Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Liberal Democrat Councillors are proposing a new way to make Town Council meetings more relevant to the public.
Following recent changes in procedure, the minutes of committee meetings are no longer presented at the main Council meetings.
Cllr Phil Harvey, Leader of the Lib Dem Town Council group says: “Although this is the correct procedure, in that committee minutes are agreed at the next meeting of the committee not at Council, it means that members of the public are not aware of what has happened unless they actually attended the particular committee meeting or they have looked up the draft minutes online – or it was reported by the local press or media.”
To overcome this difficulty, the Liberal Democrat group is proposing adding to the agenda a ‘Chairmen’s report and question time’.
Phil added: “The idea is that, if a committee meeting has occurred since the last full Council meeting, the Chairman should give a written report on the committee’s activities and that Councillors should be able to ask questions.”
“We already have reports from the Chairman of the Council and District and County Councillors, so the concept of the Council receiving reports is not new.”
“The procedure suggested is modelled on that used by Sedgemoor District Council for reports from Executive members so is well known to the ‘dual-hatted’ Town Councillors.”
“It is hoped that it will enable the Council to publicise what it is doing and to make the Council meeting more meaningful for both Councillors and members of the public.”
The Liberal Democrat motion will be debated at the September meeting of the Town Council.
