Town Council to change meeting arrangements

Town councillors are to discuss a report tonight on changing the way it meets to reflect workload.

The report, a response to the increased demands of hybrid meetings, underscores crucial decisions surrounding resource allocation and meeting formats.

Reflecting on the resolution passed on October 24, 2022, the Council acknowledged the additional tasks associated with supporting hybrid meetings. To address this, an extra 6 hours per week were allocated to the Democratic Services team, ensuring future adequacy of resources.

For the three-month period from November 2022 to January 2023, the Council decided to conduct Strategy & Corporate Projects, Economy & Environment, and Resources Committees exclusively online. Services Committee and Full Council meetings were designated as hybrid, defaulting to 'remote only' for committees unless there were exceptional practical reasons for an in-person format.

Subsequently, two extensions to these temporary arrangements were approved in January and May 2023. According to the report, participants adapted well to remote access during this time, leading to the decision to extend the temporary meeting arrangements.

The May 2023 resolution emphasized efficiency in utilizing the Democratic Services Team resource to align with the 5 Year Strategy, maintaining remote access for committee meetings, while keeping Council meetings hybrid.

Presently, Strategy & Corporate Projects, Economy & Environment, and Resources Committees are conducted online only. In contrast, Services Committee and Full Council meetings are hybrid, taking place both online and in-person in the Council Chamber.

Shifting focus to the Democratic Services Team and their role in the 'Strengthening The Council' tasks outlined in the Council's 5-Year Strategy 2023-28, tasks related to compliance, policies, and good practice are detailed in the report's appendix. The report highlights the potential impact on the workload of the Democratic Services Team, posing a risk to achieving the 5 Year Strategy tasks due to increased support required for in-person meetings.

The Town Clerk recommends a permanent adjustment to meeting arrangements to optimize the use of Democratic Services Team resources. The proposed arrangement suggests committee and subcommittee meetings default to 'remote only,' with in-person exceptions based on practical reasons. Full Council meetings are proposed to remain in a hybrid format, allowing both online and in-person participation.

Public access is also considered in the recommendation. For members of the public, committee and subcommittee meetings would be 'remote only,' while Full Council meetings would offer both remote and in-person access.

Town councillors are likely to approve the changes.