Neal calls for councillor motion limit to be removed
West Ward Councillor Belinda Neal will seek to remove the limit on the number of motions a councillor can make at a council meeting.
The Central Coast West Ward covers the Peninsula.
Cr Neal will ask the council meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25, to amend the council's code of meeting practice to remove the restriction limiting councillors to one notice of motion at each council meeting.
She will move that the code allow councillors to submit multiple motions per meeting "provided they comply with the established rules and procedures, including deadlines and content requirements".
She will move that " meeting agendas continue to be managed effectively to maintain meeting efficiency and ensure that all councillors' motions are given adequate time for discussion".
However, in a response included in the agenda, chief executive officer Mr David Farmer has opposed the move.
"In high performing councils, the use of Notices of Motion to allocate resources to activities is minimised through effective forward planning and prioritisation.
"In addition to the community, councillors have been active in guiding the development of the draft Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program and Operational Plan which is the appropriate mechanism to reprioritise particular activities and services."
Mr Farmer said: "A limit on the number of Notices of Motion places strategic planning into focus and also enables suitable allocation of time to respond to a small number of otherwise unavoidable motions."
He said the Local Government Act required the councillors to "focus on strategy, policy and financial sustainability".
He said it stated: "Councils should plan strategically, using the integrated planning and reporting framework, for the provision of effective and efficient services and regulation to meet the diverse needs of the local community."
Mr Farmer said: "Council substantially undertakes this role through the "integrated planning and reporting" suite of documents.
"These set the long, medium and short term focus of Council.
"These plans are supported by the resourcing strategy which allocates assets, staff and budget to specific work programs.
"The most efficient way to allocate funds or resources to a particular activity is through the Operational Plan and budget.
"Almost all Notices of Motion result in resource reallocation if not additional allocation.
"For this reason, it is important that Council has the opportunity to consider the implications of any Notice of Motion.
"To enable that information to be gathered for inclusion in the business paper, sufficient time must be allocated."
SOURCE:
Central Coast Council agenda item 3.5, 25 Feb 2024