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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 5, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services - (01792) 636923 

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2018-2019.

Minutes:

Resolved that Councillor Wendy Lewis be elected Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2018-2019.

2.

Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

3.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 106 KB

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the Democratic Services Committee held on 16 April 2018 be approved and signed as a correct record.

4.

Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2017-2018. pdf icon PDF 155 KB

Minutes:

The Head of Democratic Services presented a “for information” report of the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2017-2018 for the period 25 May 2017 to 23 May 2018.  The report outlined the work of the Committee during that period. A proposed amendment to remove Paragraph 4 from the report was highlighted and approved by the Committee. The information contained within Paragraph 4 of the report was available online. 

 

Resolved that the contents of the report and amendments be noted.

5.

Review of Councillors' Broadband and Telephone, ICT and Mobile Phone Allowances - May 2017 & Beyond. pdf icon PDF 227 KB

Minutes:

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report to review the Councillors’ Broadband and Telephone, ICT and Mobile Phone Allowances – May 2017 & Beyond Policy which had been adopted by Cabinet on 15 December 2016.

 

The Committee discussed the recommendations outlined in the report. The  Discussions focussed on the following:

 

·                Publication of Cabinet Member Mobile Phone Numbers;

·                Typographical error on Recommendation 8 – To insert the number 6 between 4 and year on the first line;

 

Resolved that the following be recommended to Cabinet for adoption (subject to the amendments highlighted by the Committee): -

 

1)

The Policy be renamed the “Councillors Information, Communication & Technology (ICT) Allowances - May 2017 & Beyond Policy” or “Councillors ICT Allowances - May 2017 & Beyond Policy” for short.

 

 

2)

The following note be added to Paragraph 5.3 of the Policy:

 

1)      The Councillors’ ICT Allowance over a 5 year period is £1,808 in total.  This amount may be spent at any time during the 5 year term provided the claims are made using the Councillors / Co-opted Members ICT Allowance Claim Form and with relevant receipts.

 

2)      Any spend exceeding £200 in the final year of the Term of Office must be approved in advance by the Head of Democratic Services in conjunction with the Chief Transformation Officer.  They may look at temporary solutions such as providing Authority owned ICT devices.

 

 

3)

The following condition be added to Paragraph 6.1 of the report:

 

“c)    Councillors in receipt of the Telephone element of the Councillors’ Broadband and Telephone Allowance must allow for their telephone number to be published on the Authority’s website and promoted as necessary save in exceptional circumstances”.

 

 

4)

Paragraph 6.4 of the Policy be redrafted so as to allow each Councillor within the same household to receive the Data Allowance Payment but that the household be limited to one Broadband Allowance;

 

 

5)

The “Broadband and Telephone Allowance” be renamed the “Data and Telephone Allowance”;

 

 

6)

Paragraph 7.5 of the Policy be deleted and the section renumbered accordingly.

 

 

7)

Paragraph 7.1 of the Policy be amended as follows with an additional second condition also being added:

 

“7.1 The Authority currently pays a monthly Councillors’ Mobile Phone Allowance to qualifying Councillors in order to supplement their mobile phone bills due to their increased use for Council business providing:

 

a)     Councillors produce proof on an annual basis of their Mobile Phone contract to the Cabinet Office / Democratic Services Team.

 

b)    Councillors in receipt of the Councillors’ Mobile Phone Allowance must allow for their mobile telephone number to be published on the Authority’s website and promoted as necessary save in exceptional circumstances”.

 

 

8)

The following note be added to Paragraph 9.4 of the Policy:

 

Note:

1)      The Co-opted Members ICT Allowance over a 4 and year period is £361.60 and £441.60 in total respectively.  This amount may be spent at any time during the 4-6 year term provided the claims are made using the Councillors / Co-opted Members ICT Allowance Claim Form and with relevant receipts;

2)      Any spend exceeding £40 in the final year of the Term of Office must be approved in advance by the Head of Democratic Services in conjunction with the Chief Transformation Officer.  They may look at temporary solutions such as providing Authority owned ICT devices.

 

 

9)

A Paragraph 9.7 be added to the Policy as follows:

 

“9.7 Co-opted Members in receipt of the Telephone element of the Co-opted Member Broadband and Telephone Allowance must allow for their telephone number to be published on the Authority’s website and promoted as necessary save in exceptional circumstances”.

 

6.

Social Media - A Guide for Members - WLGA First Draft. pdf icon PDF 95 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report to seek comments and suggestions in relation to the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Draft “Social Media – A Guide for Members”.

 

The Draft document was attached as Appendix A.

 

Following discussions the following comments were made on the draft “Social Media – A guide for Members”

 

·                The last Paragraph of the Introduction be amended to include the word ‘some’ after offers and before advice to help make clear that this advice is not exhaustive and that there is more advice available if required.

·                Amend the Heading of Paragraph 2 ‘Why Should You Use Social Media?’ to something less directive such as ‘Why You May Find Social Media Useful’

·                It was suggested that more advice could be provided in relation to Facebook particularly providing advice on how to manage your profile managing groups as well as more guidance on sharing posts.

·                The following paragraphs were highlighted as particularly useful: -

‘Are you controlling your Social Media or is it controlling you’; and

Paragraph 9 – ‘Keep on the right side of the law….’

 

Resolved that the Comments of the Committee would be fed back to the Welsh Local Government Association.

7.

Workplan 2018-2019.

Minutes:

The Committee discussed potential items for the Work Plan 2018/19. The Committee discussed working digitally and current legislative constraints on video conferencing for Committees.

 

The Head of Democratic Services proposed possible training on the Modern.Gov system for the Committee and noted that the next meeting was scheduled for the 9 October 2018.