DEMOCRACY COMMITTEE

10 December 2017

 

Nomination to an Outside Body – Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board

 

Final Decision-Maker

Democracy Committee

Lead Head of Service/Lead Director

Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Lead Officer and Report Author

Caroline Matthews, Democratic Services Officer

Classification

Public

 

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

 

The Committee are requested to consider the nominations for the two vacant positions on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board. 

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

1.   That the Committee makes two appointments to the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board.

 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Democracy Committee

10 January 2018



Nominations to an Outside Body – Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board

 

 

 

1.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

1.1     The Council currently has two positions vacant on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board.  There is a need to have representation on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board as the organisation meets in January 2018 to decide on their Council Tax precept..

1.2     The two Maidstone Borough Council representatives will have full voting rights on the Board. Therefore it is important to make the appointment at this meeting to ensure the Borough’s residents views are taken into account in the discussion and subsequent decision on the Board’s precept.

1.3     If appointed, Maidstone Borough Council nominees will serve a term of two years on the Board.

1.4     As the Review of Outside Bodies has not reached a conclusion, it is for the Democracy Committee to make these appointments.

 

 

 

2.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

2.1     To appoint two Members to the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board.

 

2.2     The Committee could decide not to appoint but this would mean that the   views of our residents are properly reflected in discussions and the decision. 

 

 

 

3.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

3.1     The preferred option would be to appoint new Members to the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board. Appointing representatives to the drainage board would ensure our resident’s views were taken into account in the Board’s future decisions

 

 

 

4.       RISK

4.1    There is a risk that should the Council not be represented on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board it would not have an opportunity to ensure that the views of its residents are properly represented.

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     An email has been circulated to Group Leaders asking for nominations to come back by 9th January 2018.  An update on the nominees will be provided at the meeting on 10th January 2018.

 

 



6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     The Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board is scheduled to meet in January 2018 and the two representatives appointed by Democracy Committee will be able to attend the meeting with full voting rights.

 

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

We do not expect the recommendations would by themselves materially affect the achievements of the corporate priorities.

Democratic Services Officer

Risk Management

There is a risk that should the Council not be represented on the Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board it would not have an opportunity to ensure that the views of its residents are properly represented. However this risk is well within the Council’s risk appetite and does not need to be added to the Council’s risk register.

Democratic Services Officer

Financial

The decision on the precept may not directly affect the Council’s budgets but it could have an effect on our residents

Democratic Services Officer

Staffing

There are no staffing implications.

 Democratic Services Officer

Legal

There are no legal implications

Democratic Services Officer

Privacy and Data Protection

There are none.

Democratic Services Officer

Equalities

There are none.

Democratic Services Officer

Crime and Disorder

There are none.

Democratic Services Officer

Procurement

There are none.

Democratic Services Officer



8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

       None.

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None