Hathern Parish Council - Procedural Standing Orders as adopted 14 May 2012

1 •  Annual Meeting

The Statutory Annual Meeting (a) in an election year shall be held on the Monday next following the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections to the Council and (b) in a year which is not an election year shall be held on second Monday in May.

At each Annual Meeting the first business shall be:

a) To elect a chairman.  
b) To receive the Chairman's declaration of acceptance of office
c) To elect a Vice-Chairman
d) In the ordinary year of election of the Council  to receive any declaration of acceptance of office that has not been received as provided by law shall be received.  
e) In the ordinary year of election of the Council  to receive a written undertaking from each Councillor to abide by the Council's Code of Conduct.

2 •  Powers and Duties of the Chairman

The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the meeting.

3 •  Proper Officer

The Proper Officer of the Council is the Clerk. The Responsible Financial Officer of the Council is the Clerk.

Notwithstanding those duties and responsibilities, it shall be the duty of the Clerk to advise Members on the content and interpretation of these Standing Orders.

4 •  Quorum

Three Members shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not present when the Council meets or if during a meeting the number of Members, for whatever reason, falls below the quorum, the business not transacted at that meeting shall be transacted at the next meeting or on such other day as the Chairman may decide.

5.•  Frequency of Meetings

The Council shall meet not less than 8 times per year. Where possible the meetings should be equally spaced through the year whilst allowing for holiday periods.

6. Declarations of interest

In these matters the Council and the Councillors will adhere to the Code of Practice as adopted by the Council on 24 th September 2007

7. Voting

Members shall vote by show of hands unless the meeting decides otherwise.

If the meeting so requires, the Clerk shall record the names of the Members who voted on any question and how they voted.

The Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote and, in the case of equality of votes, may give a casting vote, whether or not an original vote was given.

8. Order of Business

The order of business shall be stated on an agenda paper which shall be delivered to each Member at least three clear days prior to the date of the meeting along with the summons convening the meeting.

9. Resolutions Moved on Notice

Except as provided by these Standing Orders, no resolution may be moved unless the business to which it relates has been included on the Agenda.

Members may put an item or notice of resolution on the Agenda by giving the Clerk written notice of the item or resolution at least seven clear days prior to the meeting to which that agenda relates.

Every resolution, amendment or recommendation shall be relevant to some subject over which the Council has the power or which affects its area.

At the Chairman's discretion, and with the majority agreement of Councillors present, any agenda item may be deferred to the next meeting

10. Resolutions Moved Without Notice

Resolutions on procedural matters may be moved without notice including those to vary the order of business on grounds of urgency or procedural efficiency. Such resolutions shall be put to the vote without discussion.

11. Rules of Debate

All remarks shall be addressed to the Chairman.

No discussion shall take place on the minutes of previous meetings except upon their accuracy. Corrections to the minutes shall be made by resolution and must be initialled by the Chairman.

The ruling of the Chairman on a point of order or on the admissibility of an item shall not be discussed.

A representative of the local Constabulary, and Borough, District or County Councillors shall be allowed to speak at Council meetings at the discretion of the Chairman. The Chairman can also permit individual members of the public gallery to contribute where the Chairman believes such a contribution will be helpful to the matter under discussion by the Council.

12. Admission of the Public and Press to the Meetings

The public shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and its committees and sub-committees, which may, however, temporarily exclude the public by means of the following resolution.

“That in view of the [special] [confidential] nature of the business about to be transacted, it is advisable in the public interest that the public be temporarily excluded and they are instructed to withdraw”.

(Notes : The special reasons should be stated. If a person's advice or assistance is needed they may be invited (by name) to remain after the exclusion resolution passed.)

The Clerk shall afford to the press reasonable facilities for taking their report of any proceedings at which they are entitled to be present.

If a member of the public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting, the chairman may, after warning, order that he be removed from the Council meeting room.

13. Purchase Order Procedures

All financial dealings of the Council will be conducted in accordance with the Council's Financial Regulations.

Any contract anticipated to be at or above £20,000 in value will be subject to a competitive tendering process whereby 2 or more tenders are sought against a specification approved by the Council.

Where expenditure items or contracts are anticipated to be at or above £2,000 but below £20,000 competitive quotations/prices will be sought.

Summary of Expenditure limits and associated purchase order process

The Council has the discretion to disregard this process where it is clear that such a process is unlikely to improve value for money or deliver competing bids

The Council will approve all expenditure except that deemed urgent by the Clerk (and therefore subject to section 3.3 of the Council's Financial Regulations ). All urgent expenditure exceeding £200 but not more than £1999 can be approved by e-mail consultation with Councillors.

14. Rental Income

Annually in March the Council shall review its rental fees for all facilities rented to tenants. This will include ground rental fees for cricket and football pitches, allotments and garage bases.

15. Closure

A motion of closure of a debate may be moved at any time but must be proposed and seconded without comment. The Chairman may refuse such motion if he feels that the question before the Council has not been sufficiently debated.

16. Rescission of Previous Resolutions

A decision of the Council (whether affirmative or negative) shall not be reversed within six months except by a special resolution, the written notice of which bears the names of at least three Members of the Council. When such a resolution has been disposed of, no similar resolution may be moved within a further six months.

17. Confidential Business

No Member of the Council shall disclose to any person, not being a Member of the Council, any business declared to be confidential by the Council.

18. Length of Meetings

Except at the discretion of the Chairman, all meetings of the Council shall finish not later than two-and-a-half-hours after commencement. Any business not transacted shall be carried over to the next meeting or such other date as the Chairman may decide.

19. Suspension of Standing Orders

These Standing Orders may be suspended at any time and for any period of time by resolution.

20. Establishing an employment disciplinary and appeals panels

In the event that a disciplinary or appeals panel should be needed then the panel will be set up jointly by the Chairman and Vice Chairman and will comprise no fewer than 3 people.

21. Advice and guidance to the Clerk

The Clerk will be guided in his or her work by the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Council or if agreed by them by another nominated Councillor.

22. Management of important information or documents during the clerk's planned absences

The Clerk will ensure that appropriate and adequate measures are taken to forward important or urgent information and documents to the Chair, Vice-Chair or nominated councillor during planned absences.

23. Standing Orders to be given to Members

A copy of these Standing Orders shall be given to all Members.

24. Interpretation

In these Standing Orders words importing one gender shall include all genders and the singular includes the plural and vice versa.

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 Adopted by Hathern Parish Council 14 th May 2012