place during the last meeting according to the video I recorded of the meeting. What should I do about this as the draft minutes do not properly record what took place at which there was no such resolution, and no details of the proposer or seconder or a vote appear in the draft minutes.
I assume that you make it known you are recording the meeting.
Putting aside the recording - if you attended the meeting, you and your colleague councillors will know whether the resolution you mention was passed.  If it was then the minutes are correct.  If it was not then the minutes are incorrect.

One of the first agenda items at your next meeting will be to confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.  If the minutes are incorrect then you have the opportunity to put the record straight.
Just to add that not all parish councils are very formal in their meetings.  There's usually a proposer but not often a seconder and if the vote is little more than a nod of the head, might be difficult in a recording to be absolutely clear what's happening in the absence of the agenda and possibly supporting papers.  If members confirm the minutes as accurate at the next meeting, they are prima facie evidence in a court.  I'm not condoning the informal approach; just saying it happens
You don’t have to let anyone know you are recording open public sessions of a Parish Council meeting

Welcome to Town & Parish Councillor Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community. All genuine questions and answers are welcome. Follow us on Twitter to see the latest questions as they are asked - click on the image button above or follow @TownCouncilQA. Posts from new members may be delayed as we are unfortunately obliged to check each one for spam. Spammers will be blacklisted.

You may find the following links useful:

We have a privacy policy and a cookie policy.

Clares Cushions logo Peacock cushion

Clare's Cushions creates beautiful hand made cushions and home accessories from gorgeous comtemporary fabrics. We have a fantastic selection of prints including Sophie Allport and Orla Kiely designs and most covers can be ordered either alone or with a cushion inner. Buying new cushions is an affordable and effective way to update your home interior, they're also a great gift idea. Visit our site now

3,140 questions
6,216 answers
8,654 comments
11,187 users
Google Analytics Alternative