Agenda and draft minutes

The retiring Mayor welcomed the newly elected Councillors to the Council. The new Councillors are:

Mark Short, Matthew Hobbs, Antony Skottowe, Ian Walsh, Shirley Asare, Karthik Bonkur, Jane Otumunye, Alan Chesterman, Katherine Gardener, Barbara Fitzsimon, Salman Khan,  Leo Gilbert, and Alex Bardett.

To elect the Mayor for the municipal year 2024/25.

Prior to the election of Mayor Councillor Shah spoke of the highlights of his year as Mayor and thanked his wife, officers, councillors and residents of the borough for their support.

Councillor Shah presented the cheques for his chosen charities Hatfield Food Bank and New Zion Christian Fellowship Foodbank totalling a sum of £6,800.

Nominations were invited for the election of the Mayor of the Borough of Welwyn Hatfield for the Municipal Year 2024/25.

It was moved and seconded by Councillors J.Quinton and M.Holloway that Councillor F.Marsh be elected. No alternative nominations were received.

Councillor Marsh signed the formal Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Mayor.

The Mayor thanked Councillors J.Quinton and M.Holloway for nominating him and expressed that it would be an honour to serve the community as Mayor.

The Group Leaders thanked the retiring Mayor for his service and dedication to the borough.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor F.Marsh be elected Mayor of the Borough of Welwyn Hatfield for the municipal year 2024/25.

To appoint the Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2024/25.

The Mayor invited nominations for the appointment of the Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2024/25.  It was moved and seconded by Councillors M.Holloway and J.Quinton that Councillor L. Chesterman be appointed as Deputy Mayor.

No other nominations were received.

Councillor L.Chesterman signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Deputy Mayor.

The Deputy Mayor thanked Councillors M.Holloway and J.Quinton for the nomination. The Deputy Mayor said it would be an honour to serve the people of Welwyn Hatfield and assist the Mayor.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor L. Chesterman be appointed Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 2024/25.

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor A.Bardett.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2024 (previously circulated).

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2024 were approved as a correct record.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda.

Declarations of interest were received from Councillor Kingsbury as a County Councillor.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Member of the Cabinet or the Head of Paid Service.

The Mayor made the following announcement:

Announcement of charity

During his Mayoral year, the Mayor would support the following charity, Hertfordshire Young Homeless.

Councillors no longer serving.

The Mayor expressed the Council’s thanks to:

Samuel Kasumu

Stephen Boulton

Alastair Hellyer

Fiona Thompson

James Bond

James Lake

Craig Stanbury

Nick Pace

Steve McNamara

Gail Ganney

Stan Tunstall

Flavia Wachuku

Paul Smith

who are no longer serving members.

To receive the Annual Report on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Council received a report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation) on the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2023/24.

Councillors L.Musk and T.Rowse moved and seconded the report.

Councillor Musk expressed thanked members and officers for their work over the last year to support the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Task & Finish Groups.

RESOLVED:

Council noted the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2023/24.

To receive the Annual Report on Member Development.

Council received a report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation) on the Member Development Annual Report.

Councillors J.Broach and M.Siewniak moved and seconded the report.  Councillor Broach thanked members of the Member Development Steering Group for their work over the year and officers for their work.

RESOLVED:

Council noted the Member Development Annual Report.

To consider the report a review of the political proportionality of Member appointments to Committees.

Council received a report on the review of political proportionality of member appointments to committees and changes to the allocation of seats.

The report was moved and seconded by Councillor M.Holloway and J.Quinton.

RESOLVED:

The Council noted the review of political proportionality of member appointments to committees and the allocation of seats as set out in the report.

The Mayor asked Council to agree Councillor Holloway as Leader of the Council, note the appointments made by Councillor Holloway as the Leader of the Council, and to approve the Membership of non-executive committees.

Councillor Holloway took the opportunity to introduce his Cabinet and set out the roles of the Cabinet portfolios. He expressed his thanks for having been appointed as Leader by the joint administration.

Councillor Quinton expressed how she looked forward to the work of the administration continuing.

Councillor Kingsbury expressed his best wishes to the new administration and highlighted that the opposition members would continue to hold the new administration to account.

RESOLVED:

1.      The appointment of Councillor M.Holloway as Leader of the Council be agreed;

2.      That the appointment of the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council be noted; and

3.      The membership of non-executive committees be agreed.

To appoint representatives to serve on outside bodies in 2024/25.

Council received the nomination for members to sit on various outside bodies.

Councillors Holloway and Quinton moved and seconded the approval of the appointment of representatives.

RESOLVED:

The appointment of representatives were agreed.

To note the summary of attendances by Members at meetings during 2023/24.

Council received the attendance statistics for 2023/24 for members.

A member highlighted that a number of meetings had been cancelled and re-scheduled last year and that it was important that the dates set remained as agreed by Council.

RESOLVED:

Council noted the attendance report.

To appoint an Interim Monitoring Officer for the Council.

At this point in the meeting the Legal Services Manager left the meeting.

Councillors Thorpe and Quinton moved and seconded that the Legal Services Manager be appointed as interim Monitoring Officer for the Council whilst a recruitment process takes place.

RESOLVED:

That the Legal Services Manager be appointed Interim Monitoring Officer.

To consider any matters of urgency subject to the agreement of the Mayor in accordance with Procedure Rule 5.1(s).

There were no items of urgent business and the meeting was closed.