Consultation process
Review of Scheme for Establishment of Community CouncilsPlease leave details of your feedback
Comments that are specific to a certain section of the Scheme should be numbered for easier reference eg section 2 part 2.9.
Consultation process
Review of Scheme for Establishment of Community CouncilsComments that are specific to a certain section of the Scheme should be numbered for easier reference eg section 2 part 2.9.
In relation to the Admin Allowance This list is not exhaustive and enquiries regarding acceptability of items other than those noted above should be referred to the Service Lead, Thriving Communities of South Ayrshire Council. AD
Community Council membership should reflect the various wards within the council area. However, if there are insufficient nominations from a sub-ward during an election, or if representation is lacking, the Service Lead, Thriving Communities of South Ayrshire Council may, at the Community Council’s request, remove sub-warding within the affected areas. If the removal of sub-warding results in a vote, if there any candidates from the sub-ward wherein there are insufficient nominations, any candidate from the sub-ward wherein there are insufficient nominations will be deemed elected prior to any further vote.AD
whilst in stage 1 the text of the complaint is written and the corroborative evidence and circumstances is written. Here the accused can respond to the complaint in writing for the hearing in a stage 1 determination. Here in Stage 2 there doesn’t seem there is any provision for the accused to respond to the statement supporting the complaint or indeed the further statement before it goes to the panel. This is fundamentally wrong particularly if it has been determined to go straight to stage 2 by 7.2 or a further statement of why the complainant is unsatisfied was not shown to the accused prior to it going to the panel of 3. It is also worthwhile asking parties for a circumstances statement. AR
• Where it has not been possible to resolve the complaint or the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they can request that the Senior Communities Officer progress their complaint to a Stage 2 procedure. No, No, No, It should not say without clarification to, ‘or the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome’ They must explain why they are not satisfied having presented their corroborative evidence and circumstances without hearsay in the first instance and what explanation in the CC reported outcome they are not satisfied with and why with reasoning and without introducing new evidence. If new evidence is introduced the full complaints process is restarted with all parties contributing. Did we not learn anything from my experience? It can’t just be they are not satisfied with the outcome, decided by a panel of CC members without material reason. AR
Some complaints, while simple and straightforward will not be suitable to be handled by the Community Council themselves (why?) due to the involvement of office bearers. In such cases, the Senior Communities Officer will progress this to a stage 2 procedure. Does this mean where more than one office bearer is subject of the complaint ie plural? If only one is involved I see the remaining CC members are quite capable of handling the complaint at stage 1. If SAC like, they can incorporate the presence of a link officer observer. Stage 2 takes far too long and is too cumbersome and wastes everyone’s time. Maybe you need to take out the words ‘due to the involvement of office bearers’ and leave it at that. Possibly add in CC themselves ‘as determined by the Senior Communities Officer’. 7.4 as it is, is not progress in this new document, makes no sense at all for something that is simple and straight forward to go to stage 2 where a decision is already made in 7.2.AR
If you have dealings with the media, members of the public, or others not directly involved in your Community Council, you should ensure that an explicit distinction is made between the expression of your personal views written or verbally witnessed and opinions from any views or statement made about or on behalf of the Community Council.AR
You have a duty to establish and reflect, through the Community Council, the views of the community as far as it is reasonably known, on any issue, irrespective of personal opinion.
You have a duty to take decisions solely in terms of the interests of the community that you represent and seek the collective majority view of your other Community Councillors where appropriate. AR
The Community Council may appoint Community Councillors to sub-groups of the Community Council and shall determine their composition, terms of reference, duration, duties, and powers and ratified within minutes.
Property and other assets belonging to the Community Council shall be vested in the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Community Council and their successors in these respective offices. Date obtained and value or approximate value against an assert should be recorded with any receipt of purchase kept by the secretary. AR
AR (a) Where a vacancy arises, the Community Councillors can agree to fill the vacancy in accordance with Scheme Clause 4 relating to Co-option, initially from a reserved list and subsequently from wider advertising. South Ayrshire Council requires to be notified if the membership falls below half.
to express the views of the community to the local authority for the area to public authorities and other organisations; to this end local Ward Councillors are therefore encouraged to attend CC meetings as often as possible.AR