Meeting dates have been changed, I am told it is because the council did not publish the notice for the town meeting with the required amount of days before the meeting was due to be held. The notice should be published at least 7 days before the meeting
The AGM has to be moved because the law requires the Town Council to call a town meeting once in each council year.
This site give useful information about a town meeting.
http://askyourcouncil.uk/understanding-your-council/parish-meetings-and-parish-polls/
Annual Town Meeting
Tuesday, 17th May 2022 @ 6:00 pm
ROL House
Long Row
Oakham, Rutland
LE15 6LN
Town meetings can actually be called at anytime by residents.
Once a year the town council is required by The Local Government act to call one for the residents.
It is important to remember this is not a council meeting.
For many years this annual town meeting has been used to by the town council to show how much support the outgoing Mayor has enjoyed or not.
The meeting is often not that well attended by those who have little or no connection to the Town Council.
There is no fixed agenda, once the Mayor has reported to those present the meeting is open to anything residents on the Oakham electoral want to raise about the town of Oakham.
In most towns County Councillor, attend along with people from other professional bodies such as the police, who listen and take on board residents questions and concerns. Unfortunately for a number of years no other organisation has attended.
The meeting is often used to bash Oakham Town Council. I understand why, because it is the only time of the year residents can speak to their council about issues. The council has a very unhelpful rule that controls residents input at meetings. Often it is far too late for residents to give a public deputation on an agenda item. This due to the council not publishing supporting documents before meetings. I would like them to change the rule and follow nearby parish councils who permit a short time in meetings where residents can talk to there councillors about anything that is a cause for concern in the town. It would be good especially when you consider no councillor has held a surgery for years. And some no longer make there contact details public and many of our older residents still don't use the internet or email, How do the councillor know, what those who they claim to represent need.
A town meeting is also the place where residents can raise a vote of no confidence in there town council.
The Annual Meeting of the Council is will be held at the same location on Wednesday, 18th May 2022 at 6:30 pm. This is a council meeting. At this meeting a new Mayor will be appointed.
At this meeting Oakham Town Council will lose its right to use The General Power of Competence Empowering councils to make a difference. This was introduced under the Localism Act 2011. Oakham Town Council does not have enough elected members and has relied too much on the co-option process. Although Oakham Town Council has never used the power, it is a significant loss to the council, because if it did actually want to do something for the community perhaps like open a cinema it can't until after the next local elections of 2023 and only if it has enough elected members and does not need to co-opt
A brief explanation of the The General Power of Competence. Town/Parish councils have to follow local government rules set out in the local government act. This act sets out clearly what the council can and cant do very clearly. For example the Local Government Act does not state Oakham Town Council can open a cinema, So in comes the Localism Act of 2011, with the Power of Competence. Oakham Town Council wants to open a cinema, the local government act does not say it can open on and importantly it does not say I can't so the newer act requires the council to consider is it lawful for anyone else to open a cinema then it can use the The General Power of Competence to approve they open a cinema, under no circumstances can they use the power to over rule any part of the Local Government Act that forbids them from doing something.
It is a shame we have a Town Council that does so little for the town and the loss of the General Power of Competence will ensure they can't improve on that until at least after the next local election of 2023.
