A full Town Council meeting has been called for this Thursday 01/12/22 at 7pm.
What’s wrong with that, readers of Ferret may ask?
It’s the number of agenda items and not only that, the amount of very important items that should require in depth discussions before any informed decisions are taken.
There are no less than 36 agenda items ranging from the routine, to an unusual amount of “policy” items and the long awaited report from the accountant nominated by Kenyon and Draper to look into their own financial affairs.
This one item alone should have required a special meeting to be called given the controversy that surrounds it.
There is no way that due diligence in decision making can take place given such a tight timescale that this agenda allows.
Members of the public have repeatedly complained about the lack of sufficient time being given to fully debate issues on several occasions but no-one appears to have listened to them.
Such serious changes that are being considered at this meeting should not be nodded through.
So just who actually compiles Town Council agendas?
Ferret can answer that, it is none other than Alan Draper, in consultation with the Chair of the Council who is currently Jean Eccles.
How long should a Council meeting last?
The meeting must remain quorate at all times and as a rule, meetings should not last more than two hours otherwise concentration begins to lapse.
Ferret understands that meetings can be extended if necessary, but extensions of time should only be agreed if the meeting is nearing a conclusion to its business and should be restricted to about 20 minutes, once again to avoid loss of concentration and tiredness. (source: “the good councillors guide/ask your council”)
Why on earth would anyone compile an agenda that is impossible to be properly completed in the allotted time?
Why on earth has this agenda not been divided into a number of special meetings to deal with any of the proposed policy issues properly?
These are the more important items and do not include the usual routine business that is on the agenda:
- Abuse and Intimidation Policy.
- Freedom of information Access procedure.
- Review of Public Question Time.
- Audio Recording of confidential sections of meetings.
- Playworld Waterpark use by local Schools
- Dissemination of Council Information
- Corporate Risk Assessment
- Budget Updates and Virements
- Citizens Advice Service for 2023/24
- Internal Auditor appointment
- Workplace Auto Enrolment
- West Yorkshire pension Fund
- Farmer’s Car Park Kinsley
- Audit Report
- Volunteer Groups
- Mental health Practitioner Training
- Christmas Float
- Councillors Conduct
There are also 5 items to be held in exclusion of press and public which also appear that they will need careful consideration.
The internal auditor should have been confirmed last May, Ferret wonders if it is still the former Eccles’ employee in that role?
Hemsworth Town Council Meeting: Draper’s Impossible Agenda
Impossible if done properly that is.
Why would anyone not want such serious issues debated and discussed, Ferret believes we all know the answer to that one don’t we?
Big agenda could lead to big public questions and we all know by now certain councillors would prefer NO public present in meetings let alone wanting to ask a question in a 15 minute slot,they would prefer exclusion meetings and ban the public for daring to voice an opinion,daring to question what ,why and how as the disastrous HTC got into such a mess that the community are now paying a costly price to clear up the Independent councillors mess.Time for the community to say enough is enough and if you are unable to attend the meetings remember our voices can still be heard and our VOTES will do the talking VOTE wisely.