Issue - meetings

Verbal update of the Head of Law & Governance / Monitoring Officer

The Council received a verbal update from the Monitoring Officer in relation to an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct by Councillor Miss A R Bond, which had been adjudicated upon by a Determination Sub-Committee on Thursday 29 November 2018.

The Council were advised that on the balance of probabilities, the Determination Sub-Committee was satisfied that Councillor Bond’s actions had been contrary to the standards required under the Member Code of Conduct, and unanimously resolved that the following sanctions should be applied:

a.    In respect of a complaint from a member of the public, Councillor Bond should be required to make a written apology to the complainant, approved by the Monitoring Officer, by the end of December 2018. This was currently being progressed, and Councillor Bond had been made aware that should she fail to apologise within the time limit set by the Sub-Committee then a further sanction of Censure would be applied. The Sub-Committee also recommended that Councillor Bond should attend training on Communication Skills and Equality & Diversity Awareness, and Officers were in the process of identifying suitable courses to fit this brief.

b.   In respect of a complaint from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Bond should be required to make a verbal and written apology, approved by the Monitoring Officer, to all Members at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 11 December 2018.

The Monitoring Officer then invited Councillor Bond to verbally deliver her apology in respect of the complaint from the Leader of the Council.

A copy of the apology verbally delivered by Councillor Bond is filed together with these minutes at Appendix 1.

By affirmation of the meeting, it was

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

The contents of the verbal update from the Monitoring Officer and the verbal and written apology from Councillor Bond be noted by Members.