Meetings
1.
a) Meetings of the council shall be held at various venues within the area on the second Wednesday of every month, except for August, at 7.00 o’clock in the evening.
b) Smoking is not permitted at any meeting of the council
2.
The statutory annual meeting shall be held:
a) in an election year on the Wednesday next following the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections to the Council and
b) in a year which is not an election year shall be held on the second Wednesday in May.
Chair of Meeting
3
The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the chair in relation to the conduct of the meeting.
Proper Officer
4.
Where a statute, regulation or order confers functions or duties on the proper officer of the Council in the following cases, he/she shall be the Clerk.
- to receive declarations of acceptance of office.
- to receive and record notices disclosing pecuniary interests.
- to receive and retain plans and documents.
- to sign notices or other documents on behalf of the Council.
- to for recording the proceedings of Community meetings
Lengths of Meetings
5.
A Meeting of Council shall not exceed two hours.
Quorum
6.
Four members shall constitute a quorum.
7.
If a quorum is not present when the Council meets or if during a meeting the number of Councillors present and not debarred by reason of a declared pecuniary interest falls below the quorum, the business not transacted at that meeting shall be transacted at the next meeting or on such other day as the Chair may fix.
Voting
8.
Members shall vote by show of hands or, if at least two members so request, by signed ballot.
9.
If a member so requires, prior to a vote being taken, the Clerk shall record the names of the members who voted on any question so as to show whether they voted for or against it.
10.
The Chair may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote even though he gave no original vote.
Order of Business
11.
In an election year Councillors should execute declarations of acceptance of office in the presence of a proper officer previously authorised by the Council to take such declaration, before the annual meeting commences.
12.
At each annual meeting the first business shall be:
a) to elect a chair
b) to receive the chairs declaration of acceptance of office, or if not received, to decide when it should be received.
c) in the ordinary year of election of the Council to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations.
d) to decide when any declarations of acceptance of office which have not been received as provided by law shall be received.
e) to elect a vice chair
f) to receive the vice-chair’s declaration of acceptance of office.
and thereafter follow the order set oput in Standing Order 13
13.
At every meeting other thant he annual meeting the first business shall be to appoint a chair if the chair and vice-chair are absent and to receive such declarations of acceptance of office as are required by law to be made, or if not then received to decide when they shall be received.
14.
After the first business has been completed, the order of business, unless the Council otherwise decides on the ground of urgency, shall be as follows:
a) to read and consider the minutes provided that if a copy has been circulated to each member not later than the day of issue of the summons to attend the meeting, the minutes may be taken as read
b) after consideration to approve the signature of the minutes by the person presiding as a correct record.
c) to deal with business expressly required by statute to be done
d) to dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last meeting.
e) to receive such communications as the person presiding may wish to lay before the Council
f) to answer questions from Councillors
g) to receive and consider reports and minutes of committees.
15.
A motion to vary the order of business on the grounds of urgency may:
a) be proposed by the chair or by any member, and if proposed by the chair, may be put to the vote without being seconded, and
b) shall be put to the vote without discussion.
Resolutions Moved on Notice
Except as provided by these standing orders, no resolution may be moved unless the business to which it relates has been put on the agenda by the Clerk or the mover has given notice in writing of its terms and has delivered the notice to the Clerk not later than seven days before the meeting of the Council.
Resolutions moved without notice.
17.
Resolutions dealing with the following matters may be moved without notice:
a) appoint a chair of the meeting
b) to correct the minutes
c) to approve the minutes
d) to alter the order of business
e) to proceed to the next business
f) to close or adjourn the debate
g) to amend a motion
h) to give leave to withdraw a resolution or amendment
i) to exclude the public, see Order 30 below
j) to silence or eject from the meeting a member named for misconduct, see Order 23 below
k) to invite a member having interest in the subject matter under debate to remain.
l) to give consent of the Council where such consent is required by these standing orders
m) to suspend any standing order
n) to adjourn the meeting.
Questions
18.
A member may ask the Chair, the Clerk any question concerning the business of the Council, provided notice of the question has been given to the person to whom it is addressed before the meeting begins.
19.
No questions not connected with business under discussion shall be asked except during the part of the meeting set aside for questions
20.
Every question shall be put and answered without discussion.
21.
A person to whom a question has been put may decline to answer.
Rules of Debate
22.
No discussion shall take place upon the minutes except upon their accuracy. Corrections to the minutes shall be made by resolution.
