To consider the confidential report of the head of HR, IT and technical services and the head of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer on staffing matters (report to follow).
The Joint Staff Committee will meet on 28 June 2017. The recommendations of the Joint Staff Committee will be circulated to all councillors prior to the Council meeting.
Minutes:
Council considered the confidential report of the head of HR, IT and technical services and the head of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer on the appointments of an acting chief executive, head of paid service, electoral registration officer, deputy electoral registration officer and returning officer following the resignation of the current chief executive and the recommendations of the Joint Staff Committee which met on 28 June 2017.
RESOLVED:
1. to note that South Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to appoint and employ Mark Stone as an acting chief executive with effect from 1 July 2017, with the job description circulated at the meeting, on a salary of £140,000 per annum pro rata for a term expiring on 31 March 2018, with a notice period of three months from the employee and one month from the employer and with a six month probationary period;
2. to note that South Oxfordshire District Council has authorised the head of HR, IT and technical services in consultation with the chief finance (section 151) officer and the monitoring officer to finalise the terms and conditions and the contract of employment of the acting chief executive in accordance with the terms agreed by the Joint Staff Committee;
3. to agree to the acting chief executive appointed by South Oxfordshire District Council being placed at the disposal of Vale of White Horse District Council and to act as its acting chief executive and to the sharing of employee costs in accordance with the existing agreement between the two councils under section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972;
4. to appoint the acting chief executive as the council’s head of paid service with effect from 1 July 2017 and authorise the person appointed to nominate appropriate officers to deputise in his absence;
5. to authorise the head of HR, IT and technical services to make any necessary amendments to the council’s published pay policy statement arising from the agreed terms and conditions of appointment of the acting chief executive;
6. to note the need for a review of the inter-authority agreement between this council and South Oxfordshire District Council to clarify the employment situation and sharing of staff and related costs and requests officers to conduct a review and bring recommendations to Council by October 2017;
7. that in terms of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and all related legislation appoint Margaret Reed as electoral registration officer and Steven Corrigan as deputy electoral registration officer, with effect from 1 July 2017;
8. that in terms of section 35 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and all related legislation to appoint Margaret Reed as returning officer, with authority to act in that capacity for elections to the council and all or any parish and town councils within the council’s area, with effect from 1 July 2017;
9. to authorise the council’s electoral registration officer to act in respect of all related electoral, poll or referendum duties, including in relation to county council elections, elections to the European Parliament and national, regional and local polls or referendums;
10.to agree in relation to the duties of returning officer or any other electoral, referendum or polling duties arising from such appointment, to remunerate the returning officer for local elections, polls or referendums in accordance with the scale of fees approved from time to time by the council and to note that the returning officer will be entitled to the relevant scale of fees prescribed by a fees order in respect of national, regional or European Parliament elections, polls or referendums;
11.to agree that in all cases where it is a legal requirement or normal practice to do so, the fees paid to the returning officer shall be superannuable and that South Oxfordshire District Council as the employing authority shall pay the appropriate employer's contribution to the superannuation fund, recovering such employer's contributions from central government or other local authorities or agencies where this can be done;
12.to agree that in relation to the conduct of local authority elections and polls, and elections to the United Kingdom Parliament, and all other electoral duties where the council is entitled by law to do so, the council shall take out and maintain in force insurance indemnifying the council and the returning officer against legal expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the defence of any proceedings brought against the council or the returning officer and/or the cost of holding another election in the event of the original election being declared invalid (provided that such proceedings or invalidation are the result of the accidental contravention of the Representation of the People Acts or other legislation governing the electoral process, or accidental breach of any ministerial or other duty by the returning officer or any other person employed by or officially acting for her in connection with the election or poll);
13.
to agree that in the event
of such insurance carrying an 'excess' clause by which an initial
portion of risk is not insured, the council will indemnify the
returning officer up to the value of such
excess.