public forum minutes during parish council meeting

Question

last months public forum 1 councillor and a member of the public read a statement re a lease fiasco however the evidence on file does not support there assertions at all , this council meeting next week we will be asked to vote to accept the minutes including these 2 docs how do i get to correct these statements ie is it a point of order or a standing order or similar i need to raise any idea please would be appreciated is there a standing order i need to relate to

Answer 1

When you say "public forum" do you mean PC meeting? If so then at the next meeting the acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting would be on the agenda. At which the chair would ask if councillors were in favour of his accepting the minutes as a true reflection of the previous meeting. At this point any councillor can make representation as to the validity of that meeting minutes. Several councillors may raise different or several points they disagree with which individually need to be voted for or actioned ( amended or altered) before the Chair signs the copy to be passed into record as agreed.

Comments

the two people who spoke had it seems prepared statements however we have the actual minutes from these meeting and multiple documents  it is clear these comments are not supported by the evidence but have a dig at the chairman and my self i wish to make a short statement correcting key points that we can prove beyond doubt so is there a thing like point of order i need to say so ican have input sorry about my typing but i am dyslexic

Answer 2

Minutes are a record of what was said or done at the time, so if they are a true record of what happened you should agree them
The Parish Council could issue a statement refuting what was said
Depending on the circumstances if the Councillor misled people you might have grounds to lodge a complaint for a breech offence of the Code of Conduct

Comments

the two people who spoke had it seems prepared statements however we have the actual minutes from these meeting and multiple documents  it is clear these comments are not supported by the evidence but have a dig at the chairman and my self i wish to make a short statement correcting key points that we can prove beyond doubt so is there a thing like point of order i need to say so ican have input sorry about my typing but i am dyslexic

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I stick by what I said in my original answer

If you wish to discuss / refute what was said you need to include it as a separate agenda item including evidence and documents as part of the agenda pack

Answer 3

Comments made during the public speaking section of the council's meeting are not agenda items so shouldn't be minuted verbatim.  It is more usual for the minutes to read something like "a member of the public raised comments about X or Y" rather than include the comments in full.  If any item raised in a public speaking section warrants further discussion, it should be an agenda item for a subsequent meeting.  So, if your minutes are more detailed (whether the subject raised is correct or not), they should not be and secondly if there is a further comment to be made by the council or any one else on the points raised, then that should be an agenda item which can be minuted more fully at the subsequent meeting.
As has been said, you cannot add anything to the Minutes of a meeting which did not actually happen or was said, even if proposed at the subsequent meeting at which those minutes are agreed.  Minutes are a record of what was agreed, not what you would have liked to have happened!

Answer 4

I agree with Jules.  The minutes should record what happenned.  If someone says the earth is flat the minutes should record what was said, not try to argue that this is not correct.  As noted the council can comment on the accuracy elsewhere.  I would be interested to know if the pulic participation session was within the formal council meeting or before it.