Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Councillor Peter Topping has been substituted onto the Employment Committee in place of Councillor Val Barrett in order to comply with the requirement in the Council’s Constitution for the Leader of the Council to be a Member of the Employment Committee when considering the recruitment of a Chief Executive. 

Councillor Val Barrett, Vice-Chairman, reported that Councillor Ray Manning had resigned as Chairman of the Employment Committee.

Upon calling for nominations for the position of Chairman of the Committee, having been proposed and seconded and there being no further nominations, Councillor Pippa Corney was duly ELECTED as Chairman of the Employment Committee.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ray Manning and Doug Cattermole.

Graham Watts, Democratic Services Team Leader, reported that Councillor Peter Topping was in attendance as a substitute for Councillor Manning in order to comply with the requirement in the Council’s Constitution for the Leader of the Council to be a Member of the Employment Committee when considering the recruitment of a Chief Executive.

To receive any declarations of Members’ interest.

No declarations on Members’ interests were made.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 January 2016 as a correct record.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 January 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To consider the recruitment of a Chief Executive and interim arrangements for the positions of Head of Paid Service, Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer.

The report associated with this agenda item contains exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.  The report is therefore unavailable for publication and the press and public are likely to be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the item.

The Employment Committee:

(a)        NOTED the resignation of the current post holder.

(b)        RECOMMENDED to Council the appointment of Alex Colyer as Interim Chief Executive Officer, Head of Paid Service, Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer for up to nine months or until the permanent appointment of a Chief Executive Officer.

(c)        DELEGATED authority to the Head of Paid Service to undertake restructuring in the senior management tiers to provide appropriate capacity during interim arrangements.

(d)        AGREED to the external recruitment of a permanent replacement Chief Executive Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council and AGREED to form a Sub-Committee, consisting of six Members, to undertake the work associated with the recruitment process for this post.

(e)        DELEGATED authority to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Staffing, to discuss and agree the salary associated with the interim appointment.

The press and public were excluded from the meeting for the consideration of this item in accordance with Paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

Consideration was given to a report which set out the options available for the recruitment of a Chief Executive Officer following an announcement that the current post holder had resigned from the position with effect from 21 October 2016.

Councillor Pippa Corney, Chairman, in presenting the report noted with regret that Jean Hunter had given notice of her resignation. 

The Committee debated the options contained within the report, which included a range of internal, external and shared post proposals, both on an interim and permanent basis, together with associated considerations, risks and opportunities. 

Further to extensive consideration and discussion, the Employment Committee:

(a)        NOTED the resignation of the current post holder.

(b)        RECOMMENDED to Council the appointment of Alex Colyer as Interim Chief Executive Officer, Head of Paid Service, Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer for up to nine months or until the permanent appointment of a Chief Executive Officer.

(c)        DELEGATED authority to the Head of Paid Service to undertake restructuring in the senior management tiers to provide appropriate capacity during interim arrangements.

(d)        AGREED to the external recruitment of a permanent replacement Chief Executive Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council and AGREED to form a Sub-Committee, consisting of six Members, to undertake the work associated with the recruitment process for this post.

(e)        DELEGATED authority to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Staffing, to discuss and agree the salary associated with the interim appointment.

The Employment Committee is recommended to make a formal recommendation to Council that Tom Lewis, Head of the 3C Shared Services Legal Practice, be appointed as the Council’s Monitoring Officer.

Tom Lewis has joined the 3C Shared Services Legal Practice from his previous role as Chief Solicitor and  Monitoring Officer for Fenland District Council. In his time at Fenland Tom also served as Deputy Monitoring Officer for a number of years. He has worked in local government for nearly 8 years, advising on a wide variety of legal issues including property, contract, administrative and constitutional law. Prior to entering local government Tom worked in private legal practice.

The Employment Committee RECOMMENDED to Council the appointment of Tom Lewis, Head of the 3C Shared Services Legal Practice as South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Monitoring Officer.

Councillor Pippa Corney, Chairman, presented this item and took the opportunity to thank Shirley Tracey, for the work she had undertaken as Interim Monitoring Officer. 

Councillor Corney proposed that Council be recommended to appoint Tom Lewis, Head of the 3C Shared Services Legal Practice, as South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Monitoring Officer. 

Mr Lewis was in attendance to meet with Employment Committee Members and answer any questions.

The Employment Committee unanimously RECOMMENDED to Council the appointment of Tom Lewis, Head of the 3C Shared Services Legal Practice as South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Monitoring Officer.