Issue - meetings

Consider report by Executive Director (Finance and Regulatory).  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director (Finance and Regulatory) seeking approval to amend the Scheme of Administration to add an additional referred function to the Common Good Fund Sub-Committees.  The report explained that there may be circumstances when all of the Members of a Common Good Fund Sub- Committee had an interest in a funding application and as a result the Sub Committee was unable to determine the application.  While such matters could be determined instead by Full Council, this approach did result in applications of a particularly local nature being decided with no input from those elected to represent that local community.  It was therefore proposed to add a new referred function (a starred item) to the Scheme of Administration which would allow the Sub-Committee to make recommendations to Council on such application. The application would then be finally determined by Council.  In this particular and exceptional circumstance, those Members who had an interest would declare that interest but would be able to participate in the discussion on that recommendation.  It was therefore proposed to add the following text to the Scheme of Administration under Common Good Fund Sub-Committees:“* Make recommendations to Council on any grant application for local expenditure where the Sub-Committee would otherwise be inquorate for any reason, including the composition of the applicant body”. 

DECISION

AGREED to amend the Scheme of Administration to add the following referred function to each Common Good Fund Sub-Committee:

“* Make recommendations to Council on any grant application for local expenditure where the Sub – Committee would otherwise be inquorate for any reason, including the composition of the applicant body”