Disorderly Conduct
23.
a) No member at a metting shall persistently disregard the ruling of the Chair, wilfully obstruct business, or behave irregularly, offensively, improperly or in such a manner as to scandalise the Council or bring it into contempt or ridicule.
b) If, in the opinion of the Chair, a member has broken the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Order, the Chair shall express that opinion to the Council and thereafter any member may move that the member named be no longer heard or that the member named do leave the meeting, and the motion, if seconded, shall be put forthwith and without discussion.
c) If either of the motions mentioned in paragraph (b) is disobeyed, the Chair may suspend the meeting or take such further steps as may reasonably be necessary to enforce them.
Right of Reply
24.
The mover of a resolution shall have the right to reply immediately before the resolution is put to the vote. If an amendment is proposed the mover of the amendment shall be entitled to reply immediately before the amendment is put to the vote. A member exercising a right of reply shall not introduce new matter. After the right to reply has been exercised or waived, a vote shall be taken without further discussion.
Alteration of Resolution
25.
A member may, without the consent of his seconder, move amendments to his own resolution.
Rescission of previous resolution.
26.
a) A decision (whether affirmative or negative) of the Council shall not be reversed within six months except either by a special resolution, the written notice whereof bears the names of at least three members of the Council, or by a resolution moved in pursuance of the report or recommendation of the committee.
b) When a special resolution or any other resolution moved under the provision of paragraph (a) of this order has been disposed of, no similar resolution may be moved within a further six months.
Resolutions on Expenditure
27.
Any resolution which, if carried, would, in the opinion of the Chair, substantially increase the expenditure upon any service which is under the management of or reduce the revenue at the disposal of any committee, or which would involve capital expenditure, shall, when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion until the next ordinary meeting of the council.
Expenditure
28.
Orders for the payment of money and cheques shall be authorised by resolution of the Council and signed by two members.
Unauthorised Activities
29.
No member of the Council shall in the name of or on behalf of the Council:
a) inspect any lands or premises which the council has a right or duty to inspect, or
b) issue orders, instruction, directions, or press statements unless authorised to do so by the Council or the relevant committee or sub-committee.
Admission of the public and press to meetings
30.
The public shall be admitted to all meetings of the council, which may, however, temporarily exclude the public and the press by means of the following resolution:
That in the view of the (special)(confidential) nature of the business about to be transacted it is advisable in the public interest that the press and public be excluded temporarily and they are instructed to withdraw.
(Notes: The special reasons should be stated. If a person’s advice or assistance is needed he/she may be invited (by name) to remain after the exclusion resolution is passed)
31.
If a member of the public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting, the chair may, after warning, order that he/she be removed from the Council chamber.
Liason with County Councillors
32.
A notice of meeting shall be sent together with an invitation to attend to the County Councillors for the county division.
Code of conduct on complaints
33.
The Council shall deal with complaints of maladministration allegedly committed by the Council or by any officer or member in the manner designated in the Council’s Complaints Procedure.
Standing orders to be given to members
34.
A copy of these standing orders shall be given to every member by the Clerk upon delivery to him of the member’s declaration of acceptance of office.
Use of the welsh language
35.
Council meetings will be bilingual and when a contribution is made in Welsh, the speaker the chair or an officer may give a synopsis of the speech in English if requested to do so by any other member of the Council.
Ffairfach play area
36.
The community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council is in the process of arranging an asset transfer of the play area at Ffairfach, and when completed will be responsible for the upkeep, insurance or any other business connected with the Ffairfach Play area, it is the sole responsibility of Dyffryn Cennen Community Council. (This to be updated when transfer is complete)
Risk Assessment
37.
Any work voluntary/otherwise carried out for Dyffryn Cennen Community Council, a Risk Assessment should be completed otherwise the work is done completely at the persons own peril.
Community Council Assets
38.
Dyffryn Cennen Community Council own the following asset
a) Cornel y Tywysog
b) three defibrillators (Ffairfach, YFC, Trap, Llandyfan)
c) Four benches (two at Cornel y Tywsog, one Ffairfach, one Trap)
d) Two notice boards (one at Trapm one at Ffairfach)
Interpretation of Standing Orders
39.
The ruling of the Chair of the Council as to the construction or application of any of these standing orders, or as to any proceedings of the Council, shall not be challenged at any meeting of the Council. These standing orders were adopted by Council at a meeting held on Wednesday, 14th March 2018.
Chair: Councillor Pat Thomas
14th March 2018