Agenda and minutes

No declaration of interest received.

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December, 2014

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd December, 2014 were confirmed.

To consider adoption of the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following items on the ground that they may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

To consider the recommendations of the County Council held on 20 January, 2014.

 The Chief Executive outlined the recommendations of the full County Council held on 20th January, 2015 :-

• That Option 4 within the report is the preferred option;

• To proceed to appoint a new Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Service and the Council’s Returning Officer;

• To delegate to the Appointments Committee the responsibility for advertising, assessing candidates, drawing-up a shortlist, interviewing candidates and recommending a qualified individual to be appointed by the full Council;

• To delegate the right to the Appointments Committee to receive external advisory support, if it so wishes, to advice on the assessment process but keeping the costs of such provision to a minimum;

• To seek the opinion and guidance of the Independent Remuneration Panel on the salary structure for the post of Chief Executive;

That the statutory posts of Section 151 Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer be incorporated within the Senior Leadership Team.

Members of the Committee discussed in detail the recommendations of the full Council. Members gave due consideration to pay structure of the other 21 Welsh Local Authorities. Discussions took place in relation to the advertising of the post of Chief Executive, the assessing of the candidates and receiving advice from an external advisor.

Members of the Committee further deliberated the consequence of the salary of the Deputy Chief Executive in respect of the recommendation of the Executive to provide options for the restructure of the Senior Leadership Team in respect of efficiency savings in the package of proposals for the 2015/16 budget.

Following lengthy deliberations it was RESOLVED :-

• To recommend to the County Council that the salary of the new Chief Executive be £115k to £120k;

• That the salary of the Deputy Chief Executive be 90% of the salary of the Chief Executive, with implementation thereof subject to the appropriate HR processes;

• That the job description of the post of the new Chief Executive be circulated to the Members of the Appointments Committee and to delegate authority to the Chair of the Appointments Committee to authorise the job description for advertisement if no amendments has been received by the Members;

• That the advertisement of the post of new Chief Executive be placed on the Council’s website and that a press release be published. The social media be used to advertise the post aswell;

• It was agreed that an assessment process be included in the recruitment process and that HR would source advisory support in the assessing of candidates for the post of a new Chief Executive and to delegate authority to the Chair following consultation with the Officers to appoint an external advisor.

To consider adopting the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

To consider a report by the Head of Function (Council Business/Monitoring Officer) in relation to the above.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer in relation to the appointment of the Head of Democratic Services. Under Section 8 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 the Council must fill the statutory post of ‘Head of Democratic Services’.

The function of the Head of Democratic Services was described in the job description and person specification which was attached to the report.

RESOLVED, subject to the designation by the Democratic Services Committee, to formally appoint the current Interim Head of Democratic Services to the permanent position of Head of Democratic Service at a salary as noted in the report.

ADDITIONAL ITEM CERTIFIED AS URGENT BY THE CHAIR (with the Chairman’s decision explicitly supported by all Members of the Committee)

7   EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

8   HEAD OF SERVICE (TRANSFORMATION)

It was noted that the post of Head of Service (Transformation) is still vacant and it is a requirement to fill the post.

RESOLVED that the post of Head of Service (Transformation) be advertised with the requirement as Welsh essential for the post.