Issue - meetings
Receipt of Announcements
Meeting: 19/07/2023 - Council (Item 90)
Receipt of Announcements
To receive any announcements from the Chair, Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive or the Chief Executive Officer.
Minutes:
The Chair of the Council, Councillor Andrew Coles, detailed the civic and local engagements that he had undertaken since the last meeting of the Council in May 2023. These included the official opening of the 2nd Witney Pride parade, and a further Pride parade, which took place in Chipping Norton.
The Chair had also visited Libyan refugees at a location near to Ducklington, and highlighted the people who he had met, and the stories & experiences he had encountered during the visit, such as living conditions, food provision, access to dental care and the prevention of boredom. The Chair praised the work of Phil Martin, Assistant Director for Business Services, for his thorough work on the project, and also the work of St. Mary’s Church and St. Bartholomew’s in Witney and Ducklington respectively.
The Chair had also made a visit to United States Air Force Base in Fairford, Gloucestershire. The Chair had been invited to a ceremony with 501st Combat Support Wing, where command of the Unit had been handed over to a new incumbent. US Colonel Phillips had taken command of the base during the ceremony, and the Chair made reference to, and highlighted the strong connections West Oxfordshire has with the Armed Forces community, most notably with personnel from Royal Air Force Station Brize Norton in the West Oxfordshire District.
The Chair also paid tribute to the work of the Council’s Vice-Chair, Councillor Elizabeth Poskitt, who had also undertaken a number of recent engagements.
The Chair congratulated Hannah Bourne-Taylor, a resident of West Oxfordshire, who had recently ensured that a Parliamentary petition relating to Swift Bricks and New Housing Developments, was debated in the House of Commons, having achieved almost 110,000 signatures. The subject had also been considered at WODC Committee meetings.
The Chair welcomed Hannah Lee and John Slaveykov, who had undertaken a work experience placement from Woodgreen School with Council’s Democratic Services and Communications team respectively. The Chair stated that he hoped the students would gain vital experience during their placements with the Council.
The Chair also announced that he had invited all Members to a self-hosted fundraising event at Woodgreen. The event would include Afternoon Tea in the Committee Rooms, a tour of the Woodgreen Council Chamber, and a tour of the underground WWII Bunker.
The Chair advised Council that the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee, which had been cancelled on 29 June 2023, was rearranged for 10 August 2023 at 6.00pm, and would take place in Committee Room 1. An Audit training session for Members had also been arranged for the same date at 5.00pm. The Chair advised that further information would be cascaded to Members in due course.
The Chair asked Members of the Council to regularly check their mail ‘pigeon holes’ in the Members’ Room at Woodgreen, to prevent excess mail build up.
The Chair advised Council that Agenda Item 8, “Appointment of Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)”, would be considered as the last item of business of ... view the full minutes text for item 90