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The Council also has a Standards Committee which was established to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by all Councillors.
The Council also receives petitions and anyone presenting a petition may speak to the Council on the subject for up to three minutes.
When and where do they meet
The Council meetings are held once every six to eight weeks, usually on Wednesdays at 6.00pm in the Town Hall, Royal Leamington Spa.
All meetings are open to the public except when there are confidential items which are considered in private.
How to obtain copies of Agendas
Copies of the agenda for the Council meetings are published at least five clear working days before the meeting.
Copies can be obtained from Riverside House reception. They are available for inspection at the Town Hall, Royal Leamington Spa, Kenilworth Connection, Warwick Connection and local libraries. View copies of Council agendas.
How are the agendas organised
Agenda items 1 to 6: Apologies for absence, Minutes, Communications & Announcements, Public Submissions, Memorials & Petitions, and Questions Pursuant to Council Procedures 7(2).
These agenda items are dealt with in Order. With regard to item 5 (Questions Pursuant to Council Procedures 7(2)) the Councillor asking the question is entitled to ask a supplementary question which must be in the form of a question relevant to the original question and answer.
With regard to agenda item 4 (Public Submissions) a period of 20 minutes will be available for members of the public to speak for a maximum time of five minutes each. It is not possible to speak on any topic but only those referred to in the minutes of the meetings of the Executive and Committees which are to be considered by the Council at the meeting. Download information sheet on public submissions.
Agenda item 7: Reports of the Executive and Committees
The Executive
The Chairman of the Council will ask for a Councillor (normally the Leader (i.e Chair) of the Executive) to move the acceptance of the minutes of the meetings. Once this has been seconded, the Chief Executive will call each minute individually.
Those items which include a recommendation can be debated so that a decision is reached at the conclusion. Items which are resolved means that the Executive has already reached a binding decision under powers delegated to them. These items can be discussed but the decision cannot normally be changed.
Committees
After discussion of the Executive items has been completed, the Chairman will then ask the Chairs of the Committees to propose the acceptance of the reports of their Committees in turn.
Once their acceptance has been proposed and seconded, the Chairman of the Council will ask Councillors to indicate which minute (if any) the wish to speak on. These will be listed and each will be called individually. Any Councillor can speak on the minute when it is called even if they did not indicate their wish to do so originally.
Agenda Item 8: Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion proposed by Councillors are normally referred for detailed discussion to the Executive or relevant Committee. However, by agreement, it is possible for a motion to be debated at the Council meeting without first being referred elsewhere.
Agenda item 9: Common Seal
This is a decision made by the Council to confirm that the decisions they have made are legal and binding.
How are the debates managed
Once it has been proposed that a decision or recommendation of the Executive or a Committee should be amended, the proposal must be seconded and the Councillor who suggested the amendment can speak then or reserve the right to speak until later in the debate.
The proposer of the amendment has the right to speak again at the close of the debate on the item.
The Councillor who made the original proposal that the reports from the Executive and Committees should be agreed, then has the right of reply immediately before the vote on the amendment is taken.
In the case of debates on issues set out in the Executive minutes, the relevant portfolio holder has the right to speak last.
What happens next?
The minutes of the Council meetings are compiled within Committee Services and are made available to the public normally no more than ten working days after the meetings.
If you have any further questions please feel free to email committee@warwickdc.gov.uk
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