Governance Committee
MINUTES of a meeting of the Governance Committee held at Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes on 18 July 2023.
PRESENT Councillors Keith Glazier (Chair), Nick Bennett, Bob Bowdler, Chris Collier and David Tutt
ALSO PRESENT Councillors Gerard Fox, Roy Galley, Stephen Murphy, Paul Redstone, Stephen Shing, Trevor Webb
9. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2023
9.1 RESOLVED – that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 27 June 2023 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
10. Reports
10.1 Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book.
11. Annual Governance Statement 2022/23
11.1 The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive on the review of the Corporate Governance Framework for 2022/23.
11.2 The Committee RESOLVED to:
1) approve the action plan for 2023/24 as set out in Annex E of Appendix 1;
2) note that actions identified to enhance governance arrangements are reflected in Business Plans and that implementation will be monitored throughout the year;
3) confirm that Members are satisfied with the level of assurance provided to them through this report and the Council’s governance framework and processes;
4) consider any comments from the Audit Committee;
5) confirm that there were no significant governance issues that should be included in the Council’s Annual Governance Statement;
6) approve the draft Annual Governance Statement for signature by the Leader and the Chief Executive and publication within the Statement of Accounts; and
7) approve the Local Code of Corporate Governance for 2023/24.
12. Amendment to Constitution - Scheme of Delegation to Officers
12.1 The Committee considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport regarding proposed amendments to the Scheme of Delegation to officers.
12.2 The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the County Council to approve the Constitution being updated as set out in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.7 of the report and that the Constitution be amended accordingly.
13. Pension Board Membership
13.1 The Committee considered a report by the Chief Finance Officer on appointments to the Pension Board.
13.2 The Governance Committee RESOLVED to appoint to the East Sussex Pension Board:
1)
Zoe O’Sullivan as a Member Representative;
2)
Councillor Bharti Gajjar
as an Employer Representative for Brighton and Hove City Council;
and
3) Councillor Andrew Wilson as an Employer Representative for the East Sussex District and Borough Councils.
14. Co-opted Independent Members on the Audit Committee
14.1 The Committee
received a report from the Chief Finance Officer regarding the
appointment of two independent members to the Audit Committee, in
line with the CIPFA Position Statement on Audit Committees
2022.
14.2 The Committee
RESOLVED to recommend the County Council to:
1) Agree to amend
the size and composition of the Audit Committee to include two
independent members to the Audit Committee, in line with the CIPFA
Position Statement on Audit Committees 2022.
2) Delegate
authority to the Governance Committee to appoint the independent
co-opted Members to the Audit Committee.
3) Amend the Constitution accordingly.
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15. Bike Scheme Repayment Period
15.1 The Committee received a report from the Chief Financial Officer regarding the Bike Scheme repayment period.
15.2 The Committee RESOLVED to agree that the maximum repayment period for the bike salary sacrifice scheme be increased from 12 months up to a maximum of 24 months.
16. Appointment to the Regulatory Committee
16.1 The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive regarding proposed appointments to the Regulatory Committee.
16.2 The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the County Council to appoint Councillor Johanna Howell to the Regulatory Committee.
17. Appointment to outside bodies PCP
17.1 The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive regarding the appointment of a second Council representative to the Sussex Police and Crime Panel.
17.2 The Committee RESOLVED to delegate authority to the Chair of the Committee to appoint an additional representative of the Council in accordance with the political balance provisions as applied to the PCP, should such a request be received.
18. Appointments to Outside Bodies
18.1 The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive regarding the appointment of a councillor to the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee, the Dungeness A & B Power Stations – Local Community Liaison Council and South East Employers Committee.
18.2 The Committee RESOLVED to:
1) Appoint Councillor Paul Redstone as the Council representative on the
Dungeness A & B Power Stations – Local Community Liaison Council for the period to June 2025.
2) Appoint Councillor Bowdler as the Council representative on the Gatwick Airport
Consultative Committee.
3) Appoint to the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (substitute) and South East Employers Committee after the County Council bi-elections have concluded.