Posts Tagged ‘Council’

Full council meeting 25 November

Friday, December 4th, 2009

This evening’s full council meeting on Wednesday 25 November is dominated by the debate on the decision by the Government not to include Dungeness in the short list for a possible new nuclear power station. 

We have just 46 councillors at Shepway and 21 of them speak in the debate on the proposal to condemn the Government’s decision.  I have been a Shepway District Councillor for just over 10 years and I do not recall a debate with more councillors speaking or speaking with so much passion.   The motion to condemn the Government’s decision is carried overwhelmingly and our chief executive is instructed to express”in the strongest possible terms this Council’s objection to its decision to exclude Dungeness from its proposed short list of sites considered suitable for the construction of new nuclear power stations”.

Other debates include one on webcasting council meetings (I’d be interested to hear your views on this), the proposals to close Lawrence House in Folkestone (and the opening of a new facility at Broadmeadow) and how grants are allocated by the council.  We are also asked a question by a member of the public about the Leas lift.

The next full council meeting at Shepway is on Wednesday 20 January at the Civic Centre in Folkestone.

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A birthday and a beginning

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Tonight is the Annual Meeting of Shepway District Council.  It is also my birthday.  My mother rings to ask if I’ll be doing anything special this evening.  ‘I’m hoping to be elected chairman of Shepway District Council,’ I tell her.

Every year at the Annual Meeting the 46 Shepway District Councillors elect one of their number as chairman to chair the full council meetings and undertake the ceremonial side of our civic life.  This year, somewhat to my own surprise, that person is me. 

Normally the Annual Meeting has a light agenda with the election of chairman, leader of the council, appointment of the cabinet and the allocation of places on committees.  But this year we also have some important pieces of business to do with our constitution and shared services.  The outgoing chairman makes his farewells and calls for nominations for chairman.  I am proposed and seconded, there are no further nominations and my proposer, Jenny Hollingsbee and seconder, Robert Bliss say kind things about me.  They are rather like the speeches you get at funerals with details of my life and little anecdotes except of course that I’m there to enjoy them!  A vote is called and I have unanimous support.  A great start.

I am then taken away to be ‘chained up’ in the adjoining chairman’s parlour.  I’m asked what colour ribbons I want and say blue as I am wearing a red suit.  The chain is heavy and needs anchoring with safety pins.  I return to the chamber and take over the running of the meeting.  David Owen, a councillor from Hythe, is elected vice chairman.  The meeting continues with further elections and appointments and with speeches and amendments to the items of business.  Sooner than I expected we are finished and there’s the reception for councillors and guests including the Mayor of Lydd who I note has a much finer chain than the Shepway one.  I resolve to find out more about the chains in the year ahead to put on this blog.

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