Issue - meetings

This report provides the Standards Committee with the conclusions of the investigations following complaints made about a Councillor of Christchurch Town Council under references TPC-013 and TPC-014.  The Investigator’s reports are attached at exempt appendices 1 and 2.  The Investigator concludes that in respect of both complaints, there has been a failure to comply with the Code of Conduct.

The Committee is asked to consider this report of the Deputy Monitoring Officer and the Investigator’s reports and, if supported, determine appropriate remedies.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided the Standards Committee with the conclusions of the investigations following complaints made about a Councillor of Christchurch Town Council under references TPC-013 and TPC-014.  The Investigator’s reports were attached at exempt appendices 1 and 2.  The Investigator concluded that in respect of both complaints, there had been a failure to comply with the Code of Conduct.

The Committee was asked to consider the report of the Deputy Monitoring Officer and the Investigator’s reports and, if supported, determine appropriate remedies.

The Committee moved in to exempt session to consider the confidential appendices.

The Committee received the Investigators report and received responses to questions asked.

The Committee considered TPC-013 and agreed with the findings of the Investigator.  The Committee considered the possible sanctions and decided an appropriate sanction would be that the Subject Councillor receive individual training and make a personal apology to the Complainant.

The Committee also felt it would be beneficial for the Town Council to consider any concerns regarding working together and to introduce measures to mitigate any further complaints including the possibility of Code of conduct training for the entire Council. 

The Committee considered TPC-014 and agreed with the findings of the Investigator.  The Committee then considered what remedies or sanctions should be applied and agreed that a public apology should be made by the Subject Councillor to the Complainant at a full Council meeting of Christchurch Town Council and also on the relevant Facebook page.

The Committee resumed in public session to provide any recommendations and resolutions.

RESOLVED that it is recommended that all Councillors of Christchurch Town Council receive additional Code of Conduct training.

RESOLVED that

(a)     in relation to complaint TPC-013, the findings of the independent investigator, that the subject councillor did breach, in part, the Christchurch Town Council Code of Conduct be accepted and the committee determined that the Subject Councillor should receive individual training and make a personal apology to the complainant.

(b)     in relation to complaint TPC-014, the findings of the independent investigator, that the subject councillor did breach the Christchurch Town Council Code of Conduct be accepted and the committee determined that a public apology should be made by the Subject Councillor to the complainant at a full Council meeting of Christchurch Town Council and on the relevant Facebook page.

Voting: For - Unanimous