The Chairman Councillor Joyce Lucas failed to ask candidates after their interview if they would like to be co-opted onto the Council.
The Council went ahead with the Co-options and this morning I heard on the Radio one of the Candidates had turned down his Co-option.
This has now caused the town council a legal issue. I am not sure how the co-option can be reversed.
There are implications now how does the council proceed from now regarding the Oakham South East seat turned down by Dr Guthrie. Will it be put up for election again?
losing Dr Guthrie is a big loss to Oakham Town Council, it was clear members saw this intelligent pleasant gentleman a threat to their way of doing things.
Cllr Dodds said looking at your CV (I returned all applicants confidential CV's why they were asked to provide on beggars belief.) I can see you are a very clever man or words to that effect surely you are far too clever to give your time to our little council. A rather stupid assumption! The council needs people like Dr Guthrie who has the time and ability to serve and the brains to do a better job than those who currently sit on this council. I am not highly educated but I have sufficient brain power to see the idiotic, childish, petty ways most of the current members conduct themselves often supported by outside influences like Rutland County Council and former Councillors.
They all cause a the Clerk a great deal of stress. With their campaign to get rid of Brookes.
Brookes as they call me is only interested in getting the tax payer value for money. Someting the tax payers of Oakham deserves, the public often tell me they don't have time to give to do what I do and wish they could and I am sure they would do a better job.
I recently spoke with a resident at a meeting of the police and the police auhority. She said there are about ten of us where I work who came to a Oakham town planning meeting, we saw how you were treated, what a shambles the council is, I asked why don't you stand for election. She replied we all work, we have children in a few years time when they have grown up maybe. Also she commented on the high cost of the council.
As these children are growing up people are noticing the lack of anything in Oakham. Newly co-opted Cllr Jayne Woodcock raised concerns about jobs for young people in Oakham and the lack of opportunity something that effects all age groups here in Oakham myself included.
Cllr Jayne Woodcock also questioned the Town Councils plans for the future, none was the reply. That sums up Oakham Town Council, I received a cowardly anonymous comment asking what is my plan and various other questions, one was what qualifications do I have to be a councillor the answer is none. Like all the others there are no requirements for any qualification.
As a councillor you are expected to train, not something Oakham Town Council is very keen to support.
Last year I received 20 minutes of training relating to the basics of being a councillor, no training this year so if I get it wrong don't be surprised.
I have requested training for planning and the response was yes if all the others want to do it then we will.
At planning meetings we are expected to make decisions on things that effect peoples lives with no knowledge of planning law, all applications are looked at and decided if we like the look of an application. This is not good enough.
Back to the co-option, I asked the council why I had to hear first on the radio Dr Guthrie had not accepted his co-option. Why had I not been informed I am only a councillor.
I received this reply:
All
Having only just finalised the agenda yesterday for next week's meeting I have been busy putting together the supporting information. I took a phone call from Dr Guthrie yesterday confirming that he was unable to accept being co-opted.
Unfortunately this was not passed on to you all.
My aplogies.
I will also be checking the situation with the Monitoring Officer
Richard White
Clerk to Oakham Town Council
01572 723627
E-mail: rwhite@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Clerk to Oakham Town Council
01572 723627
E-mail: rwhite@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
I found out how many applicants were to be interviewed from a member of the public, before I was told in a e-mail by the council and Councillor Dodds had the cheek to ask all applicants if the understood what confidential meant and would they be happy to keep matters the council requested confidential.
Asking this of a teacher and people who work in the health service is an insult.
