Every month we have a agenda item District and county councillors report

Question

The clerk is telling us their have no time limits on how long they speak or what they speak about should they have the some time limits has public forum which is ten minutes
Some times they speak for over 30 minutes and most of that is about how bad there council is run

Answer 1

Maybe your Clark, can kindly ask them to limit their speaking to what they have done at District / County level which impacts / supports the Parish. i doubt anything is enforcable though as we have the following problem.

In a previous Full Coucil meeting we resolved that our four Unitary Councillors provide information in written form, as to how they have support our toewn at unitary level, and  it forms part of the recorded minutes for residents to read.

however :=

• 2 tend to give verbal report if they attend
• 1 often doesnt provide anything or if they do its just a repeat of what the authority has published online and nothing about what they do to support the town.
• 1 is new so still learning. 

Answer 2

Goodness me who runs the council? If the PC asks for and gets a report from their county councillor on matters pertaining to the PC then they must also decide how they want it presented - in written form or by personal presentation. Depending on the CC they can either view personal presentation as a chore or a chance to communicate with the electorate at grass roots level. One of the problems is as stated the time that some CC's might use up on personal or party promotion as well as reporting information.

It might be better to ask for a written report from which could be ascertained by chair whether their presence might be needed to answer questions from the PC. If not then the report can be given to councillors to "digest" before the meeting and raise any questions via the clerk to the councty councillor.

Comments

I went to a briefing session by our County Council recently and someone questioned the role of the county councillors.  It does seem that they can have different approaches to their role and interaction with parish councils.  We invite the county councillor to our meetings and invite him to give an update on CC business that is relevant to us and he spends a few minutes complaining about his fellow county councillors.  His predecessor, now retired, produced a detailed written report each month which was circulated with the agenda pack and he'd answer any questions.   raised.  Perhaps there needs to be a job description

Answer 3

If you've adopted the model standing orders you've committed to inviting District and County Councillors to your meetings (and to sending them a copy of any letter sent by your Council to District or County officers).

If you're not happy with their reports, the Chair or Clerk should speak to them privately about what's required. There is no time limit for them to speak, but with an overall limit of 2 hours for your meeting, they must understand that their role is to be relevant and succinct. With elections taking place in many areas next May, things will get worse before they get better.

Answer 4

As with so may issues in relation to town & parish councils, the situation appears to vary greatly according to personalities, experience and the suitability / qualification / experience / capability of those involved.

It is for the Chair, not the clerk, to manage the effective progress of agenda business at a PC meeting.  

Sometimes that will require a firm hand to keep Cllrs (local and higher tier) and members of the public on the desired track.  Sometimes it will require a less directive approach if time, business and interest demands greater focus on a given issue.

It is, in any case, for the COUNCIL to determine, via Standing Orders, the maximum time allocated to speakers (all speakers - Cllrs and public) and it is for the Chair to implement effective management of the progression of the meeting to allow that which needs to be done / said to be done / said.

A higher tier Cllr willing to attend a PC meeting is a luxury that not all PCs enjoy - embrace it as a valuable contribution and perhaps ask the Chair to liaise with the higher tier Cllr to explain what the PC actually wants and needs from them (and what they don't want!)  Overt public criticism of their council could stand the higher tier Cllr into conduct issues so a tactful discussion might be worthwhile at several levels!

  

Answer 5

It got so bad for my council that we asked them to send in a written report before the meeting.  That caused an almighty stink and they stopped turning up!
Seriously though, it is for the council and chair to control this and for them to set the time limits.  Not sure where the clerk has got their information from.  The councillors need to grow a back bone - its their meeting not an opportunity for grandstanding by the district and county...

Answer 6

As massively interesting as principal councillors can be, keeping them happy is helpful if you want your PC to have some sway over what they get up to.

I like DaveTheClerk's response here.

Answer 7

Your clerk is probably correct in that many councils do not prescribe length of time or format and highlight that fact if it is the case locally. The ball is now in members court to decide what they want it to look like moving forward. I would interprete this as your clerk has simply advising members what the current position is locally. The issue is certainly not unique to your council with far to many District / County / Borough Ward Members treating Parish Council meetings as a "stand up" routine or something akin to a therapy session often saying things that would never say in any other public meeting. I do think its helpful to get a corporate body decision that prescribes time & format (after some light consultation & soft touch approach) rather than simply reliant on a Chair to proceed without any direction from rest of council and attempt to control it. Far better involve everyone.