At its meeting of 20 August 2019 Council endorsed a change in its current committee structure to align more effectively with strategic and community priorities and statutory duties. The changes involve the introduction of two new committees titled 'People and Place' and 'Economic and Environment'.
All previous standing and sub-committees have been placed into recess whilst the structure of the Audit, Building Fire Safety and Junior Sports Assistance Fund committees and Council Assessment Panel remains unchanged.
"The new committee structure has been put forward as a result of observations relating to effectiveness of current structures and their alignment with the provisions of the Local Government Act, together with Council's Strategic Plan," City of Mount Gambier CEO Andrew Meddle said.
The change in structure will allow all Elected Members to make decisions at committee level where previously members were split across the two standing committees, Operational and Strategic. This also includes the Regional Sport and Recreation Centre committee where all eight members and the Mayor are now formally members.
Any recommendations made at committee level will continue to be tabled at monthly meetings of full Council for final endorsement, consistent with Council's decision making structure.
I look forward to the new committee structure as I believe it will be beneficial for all Councillors to be involved at all stages of the decision making and will make for a more effective Council moving forward.- Mayor Lynette Martin OAM
The Economic and Environment and People and Place committees will meet bi-monthly on an alternating basis on the first Monday of each month from 5:30pm. The first Economic and Environment Committee meeting will be held on Monday 2 September 2019 and the first People and Place Committee meeting on Tuesday 8 October 2019, as the first Monday in October falls on a public holiday.
The first item on the agenda will be for Elected Members to finalise meeting dates, the terms of reference for the respective committees and to determine whether they will be deemed prescribed committees as recognised by the South Australian Remuneration Tribunal.
The Regional Sport and Recreation Centre Committee meetings will remain on the second Tuesday of the month commencing at 5:30pm and full Council will continue to meet on the third Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm.
With all Elected Members now represented on all committees future meetings will be held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre, 10 Watson Terrace Mount Gambier. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
The new structure forms part of a proposed series of improvements for Council in terms of its decision making structure under recently appointed CEO Andrew Meddle and aims to match with aspirations for a contemporary and best practice council.
Agendas and minutes for all meetings of Council can be found here.
