Agenda item

            The Members considered the following report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Committee on the proposed arrangements for the holding of Council/Committee meetings in the short to medium term.

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

 

1.      agree the arrangements for the holding of the Special meeting of the Council on 1st July (Somme Anniversary);

 

2.      consider and agree one of the two options for the monthly meeting on 1st July;

 

3.      note the arrangements for the holding of Committee meetings from June to August; and

 

4.      consider the proposal to commence full hybrid meetings from September.

 

3.0       Main Report

            Key Issues

 

3.1       The legislation is still currently not in place for the holding of remote Committees and it is anticipated that it will not be in place until just before the Assembly recess begins on 3rd July. Therefore, the Council will need to continue with the current arrangements, with Members meeting as a Committee and making recommendations to the Chief Executive to use delegated authority to implement those recommendations.

 

3.2       However, direction is sought from the Committee on the arrangements it wishes to put in place for the hosting of these meetings in the short to medium term, that is, in-person, remote or hybrid.

 

 

 

 

            Council Meetings

 

3.3       The next Council meetings are scheduled to be held on 1st July:

 

            Special Council - 1st July at 10.45 a.m. – Somme Anniversary

 

3.4       It is proposed that the Special meeting is held in-person, using the same arrangements as last year, with Parties attending using the previously agreed proportionality arrangement, with up to 18 Members in attendance in the Council Chamber based on Party strengths.

 

SF        5          Green              1

DUP                 4          PBPA               1

ALL                  3          PUP                 1

SDLP               2          UUP                 1

     

3.5       The meeting would be broadcast on the Council’s website, to allow other Members, the press and the public to view.  It would not be a hybrid meeting.  Accordingly, there would be a requirement for a minimum of 15 Members to be in attendance for the meeting to be quorate.

 

3.6       It should be noted that it may also be necessary for this special meeting to agree on a number of items of other Council business relating to the transaction of land, as this cannot be delegated.

 

            Monthly Meeting – 1st July at 6.00 p.m.

 

3.7       There are two options:

 

1.      revert to same arrangements that have been in place over the previous year, that is the meeting is hosted in the Lavery Room by the Lord Mayor, with the remainder of the Members attending remotely via Teams: or

 

2.      use the same arrangements as the Special Council meeting held on 1st June, that is, hybrid, with simultaneous attendance in the Chamber (proportional representation) and online via Teams. 

 

3.8       There would be no requirement for a quorum to be present in the Chamber for the meeting to proceed.  However, Democratic Services would still need the names in advance of those who proposed to attend.

 

 

 

            Committee Meetings

 

            June – August

 

3.9       The meetings for the month of June are already in progress and these will continue this month using the arrangements which were agreed by the Council on 4th May, that is, Members of the Committee meeting remotely and making recommendations to the Chief Executive.

 

3.10      The Council will be in recess during July and it is proposed that the remote format continues during the resumption of meeting in August.

 

            September onwards

 

3.11      From September, it is proposed that the Committee meetings move to a full hybrid arrangement.

 

3.12      These meetings would be held in the Great Hall / Banqueting Hall, City Hall and would allow all Members of a Committee to attend in-person if they so wished.  The meeting would also be held jointly via Teams to allow Councillors the choice to attend, participate and vote in the meeting remotely also.

 

            In-Person Meetings Only

 

3.13      Members will be aware that full in-person meetings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee have been/will be arranged to deal with bonfire-related issues to allow any decisions which may need to be taken at short notice to be implemented using the Committee’s delegated authority.

 

3.14      It is proposed that full in-person meetings at this stage are the exception to deal with these issues and that these arrangements are not extended to any other meetings, except in the cases of emergency, at this time.

 

            Working Groups

 

3.15      It is proposed that Working Groups continue to meet remotely.

 

            Review of Arrangements

 

3.16      Any agreed arrangements would be kept under review and further reports brought to the Party Group Leaders’ Consultative Forum and the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee as required.

 

 

            Financial and Resource Implications

 

3.17      There will be financial and resource implications associated with this report. Funding for City Hall Minor Works (to include any work required in City Hall for the provision of hybrid meetings) has been allocated in the non-recurrent funding which is subject to a separate report to Committee.

 

            Equality, Good Relations or Rural Needs Implications

 

3.18      Any equality, good relations or rural needs implications will be identified as part of the Council’s usual screening process.”

 

            After discussion, the Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to agree:

 

                   i          that the special meeting of the Council taking place at 10.45 a.m. on 1st July to mark the 105th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme be held in-person, using the same arrangements as last year, that is, up to eighteen Members being admitted to the Council Chamber, using the previously agreed proportionality arrangement based on Party strengths;

 

                  ii          that the special meeting of the Council to deal with acquisitions and the disposal of land be held at 5.45 p.m. on 1st July, with the arrangements for attendance being the same as those for the earlier meeting; 

 

                 iii          that the monthly meeting of the Council taking place at 6.00 p.m. on 1st July to deal with decisions taken by Committees, take the form of a hybrid meeting, with the arrangements being the same as those for the special meeting on 4th June, that is, simultaneous attendance in the Council Chamber, using the previously agreed proportionality arrangement based on Party strengths, and online via Microsoft Teams;    

 

                iv          to note that Committee meetings being held during June and August would operate in line with the arrangements which had been agreed by the Council on 4th May, that is, Members of the Committee would meet remotely and make recommendations to the Chief Executive for approval under her delegated authority;

 

                  v          that, from September, Committee meetings move to a full hybrid arrangement, with meetings being held in the Great Hall/Banqueting Hall, allowing Members the choice of either attending in person or joining remotely via Microsoft Teams.