The informative minutes of council meetings penned by Brigg town clerk Jeanette Woollard are to continue. She took the unusual step of asking town councillors ‘ to review the depth of information reproduced in the minutes’.
Mrs Woollard explained there was a school of thought in local government that minutes should merely list the decisions reached, not councillors’ comments and opinions made during debates.
Mrs Woollard said lengthy minutes like hers could be considered ‘verbose’.
However, Coun Michael Doherty - a solicitor who spent his working life in local government, latterly with Glanford Borough Council and North Lincolnshire Council – was adamant Mrs Woollard should not change the content of Brigg minutes.
He said the way the town council’s were presented helped people not on a particular committee to see what the reasoning had been in reaching a particular decision.
“I congratulate the clerk on her very good minutes,” he added.
Coun Ann Eardley said she believed ‘in depth’ was the best policy to follow on minutes.
Now then Nigel Fisher.......
ReplyDeleteI thought you couldn't be bribed!!
This wasn't the photo that accompanied the original blog.
Have you succumbed under political pressure?
Put the other picture back...or I'll sell the story to the Sun.
Did you fall or was you pushed Nigel ???
ReplyDeleteA definite U turn , but Mrs Woollard does do a sterling job for Brigg town council .
I can also see her point about lengthy minutes . Local government is full of red tape and this makes it even longer .
Anyone who wants to volunteer to record councillors comments for a day should be prepared to try it themselves.