Issue - meetings

This report sets out proposals for establishing a Staffing Committee for City of York Council, with a view to establishing the Committee from the start of the next municipal year in May 2009.

RESOLVED: That the existing Staffing and Urgency Committee remain, but that Officers timetable regular meetings to aid the planning of staff-related issues which need to come before the Committee.

REASON:      To ensure that staffing matters are dealt with efficiently and effectively.

Members considered a report which presented proposals for establishing a Staffing Committee for the City of York Council, from the start of the next Municipal Year in May 2009.

Staffing matters were currently dealt with by a joint Urgency and Staffing Matters Committee.  However, it was recognised that staffing matters and urgent business should ideally be dealt with in different ways, with staffing matters being diarised on a regular basis and dealt with by a larger group of Members.  Hence the proposals for a separate Staffing Committee.

Members were invited to consider the following options:

Option 1 – establish a Staffing Committee by splitting the terms of reference for the Staffing & Urgency Committee, with a membership of ten on a 4:4:2 political proportional basis and regular diarised meetings every two months.

Option 2 – amend the proposals in option 1 with regard to the size of the committee, terms of reference or cycle of meetings.

Option 3 – maintain the status quo.

Members expressed the view that the objective was to establish regular dates for staffing matters, and this did not require the creation of an additional committee.  The frequency of the meetings should be based upon necessity and upon advice from HR Officers.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: That the existing Staffing and Urgency Committee remain, but that Officers timetable regular meetings to aid the planning of staff-related issues which need to come before the Committee. ¹

REASON:      To ensure that staffing matters are dealt with efficiently and effectively.