Supplementary Agenda of Council Meeting

Item No. 18

Supplementary Agenda (Open Portion)

Council Meeting

Page 3

22/1/2018

Memorandum: Council

Council Committee Structure - Governance and Finance Committees

In a memo on 9 January 2018 I advised Aldermen of a proposal from the Chairman of the Governance Committee that Council consider combining the current Governance and Finance Committees.

In the memo I advised that the matter would be included as a special report from the General Manager on the Council agenda for 22 January 2018.

The Council has previously considered a restructure of Council Committees, specifically to align them to the Council’s Strategic Plan.

In its most recent consideration of this matter in December 2017, the Council resolved to defer any further consideration until the outcomes of the current community visioning exercise were known.

As Aldermen are aware, I have now made some structural changes within the administration of the Council to better align the Divisions with the Strategic Plan. While these changes were not intended to impact on terms of reference for Council Committees, the Chairman of Governance Committee, Alderman Ruzicka has proposed that this represents an opportunity to at least review the existing Governance Committee.

With Strategic Planning moving to Community Development structurally, Alderman Ruzicka has suggested that the Committee Terms of Reference could be amended to reflect this change as well, with a consequent reduction in items put to Governance Committee.

Should this occur, she has proposed that the remainder of the Governance items could be dealt with by an expanded Finance Committee.

Such a suggestion would align with the current Strategic Plan which only provides for one Goal (Goal 5 Governance) addressing all governance, finance and internal service delivery matters. Potentially the remaining committee could be renamed as the Finance and Governance Committee (or potentially just the Governance Committee to match the Strategic Plan).

Alderman Ruzicka has consulted with the Chairman of the Finance Committee Alderman Thomas, who has indicated interest in the proposal. It is understood that both Chairmen would be happy to work as ‘joint chairmen’, with the items on the meeting agenda divided into two sections reflecting the finance and governance split.

This is the way the Council meeting agenda is currently presented, with no requirement to formally advertise a starting time for each section of the meeting.

The proposal would reduce the total number of committee meetings Aldermen are required to attend by one per month.

There would be consequential savings in officer time attending and servicing meetings and in administration costs with one less agenda prepared each month.

The meeting time freed up, potentially the first Tuesday of every month, could also be used for more effective scheduling of Council workshops.

There is some overlap in the current membership of the two committees with three Aldermen currently serving on both committees. Should the council retain its current policy of five Aldermen per committee, two fewer Aldermen would be required to form the new committee than are currently members of the two existing committees.

REcommendation

That:

1. The Council consider whether it wishes to abolish the existing Finance and Governance Committees and establish an amalgamated Finance and Governance Committee pursuant to Section 23 of the Local Government Act 1993.

2. Should the Council wish to pursue this proposal:

2.1 Terms of Reference be amended accordingly, including the movement of strategic planning matters to the Community, Culture and Events Committee and returned to Council for consideration.

2.2 Council select five Aldermen to be members of the new Finance and Governance Committee.

2.3 The Council elect a Chair / Chairmen for the new Committee.

3. Should the Council resolve not to proceed with the proposal at this time, the matter be further considered as part of the review of Committee structure more generally after the outcomes of the community visioning exercise are known.

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

N.D Heath

General Manager

Date: 19 January 2018

File Reference: F18/4416