Issue - meetings

To consider any business, which by reason of special circumstances, the Chair proposes to accept, under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 it was agreed to take the report on the appointment of Deputy Monitoring Officer as urgent business.

RESOLVED:            1)         That the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (Borough Council) enters a section 113 Local Government Act 1972 agreement with Norwich City Council so that it may utilise its appointed Monitoring Officer as the Borough Council’s deputy Monitoring Officer where the Borough Council’s appointed Monitoring Officer is unable to act owing to absence, illness or conflict of interest.

2)          That authority is delegated to the Executive Director, to authorise the final terms of the section 113 Agreement. 

Reason for Decision

To have resilience in the Monitoring Office provision and to ensure that the Monitoring Officer functions can still be performed where the appointed Monitoring Officer or deputy Monitoring Officer are unable to act.

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Under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 it was agreed to take the report on the appointment of Deputy Monitoring Officer as urgent business.

Councillor Middleton presented the report which advised members that a need has arisen to appoint a deputy Monitoring Officer from another local authority to carry out the functions of the Monitoring Officer where the Monitoring Officer and current deputy Monitoring Officer are conflicted to act. In addition to this, it was considered prudent to have in place an arrangement for the use of another authority’s Monitoring Officer as the Borough Council’s deputy in cases of absence or illness of the appointed Monitoring Officer and any other appointed deputy. The proposal would be reciprocal.

Under standing order 34 Councillor Parish asked if the Deputy Monitoring officer would be available to those members who considered the Monitoring officer had a conflict of interest.  It was confirmed that it would be where the Monitoring Officer defined a conflict.

Cabinet considered that the proposal was a sensible approach.

RESOLVED:            1)         That the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (Borough Council) enters a section 113 Local Government Act 1972 agreement with Norwich City Council so that it may utilise its appointed Monitoring Officer as the Borough Council’s deputy Monitoring Officer where the Borough Council’s appointed Monitoring Officer is unable to act owing to absence, illness or conflict of interest.

2)          That authority is delegated to the Executive Director, D Gates, to authorise the final terms of the section 113 Agreement. 

Reason for Decision

To have resilience in the Monitoring Office provision and to ensure that the Monitoring Officer functions can still be performed where the appointed Monitoring Officer or deputy Monitoring Officer are unable to act.