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Decision details

Multi-Location Meetings Policy

Decision Maker: Council

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Monitoring Officer presented a report which sought approval of Council for the Multi-Location Meetings Policy.

 

At the outset of the Covid-19 Pandemic in March 2020 the Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Meetings) (Wales) Regulations 2020 enabled local authorities to convene meetings by remote means.

 

The Monitoring Officer explained that under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, local authorities are required to put in place, and publish, arrangements for multi-location meetings, that is, formal meetings where meeting participants may not all be in the same physical place. Further background was at section 3 of the report.

 

The Monitoring Officer explained stated that the draft policy attached as Appendix 1 took into account of interim statutory guidance issued by Welsh Government (WG), which set out a number of guiding principles to be considered in developing multi-location meeting arrangements, as well as practical considerations.

 

She stated that since June 2020, the Council had held all of its meetings by remote means, previously through Skype for Business, and now Microsoft Teams. She highlighted the benefits that remote meetings had provided as indicated in section 4.3 of the report.

 

The Monitoring Officer stated that the Council would continue to use Microsoft Teams as its primary remote meeting platform. This will be used by Elected Members from their Council provided devices to ensure effective security. Non-Council devices may be used although the functionality available when using these “guest” devices may differ from that provided by the Council. Other participants are able to join meetings using links provided by the Council contained within the meeting invitation.

 

She added that works were ongoing in the Council Chamber to upgrade the systems to allow for hybrid meetings. It is anticipated that these works will be completed by the end of June which will allow training sessions and some meetings to take place, on a hybrid basis, in July, subject to Health and Safety guidance.

 

A Member welcomed the report and believed that many Members would agree that the hybrid approach allows for choice in methods for attending depending on what they prefer. He asked in relation to the voting software that this was much needed as the roll call method previously used was not fit for purpose, as it was time consuming The Monitoring Officer agreed and this was something that was being looked at. Once the Council Chamber works were completed, we would look at methods of voting.

 

RESOLVED: That Council approved the policy attached as Appendix 1.

 

Publication date: 16/06/2022

Date of decision: 15/06/2022

Decided at meeting: 15/06/2022 - Council

Accompanying Documents:

 

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