An amended Code of Meeting Practice that could see public meetings continue to be held once a month, has been debated by Central Coast Council.
Council staff recommended that Council establish an Environment and Planning Committee, an Assets, Infrastructure and Business Committee, a Connected Communities Committee and a Corporate Services Committee.
The committees were to comprise all Councillors, but will be open to the public unless confidential.
According to a report from the Governance and Business Services Unit of Council, the committees would be able to make recommendations, but not decisions, and would “provide an opportunity for public involvement in, and awareness of, the decision-making processes of Council”.
They will meet on the second Monday of February to November inclusive, and on the first Monday in December.
The Environment and Planning Committee will meet on the second Monday of most months to consider matters relating to significant development applications, or those requested by Councillors to be presented to Council, the exhibition and adoption of LEPs, DCPs and other planning instruments.
Its charter is also to enable open discussion and community input into decision making on development assessment, engineering, environment, certification and strategic planning.
The Assets, Infrastructure and Business Committee will also consist of all Councillors and will consider matters relating to the assets, infrastructure and operational functions of the Council.
The Connected Communities Committee will consider matters in relation to the connected communities operations, and the Corporate Services Committee will consider matters related to that specific area.
The amended Code will be placed on public exhibition for a period 28 days and members of the public will have not less than 42 days to make submissions from the first day of the public exhibition period.
Ordinary meetings, if the amended Code is adopted, would be held on the fourth Monday of the Month, from February to November, and the third Monday in December.
Council were also to resolve at the ordinary meeting held on October 23, that the next three meetings would be held on November 27 at Wyong Chambers (from 6:30pm), December 18 at Gosford Chambers and then not until February 26, 2018 (at Wyong Chambers).
Source:
Agenda item 4.3, Oct 23
Central Coast Council ordinary meeting
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