Issue - meetings

Grant in Relation to Broadcasting of County Council Meetings and Improving Town/Community Council Websites.

Meeting: 24/04/2013 - Democratic Services Committee (Item 28)

28 Grant in Relation to Broadcasting of County Council Meetings and Improving Town/Community Council Websites. pdf icon PDF 26 KB

To inform the committee of a grant the Welsh Government has awarded to the County Council.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Committee note the grant funding that the Council had accepted.

 

Minutes:

The Democracy and Governance Manager introduced a report to inform of a grant the Welsh Government had awarded to the County Council.  He provided background information and advised that the Council had been allocated £40K to assist with broadcasting and remote attendance plus an extra £500 in respect of each Town or Community Council in its area.  The total funding for Flintshire was up to £57K. 

 

The Democracy and Governance Manager referred to the importance the Welsh Government attached to the broadcasting of Council meetings to ensure that the profile of local government was raised and the public were informed and engaged concerning the decision making procedures of the Council.  He advised that to claim the grant the Council would have to produce evidence of at least a pilot of webcasting a meeting by the end of March 2014.  He also stated that a Member may be present at a meeting through remote attendance and guidance on this was expected from the Welsh Government during the Autumn.  To obtain the grant funding the Council was required to have piloted remote attendance for at least one meeting prior to the end of March 2014. 

 

The Democracy and Governance Manager had written to the Clerks of all Town and Community Councils to inform them of the availability of up to £500 for provision of or improvements to a website for each Town or Community Council.

 

During discussion Members welcomed the £500 grant funding for improvements and accessibility to Town and Community Councils on the internet.  Members also expressed a number of views in support of and against the webcasting of meetings and remote attendance at meetings.

 

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Democracy and Governance Manager responded to the queries raised by Members concerning the arrangements for Town or Community Councils who did not currently have a website, and the security and maintenance of such websites. 

  

Councillor Heesom proposed that the Committee noted the offer of grant funding that the Council had accepted in March 2013 and this was agreed by Members. 

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Committee note the grant funding that the Council had accepted.