Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllrs Cali, King, M Markham and Meredith.

(Copy herewithin)

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 December 2020 were agreed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

There were none.

Councillor Hallam proposed and Councillor Hill seconded that Councillor Hibbert be appointed to the Executive Committee.

At the Chair’s invitation, Cllr Birch proposed and expressed that she was very pleased to move the recommendations of the Appointment Panel on pages 5 and 6 of the agenda that Marion Goodman be appointed Town Clerk to the Town Council with effect from 1^st April 2021. She highlighted the error in recommendation one, Marion is the Interim Assistant Chief Executive and not the Acting Chief Executive.

Cllr Birch shared that she was delighted to welcome Marion as the first Town Clerk of the Northampton Town Council, which was now the largest town council in the country. She congratulated Marion and explained that the position had gained a lot of interest, and the rigorous interview process had taken place over a two-day period, and the decision to appoint Marion as the Town Clerk was unanimous.

Councillor Marriott seconded the motion and echoed the comments of Cllr Birch, adding that the interview panel had received references for Marion which were exceptional.

Cllr Hallam shared that the appointment of Marion as the Town Clerk was excellent news and that councillors had worked with Marion for many years and she was always a diligent officer. He looked forward to working with Marion in her new role, with the exciting challenges and opportunities it will bring.

Council voted on the motion and the motion was carried.

The Chair then congratulated the new Town Clerk on behalf of all the Members of the Northampton Town Council and wished her every success in her new role. The Chair then invited Marion to share a few words.

The new Town Clerk thanked everyone for their kind words and expressed that it had been a privilege and an honour to serve as an officer for the Borough Council, and she was appreciative of the opportunity to continue to serve Councillors and the people of Northampton as the Town Clerk. She was looking forward to building effective relationships with all of the other Town and Parish Councils within our communities and businesses, as well as helping Northampton Town Council deliver on all its aspirations for the town.

RESOLVED:

·       That Marion Goodman, currently Interim Assistant Chief Executive and Director for Customers and Communities with Northampton Borough Council be appointed Town Clerk to the Town Council with effect from 1April 2021

·       That, to enable the Council at its Annual Meeting to be held on 17May 2021 to meet the criteria for having a CiLCA qualified Clerk in post in order to meet the statutory criteria to adopt the General Power of Competence, Marion be initially employed in the position of Town Clerk (Designate) to work alongside the Acting Town Clerk but that she be appointed to the substantive role of Town Clerk immediately following that meeting.

(Copy herewithin)

Councillor Birch proposed and Councillor Marriott seconded that Council considered the reports and recommendations of the Executive Committee meetings held on 5^th January and 19^th January and the report of the Acting Town Clerk on matters raised at the Executive Committee.

The Chair invited the Council to consider the two sets of minutes included in the report and explained that the report from the meeting held on 19^th January included two recommendations on which the Council must vote on.

The first one being the recommendations at Minute 4 (Transfer of Property and Services):

1. To agree in principle, subject to the concurrence of the Shadow West Northants Council, to the transfer on 1st April of those properties and services set out in paragraph (b) of the report of the Acting Town Clerk (including a long lease of the historic part of the Guildhall) and, subject to the approval of the draft budget for 2021/22, further reports on the financial and staffing implications of these transfers be presented to the Executive Committee; 2. To explore with the Shadow West Northants Council a possible funded transfer of the further services set out in paragraph (c) of the report on 1st April 2021; and 3. That, in the event of the Borough/ West Northants Councils agreeing to the transfer of property and services outlined above but it not proving possible to conclude the formalities of any of those transfers by 1st April, 2021, the Town Clerk be authorised to conclude a Service Level Agreement to enable those services to be continued to be delivered under existing arrangements until such time in 2021 when the formalities of transfer can be completed.

Council debated the motion.

Upon a requisition for a recorded vote:

There voted for the motion: Councillors Ashraf, Ansell, Birch, Duffy, G Eales, T Eales, Flavell, Hallam, Haque, Hibbert, Hill, Joyce, Lane, B Markham, Marriott, McCutcheon, Russell, Smith and Stone.

The motion was carried.

The Chair then invited Council to consider the recommendations at Minute 5 on pages 13 and 14. As well as the draft budget in the Appendix on page 15 and the supplemental report of the Acting Town Clerk.

Council debated the motion.

Upon a requisition for a recorded vote:

There voted for the motion: Councillors Ashraf, Birch, Duffy, Haque, Lane, B Markham, Marriott, McCutcheon, Russell, Smith and Stone.

There voted against the motion: Councillors Ansell, G Eales, T Eales, Flavell, Hallam, Hibbert, Hill and Joyce.

The motion was carried.

Councillor Birch proposed and Councillor Marriott seconded that the next meeting should be held on Monday 1^st March 2021 at 6:00pm.

RESOLVED: That the next meeting of the Northampton Town Council would be held on Monday 1^st 2021 at 6:00pm.