Meeting: County Council (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 01/04/2009 10:30:00 AM)
Item: A8 Appointment of Independent and Parish Members and Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee
Background
1. As Members will recall, work has been undertaken in the run up to Vesting Day to review the Independent Membership of the Standards Committee and also to recruit Parish Members in readiness for the Committee’s enhanced responsibilities for Parish and Town Councils.
Independent Members
2. The Committee’s membership includes six Independent Members. Following a public advertisement, candidates have been interviewed by
a Panel of Elected Members drawn from the Standards Committee comprising Councillors Armstrong, A. Bainbridge, Jopling and Shiell.
3. The Panel recommend the appointment of the following as Independent Members for a 4 year term of office from 1 April 2009, in
accordance with guidance issued by the Standards Board for England:
· Mr Brian Argyle - now retired from various positions in industry, Mr Argyle has been a Member of both the Audit and Standards Committees at Sedgefield Borough Council.
· Mr David Balls - now retired from industry, Mr Balls has been Chairman of the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority’s Standards Committee as well as the Standards Committees of the County Council and the Durham Police Authority. He is also a long serving Magistrate and currently Deputy Chairman of the North Durham Bench.
· Mrs Denny Ann Balmer - now retired from a senior position in the Civil Service, Mrs Balmer has been a member of the Standards Committee at the District of Easington Council and is also a serving Magistrate.
· Mrs Dorothy Winter - a senior manager in the Civil Service, Mrs Winter has been a member of the Standards Committee of both the County Council and Wear Valley District Council, the latter more recently as Independent Chairman. She is a long serving Magistrate and is currently Chair of the South Durham Bench.
· Mr Lawrence Albert Petterson - a local solicitor, Mr Petterson is currently Chairman of the Standards Committee at Sedgefield Borough Council.
· Mrs Tina Naples - a retired Government Head of Internal Audit, Mrs Naples is currently Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee at the City of Durham Council and is also a Member of its Audit Committee.
Independent Chairman 4. The Council is required by legislation to appoint one of the Independent Members as Chairman of the Standards Committee. The Panel further
recommend that Mrs Winter be appointed Chairman for the ensuing year.
Vice - Chairman 5. The Council also needs to appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the ensuing year.
Parish Members 6. The Committee’s membership also now includes six Parish Council Members.
7. The Council enlisted the help of the County Durham Association of Local Councils with this process. Applications were invited from serving Parish Members on Borough/District Councils’ Standards Committees, the County Association has interviewed the candidates and recommend the following appointments:
· Councillor J. Day (Tow Law Town Council)
· Councillor F. S. Duggan (Esh Winning Parish Council)
· Councillor Mrs M. Goyns (Wheatley Hill Parish Council)
· Councillor Mrs D. N. Liversidge (Haswell Parish Council)
· Councillor J. Marr (Spennymoor Town Council).
8. In addition, the County Association also recommends the appointment of one of its Executive Committee Members - Councillor T. Batson.
9. The Council is recommended to appoint the Parish Council representatives with the same term of office as the Independent Members, i.e. 4 years.
Attachments
Appt of Ind & Parish Mems to Standards Cttee.pdf