Issue - meetings

Action:

A second draft of the Capital Projects application form has been requested to be brought to the November Forum meeting. It was suggested the Forum terms of reference be added to it.

The agenda item attached as item 4, entitled; Review of the Residents` Consultation was discussed at a full Borough Council meeting on 5 September 2017.

The Chair shared residents’ responses to the three questions asked of residents from a consultation card circulated at the July 2017 Residents Forum meeting. A paper summarising the responses received was circulated at this meeting. The three questions have also been shared with Wigston and South Wigston Resident Forums attendees.

Following discussion at tonight’s meeting it was confirmed that:

·           Oadby Residents wished the Council to continue to fund the three Residents’ Forums

·           Funding will not be accessible to businesses

·           Have the Council provide a clear and simple form filling process for organisations requesting large sums of money. This should include monitoring, evaluation and a check on the efficiency of the organisation including accounts, as part of the process

·           Funding applications for sums as small as £200 to £300 should have a shorter application form process made available

·           Questions on funding proposals be placed in writing with the Community Engagement Officer before the Forum meets and it be placed on the agenda

·           Draft minutes be made ready within 10 working days and placed online within 15 working days

·           Have an accessible copy of the agenda and minutes placed in the library

·           The terms of residents are to be brought to the next meeting

·           Have fewer presentations

·           A motion regarding chairing of the Forum meetings was brought. It was agreed that the Forum meetings should be chaired by an elected Member and not a local resident. On a show of hands 15 residents voted in favour and none voted against

·           It was also agreed that the minutes be written in the present format

·           Residents requesting a bin, bench or bus shelter should not be required to fill in a form as the money was Council money and was not being given to an individual resident

·           The Chair stated that there could be a case where other Oadby & Wigston Borough Councillors not representing Oadby, could Chair the Forum meeting.

Before a full discussion was had on this item the Chair provided background information. All Resident Forums would be debating the future of the Forums and be given the opportunity to discuss how the Council should be allocating Forum funds, monitoring and evaluating proposals and the process for that.

The process needed to be one proportionate to the proposal brought.

Discussion took place on the draft proposal form. This form was regarded positively. It was still a work in progress.

Residents were also invited to take and respond to three questions on yellow card. This consultation card had previously been shared and responded to by Wigston and Oadby Resident Forums. The deadline for the return of the responses to the three questions is; October 13^th 2017. Responses for collation are to be sent to the Community Engagement Officer at: veronika.quintyne@oadby-wigston.gov.uk.

 Following discussion residents are to note it was agreed that:

·         Funding applications could be in a range of £0 to £500 with use of a more simplified form.

·         Multiple funding applications for the same items and for the same sums should not be presented to the three forums.

·         Questions on making funding proposals should be placed with the Community Engagement Officer before the Forum meeting, and be placed on the agenda for discussion.

·         All groups requesting funding should have accounts,

Draft minutes be made ready within 10 working days and placed online within 15 working days. Minutes should not be verbatim but provide an essence of what was discussed with the actions.

Action:

Place matters arising within the minutes not the Chair`s Update for the next meeting.

A resident quoted a point made at the Wigston Forum, that Forums are different to Council meetings because there aren’t papers and recommendations.  The discussion is the key part of the meeting and the minutes should set out residents’ questions views and comments, otherwise it loses its democratic purpose.  Another resident pointed out that minutes need to be accurate so that people’s comments are not misconstrued by being recorded wrongly.  A motion was proposed that the Forum should have minutes with action points – not notes.  9 residents voted in favour of this. There were no dissenting votes.

·         It was requested by a resident that those who abstain in relation to a voting item should have their abstention counted.

A motion was brought to vote on not changing the terms of reference.

Councillor Boulter said that at the Wigston Forum the residents wanted the Terms of Reference kept.  A resident said that it is significant if Wigston wish to keep them as well.  Another resident said the Terms of Reference are simple, clear, and allow for discussion and for residents’ to express views.  Change could mean the Forums become less democratic.  A resolution was proposed that the Terms of Reference be kept unchanged.  12 voted in favour, with no votes against.

·         On the 2^nd and 3^rd page of the proposal form there should be no voting by people with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13

Five responses were received to the card consultation circulated at July`s meeting. A written summary of the comments received was made available at the meeting.

The Council meeting of 5 September 2017 resulted in the paper attached as agenda item 4, entitled ‘Review of the Residents Forums Consultation’. This was discussed at the meeting and listed eleven wide ranging recommendations. This included the statement that members’ would not support the merger of Wigston and South Wigston Forums. Ten other points ranging from more concise minutes and the simplification of the proposed draft application for funding form were made. Following discussion residents are to note it was agreed that:

·         Funding applications could be for sums as small as £200 or £500 as a lower range without complicated form filling

·         Questions on funding proposals are to be placed with the Community Engagement Officer before the Forum meeting in order that they can be added to the agenda

·         Draft minutes be made ready within 10 working days and placed online within 15 working days

·         More discussions on Council Tax to take place at the Forum

·         Have fewer presentations

The Chair added that the Forum budgets were based on population size and Section 106 which for the future would come through money from the new homes bonus for top ups.

Action

A process for requesting urgent grants is to be written into the draft funding criteria.

Action

Place as a standing agenda item for discussion, Planning and their planning implications.

Action

Advertise the Forums in:

(i)       Letterbox magazine

(ii)     libraries

(iii)   local places of meeting

(iv)    with businesses

Report of the Interim Chief Finance Officer / Section 151 Officer.

The Council gave consideration to the report and appendices (at pages 45 - 61) as delivered and summarised by the Interim Chief Finance Officer / Section 151 Officer which should be read together with these minutes as a composite document.

A debate thereon has had whereby the following policy guidance in summary was expressed by Members upon the three Residents’ Forums (“the Forums”):

(i)          Members would not support the merger of Wigston and South Wigston Residents’ Forums;

(ii)        Members commended the clarification of ‘one-off’ grants and financing in general, but agreed that the pro forma application forms (at agenda item 4a) were too complex for the relatively small sums of money that the Forums distributed to local groups and individuals;

(iii)      It was suggested that small grants (i.e. up to £200) could be awarded by Forums without the need to complete excessive amounts of paperwork;

(iv)       There was a general view that the chairing of Forum should continue to be done by an elected-Member rather than a local resident given the need for the Chair to understand the operations of the Council and to have easy access information and resources.

(v)        It was proposed that the Forum Chairs could in future be any elected-Member, not necessarily one whose ward was within the geo-political area of the Forum.

(vi)       Members agreed that the financing of the Forums should be included in the Council’s annual budget setting exercise.

(vii)     Members agreed that the agenda for Forums should continue to be set by either agreeing at the conclusion of a meeting what should be included on the next meeting’s agenda and/or by residents contacting the Chair of the Forum to agree an item.

(viii)   Members emphasised that Forum meetings were non-political, and that agenda items should not touch on political matters.

(ix)       The current Terms of Reference for the Forums as contained in the Council’s Constitution should be comprehensively redrafted.

(x)        As part of the review of the administration of the Forums, it was requested that thought be given as to how to increase participation from local residents.

(xi)       Any changes agreed must be consistent across all three Forums.

It was moved by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

The policy guidance (as set out in the foregoing minutes) be provided by Members and circulated to the three Residents’ Forums for consultation.