What you must do is ensure that all procedures are followed in relation to the clerk's contract of employment and follow all procedures regarding any disciplinary or working practice matters. If there have been complaints from councillors regarding the clerk's behaviour or failures in her contract obligations then initially your employment committee must meet with the clerk to present the complaints to the clerk, obtain their reactions or viewpoint, offer support to overcome any problems they may have which might have contributed to the situation and then set a review date to re-assess the situation. Don't forget that the clerk must be offered the opportunity to be accompanied at such a meeting. The meeting should not be made to be a "inquisition" but a way of seeking solutions to what may be a problem but of course this is a two sided matter and the employee must always be given ample opportunity to "give their side of the story" This must all be carried out BEFORE the need for full council discussion on the matter at ANY meeting.