Issue - meetings

The Joint Governance Committee was created in April 2022 and its Terms of Reference (TOR) can be found in Part 3 (Appendix 2) of the Waverley Borough Council’s Constitution and Part 3 (Terms of Reference of the Council) of the Guild Borough Council’s Constitution.

At the request of the new Joint Executive Head of Legal & Democratic Services, the TOR for the Joint Governance Committee were reviewed to ensure they remained, relevant, fit for purpose and included any collaboration arrangement updates.

This report is for information only, it asks that the Joint Governance Committee note that the Joint Constitutional Review Group (JCRG) will be asked to consider the amendments to the TOR at its meeting on the 30 November.  It will be recommended that the JCRG recommend the amendments to WBC Standards & GP committee and GBC Governance & Standards Committee, with a recommendation that each committee recommends the amended TOR to their full Council for adoption.

Recommendations to Committee

1.    That the Joint Governance Committee resolves to noting the report and the proposed amended TOR.

2.    That the Committee provides comments and feedback by way of consultation so that Officers can put those comments to the JCRG.

Susan Sale Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services addressed the Committee and introduced the item.  She informed the committee that as per her comments on the previous items, the Committee’s Terms of Reference required updating to reflect the JGC’s new responsibilities to review the Temporary Shared Staffing IAA.

Susan Sale noted that there were also a number of other minor amendments which included periodic review periods, frequency of meetings, quorum, procedures for electing a Chairperson in the absence of both Co-Chairs and voting.

The Leader suggested a further amendment to the use of substitutes under clause 8, he felt that it would be beneficial for the Group Leaders to nominate a main substitute.  Officers noted that formal substitutes could limit the Committee's flexibility.  The Committee members discussed the suggestion and felt that it would be beneficial to have formally appointed substitute members and the TOR should be amended to reflect this.

Members discussed the proposed reduction of the member's quorum.  Members queried reducing the number from 7 to 4 and wonder if this was too low. Officers advised the members that the quorum level across both councils was a quarter and that 4 was consistent with the other committees across both councils.

The Committee resolved to the following:

1.               Note the report and the proposed amendments.

2.               Provide feedback and comments to the Joint Constitutional Review Group, including their comments regarding Clause 8, The appointment of formal substitutes.

3.               Amend Clause 8 to appoint formal substitutes.

4.               That the Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services be delegated authority to amend both the Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council Constitutions accordingly.

The Joint Governance Committee was created in April 2022 and its Terms of Reference (TOR) can be found in Part 3 – Appendix 2 of the Waverley Borough Council’s Constitution.

At the request of the new Joint Executive Head of Legal & Democratic Services, the TOR for the Joint Governance Committee were reviewed to ensure they remained, relevant, fit for purpose and included any collaboration arrangement updates.

This report asks the Joint Governance Committee to amend the TOR of the Committee to confirm the frequency of meetings and the annual review of the IAA.  It also asks the Committee to amend the TOR to reflect the impending Temporary Shared Staffing Inter-Authority Agreement, which will fall under the remit of the Joint Governance Committee and be subject to annual review in line with the JMT IAA.

Recommendations to Committee

That the Joint Governance Committee resolves to recommend to both Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council that the Committee’s Terms of Reference are amended as follows:

(a)      The frequency of meetings to Biannually.

(b)      The periodic formal review to (at least annually).

(c)      To include the Temporary Shared Staffing Inter-Authority Agreement within its remit and periodically review at least annually in line with the JMT IAA.

(d)      And that the Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services be delegated authority to amend both the Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council Constitutions accordingly.