For the first time since the BeFuddled Party assumed control the Smalltown and Dullbridge (SaD) Administration team has managed to release a meeting agenda in line with the Local Government Act (1972).
The LGA states that ‘Agendas for meetings of the parish council and its committees should be circulated and made available to the public a minimum of 3 clear days before the day of the meeting. A clear day does not include the day the agenda is released or the day of the meeting and excludes weekends.’.
Smalltown and Dullbridge Town Council has chosen to interpret this their own way, with agendas normally released for a Monday meeting circulated on either the preceding Thursday or Friday. At best an agenda released on a Thursday leaves only one clear day and very little time for Councillors to see what they will be discussing at the meeting.
Similarly members of the public who wish to comment on an agenda item at a meeting are ‘encouraged to give notice of the request and subject matter to the Smalltown Administration Guru (SAG) ‘no later than midday on the last working day prior to the meeting.’, something which is completely impossible if the agenda for a Monday meeting is only published on Friday afternoon.
However, the agenda for the next SaD TC Full Council Meeting was published on Tuesday, fulfilling the LGA requirement and allowing members of the public a chance to pop along to the SaD Drop Out Meeting, held prior to the meeting, to discuss any matters of concern without needing to possess the physic skills of Smalltown and Dullbridge’s infamous Mystic Mick.
This month’s Drop Out Meeting will be held at Smalltown Library today. Library users are being advised to be alert at all times as there is a strong possibility that they may encounter SaD Town Councillors lurking between the book shelves.