[CC index]
These Standing Orders reflect current practice but have not yet been formally adopted.
Note that Function and Powers of the Council, Membership, Method of Election, Election of Officers, Accounts are all dealt with in the Fife Council Scheme for Community Councils, which also contains a very short section on Procedure, confined to quorum, disclosure of conflict of interest, and a statement that the business of the Council shall be organised in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Council.
Pete Lindsay, Secretary
Meetings are held on the first Monday of every month except possibly January when the date may be set to the second Monday depending on the New Year holidays.
They start at 7.00pm and finish by 9.30pm. There will be a 10 minute break at 8pm (the 200 Club draw will take place during this break).
Any business not completed is carried forward to the next meeting.
Standing Orders may be suspended, if a proposal to do so is agreed by the meeting, so that business may be concluded.
If a meeting becomes inquorate, uncompleted business is similarly carried forward.
The agenda list is prepared by the Secretary in consultation with the Chair.
Councillors wishing to have a specific agendum included on the printed list should contact the Secretary at least 5 days before the meeting. (It is of course open to them to raise relevant business under AOCB).
These should if possible be conveyed to the Chair or Secretary before the meeting. A register of attendance is passed round during the meeting for initialling.
This item is for accuracy. The minutes should record decisions taken, summarise important information given, eg. by guest speakers or Fife Councillors, and note who is to take any action decided on – they are not a transcript of debate.
Only substantive matters of accuracy should be raised under this item - spelling mistakes etc. can be raised with the Secretary outside the meeting.
Any matter relating to the interests of St Andrews and its citizens may be raised at the start of the meeting subject to the prior agreement of the Chair. Order of business is determined by the Chair but is expected to be
Speakers should address the Council for no more than 6 minutes with a 10 minute period for questions.
They attend to seek advice from the Community Council and to keep the Community Council informed of Fife Council business. Individual problems not of general relevance to St Andrews should be raised with appropriate Fife Councillors at their surgeries NOT in the meeting.
This item consists mainly of business which the previous meeting had continued for further discussion or for decision at the next meeting when further information would be to hand. It is not the intention to invite repetitions of debates already held.
For new business raised in advance with the Secretary and included on the Agenda. This may come from any member of the Council (ie Comm. Cllr, nominated/co-opted or Fife Council members), members of the public or general correspondence.
Other, unnotified, new business will be taken under 10. Any Other Competent Business except emergency business which can be raised by the permission of the meeting.
Includes correspondence to or from officers (Chair, Vices, Treasurer, Secretary) and other matters not arising under Items 6 & 7.
Committees are required by the Scheme to provide written minutes of all meetings.
This should be a short report indicating which matters are for noting only and which are for discussion or decision by the full Council.
(Preferably these should be given to the Secretary in good time before the meeting so that they may be sent out with the other papers)
Any other matter not covered above and any new business not taken under section 6.
Note that this section usually is taken in a great rush at the end of the meeting. Members wishing to raise serious business here should consider whether it could not be better held over to next month’s formal New Business.
Councillors wishing to speak should so indicate by raising an arm. They must speak to the point, one at a time, addressing their remarks through the Chair, whose duty it is to keep discussion relevant and to progress business. Contributions should be as brief as possible. Councillors may normally speak only once on any particular matter, unless they are proposing or seconding a motion or amendment or summing up (in the case of a proposer of a motion). However supplementary input for clarification may be allowed at the Chair's discretion.
Where Councillors disagree on a matter, it must be put to the vote.
Voting rights: elected Councillors and the 3 Student Representatives have the right to vote; co-opted and nominated members or ex officio members (Fife Councillors) do not.
Motions and amendments require a Proposer and a Seconder. The Proposer of the motion has the right to sum up immediately before the vote is taken. The order of voting is amendment, followed by motion.
If there is more than one conflicting amendment, the second amendment is taken against the first to determine the substantive amendment. Any further amendments are taken against each other in the same way. In each case the earlier of the two amendments is treated as the motion.
Voting is by show of hands, but may be taken by ballot if the Proposer of the motion or amendment so moves and the meeting agrees.
Votes for contested office-bearer positions and co-options to community council will normally be taken by a secret paper ballot.
The Chair of the meeting has a deliberative and also a casting vote in the event of an equal number of votes being cast for motion and amendment.