Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that Cllr. Jill Davison be elected Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15.

Resolved: That Cllr. Jill Davison be elected Chairman of the Council for the municipal year, 2014/15.

Cllr. Mrs. Davison made the declaration of acceptance of office and took the chair.  The new Chairman thanked the Council for her election and expressed her appreciation for the many good wishes she had received.  Cllr Mrs Davison announced that her Escort for the year would be Cllr. Davison and presented him with a badge of office.

The new Chairman led the Council in expressing thanks to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr. Pett, for his service to the Council and to the District. This was strongly supported by other Members who commented on Cllr. Pett’s exemplary service as Chairman and ‘hands on’ or ‘boots on’ approach.  As a Chairman he had not only attended events but participated in them such as a 3 mile charity run.  Many Members thanked him for visiting their parishes, and complimented his Escort Mrs. Eccles.  He would be particularly remembered for the Lizzy Yarnold open bus tour. The new Chairman presented Cllr. Pett with the past Chairman’s badge an engraved portable chess set and a past Chairman’s Escort badge and flowers to Mrs Sylvia Eccles.

In response Cllr. Pett thanked Members and Officers for their support.    Cllr Pett offered particular thanks to his partner Mrs Sylvia Eccles who was not a particularly public person but had been very supportive and shared responsibility for his success. 

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that Cllr. Philip McGarvey be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15.

            Resolved: That Cllr. McGarvey be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year, 2014/15.

Cllr. McGarvey then made the declaration of acceptance of office and expressed his thanks to the Council for his appointment.

The Chairman of the Council then presented the new Vice-Chairman’s Escort, Mrs Dorothy McGarvey, with her badge of office.

The Chairman proposed that the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1 April 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

            Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1 April 2014 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no additional declarations of interest made.

The Chairman announced the sad passing of a former Councillor for Edenbridge South, George Broadbridge, who had served from May 1987 to May 1991.  A moments silence was held in respect of his memory. 

As Chairman she hoped to keep Sevenoaks in the public eye.  She would not support a particular charity but would make herself available to all charities within the District.  She hoped at the very least to visit every parish

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that the appointments of Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Membership of Committees for the municipal year 2014/15 as detailed in the Appendix to the report, be approved.

            Resolved: That the Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and membership of Committees for the municipal year 2014/15 be approved, as set out in Appendix A to these minutes including  delegated authority to the Leader of the Council to rotate/amend the District Council Membership of the Strategic Board, as appropriate.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that the delegations to Committees and Officers be agreed and that the delegations of executive functions by the Leader of the Council, and appointments to the Cabinet and the composition of the Cabinet Portfolios (attached to the minutes as Appendix B) be noted. Member’s attention was drawn to the amended terms of reference for the Health Liaison Board circulated with the supplementary agenda.

Resolved: That

Cllr. Fleming moved and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that the calendar of meetings for the municipal year 2014/15, be agreed.  Members noted that the meeting of the Strategic Board scheduled for 15 May 2014 had now been cancelled

Resolved:  That the Calendar of ordinary meetings for the municipal year 2014/15 be confirmed.

Cllr. Fleming moved and Cllr. Ms. Lowe seconded that the appointment of representatives on outside organisations for the municipal year 2014/15 be agreed (attached to the minutes as Appendix C).

Resolved:  That the non executive appointments to other organisations for the municipal year 2014/15 be confirmed.

The report was noted.

a)     Budget: Council Tax Support Funding for Town and Parish Councils

The background to the report was that at the Council meeting on 18 February 2014 it was resolved that “no Council Tax Support funding for Town and Parish Councils be issued as no money had been ring-fenced for this purpose in the Government Grant Settlement, and the approach be agreed and adopted”.  This was also recommended by Cabinet on 6 February 2014.  Westerham Town Council supported by Sevenoaks Town Council and Dunton Green Parish Council had said they intended to seek a judicial review of the decision as they believed that the decision was not as clear as it could have been.  The Council Leader, Chief Finance Officer and Legal Services Manager had met their representatives on 3 April 2014 and it had been agreed that a report would be taken to Council on 13 May 2014 to give Members the opportunity to reconsider passing Council Tax Support funding to Town and Parish Councils.

Before consideration of the item the Chairman advised that she had received a request from Mr Alan Wesley, Chairman of Westerham Town Council to address the meeting.  As there was no provision for this to happen within the rules set out in the Council’s Constitution she had agreed to use her discretion as Chairman and allow him to speak for no more than three minutes.  She invited Mr. Wesley to step forward and address the meeting. 

Mr. Wesley addressed the meeting reiterating points made in the letter from Westerham Town Council dated 10 March 2014 (Appendix A to the report) pointing out that the Council had been called a ‘rogue’ local authority in the Sunday Times on 20 April 2014 and that the Council could afford to pass on the support funding if it used the stabilisation fund. He commented on the minutes of Cabinet held on 8 May 2014, stating that it was not double taxation as the Parish and Town Council’s had taken on liability and that the reference to not knowing what to do with the money was condescending.  He also stated that the 24 dual hatted members should not vote but if they did and voted againstpassing on the money they should resign.  He advised that it was his 70^th birthday but had agreed to attend this meeting to be heard.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Ramsay seconded the recommendations from Cabinet which did not set out a preferred option but recommended that Council consider all three options being proposed.  In proposing the motion, Cllr. Fleming wished Mr Wesley a happy birthday and was pleased the Chairman had used her discretion to allow him the opportunity to address the meeting on a matter he felt so strongly about.

The Chairman advised Council that the motion with all three options would be debated as a whole, and then each option voted on individually.

The Leader stated that he had sympathy with the parishes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.