Agenda and minutes

To elect a Town Mayor for 2022/23.

Cllr Merryweather nominated, with Cllr Ward seconding, Cllr Earwaker as Mayor of Farnham for 2022-23.

In making his nomination, Cllr Merryweather said it was an honour and privilege to speak for Cllr Alan Earwaker to continue for a further term as Mayor of Farnham.

In 2021, Cllr Earwaker had said he was looking forward to seeing as much as he could of the fantastic work our community does, and as the town’s first citizen he has represented Farnham as the events calendar resumed taken time to remember and thank the community volunteers who provided help at various stages of the covid outbreak right through to rolling out the local vaccine programme. During the year he had also helped raise the profile of his two local charities as well as supporting events and activities arranged by many others.

Cllr Merryweather said that while the challenges may be changing, whether it was the evolution of the Farnham Infrastructure Programme or Brightwells, or new challenges like cost inflation on top of Covid, it was a great comfort to know that Cllr Earwaker would continue as Farnham’s impartial chair with the calm authority that he embodied.

Cllr Ward said he took great pleasure in seconding the nomination.  As the current Mayor, Cllr. Earwaker had done an amazing job. He had thrown himself into the role wholeheartedly, and it was very difficult to go out anywhere in Farnham without meeting him either on his way to, at, or returning from a civic duty.

He controlled Council meetings well and his cheerfulness, immense enthusiasm and hard work were an example to all. He was also a man of high moral standards and a very fit person to be the “Conscience of the Council”.

There being no other nominations it was RESOLVED nem con that Cllr Earwaker be Mayor for 2022-23.

To receive the Mayor’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

In accepting the nomination and having made the declaration of acceptance of office, the Mayor said it was an immense honour and privilege to be chosen as Mayor of Farnham for a second year. His theme would continue to be “working together with the community, reviving Farnham” as would his chosen charities Farnham Assist, a Christian charity that supports older people within the Farnham community that are living alone, and the Waverley Abbey Trust, whose vision in running Waverley Abbey House is to continue to expand as a centre of educational excellence through world-class teaching, mentoring and a range of university-accredited courses on campus and on-line and to increase public access to the site.

The Mayor committed to working alongside the whole Council, and doing whatever he could to help support Farnham’s residents and businesses working together to revive a thriving community in this wonderful award winning town. He was again looking forward to seeing as much as he could of the fantastic work done by the community to make Farnham the special place it is.

The Mayor then presented the badge of office of Mayoress to Mrs Claire Earwaker Dos Reis.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Attfield, Blishen, Dickson, Dunsmore, and Edmonds.

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the Farnham Town Council meeting held on 28^th April 2022  at Appendix A.

With one amendment, correcting the omission of Cllr Neale as a Member of the Conservation Areas Task Group, the Minutes were agreed for signing.

To receive from members, in respect of any items included on the agenda for this meeting, disclosure of any disclosable pecuniary or other interests, or of any gifts and hospitality, in line with the Town Council’s Code of Conduct.

NOTES:

 (i)        The following councillors have made a general non-pecuniary interest declaration in relation to being councillors of Waverley Borough Council: Cllrs Beaman, Blishen, Cockburn, Dickson, Edmonds, Hesse, Macleod, Martin, Merryweather, Mirylees, Neale, Ward and Wicks.

(ii)        The following councillors have made a general non-pecuniary interest declaration in relation to being a councillor of Surrey County Council: Cllr MacLeod and Cllr Martin.

(iii)        Members are requested to make declarations of interest, on the form attached, to be returned to customer.services@farnham.gov.uk by 5pm on the day before the meeting.

Members are reminded that if they declare a pecuniary interest they must leave before any debate starts unless dispensation has been obtained.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To elect the Deputy Town Mayor for the municipal year 2022/23.

Cllr Michaela Wicks was proposed as Deputy Mayor for 2022/23 by Cllr Michaela Martin, seconded by Cllr Kika Miryleees.

In proposal speech Cllr Martin said she was delighted to propose Cllr Wicks whose enthusiasm, commitment and style, added to her massive personality, made her the ideal candidate for the role.

There being no other nominations, the Mayor declared Cllr Wicks elected as Deputy mayor for 2022/23.

To receive the Deputy Mayor’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Cllr Wicks made her declaration of acceptance of office and said she would be pleased to support the Mayor in the year ahead.

In accordance with Standing Order 4.1, a Leader or Spokesperson for the Council can be appointed at the Annual Council Meeting but if no appointment is made, the role of Spokesperson for the Council will be undertaken by the Lead Member of the Strategy and Finance Working Group. 

Cllr Ward proposed, seconded by Cllr Mirylees, that for 2022-23 only, joint Leaders be elected and nominated Cllr Pat Evans and Cllr David Beaman.

Cllr Ward advised that the coming year would be a very busy one for FTC but also a critical time for the Farnham Infrastructure Programme (FIP). As a Council, Farnham was continuing to increase the number of events for residents and, although the difficulties of the Lockdown were over, the Council was doing what it could to help out refugees fleeing from the horrors of the brutal invasion of Ukraine. At the same time the short & medium-term plans to alleviate Farnham’s town centre traffic problems were reaching a decisive phase. It was therefore necessary to have a strongly focussed Board member who would put forward this Council’s views with vigour and intelligence.

Cllr Ward said he had felt for some time that both running the Town’s day-to-day affairs and trying to represent the Council on the FIP Board was a very taxing job that should no longer burden one person. Pat Evans and David Beaman had a wealth of experience and Cllr Evans would make an excellent chair of Strategy & Finance while Cllr Beaman would properly represent the Council’s views on the FIP.

It was RESOLVED  nem con that for 2022/23 only, Cllr Pat Evans and Cllr David Beaman be elected as Joint Leaders and that Cllr Pat Evans be Chairman of the Strategy & Finance Working Group.

To appoint the Town Council’s representative on the Farnham Infrastructure Programme Board 2022-23.

Following the appointment of Joint Leaders, the Mayor formally proposed that Cllr David Beaman be the Council’s representative on the Farnham Infrastructure Programme Board.  This was seconded by Cllr Ward and agreed nem con.  There were no other nominations.

The date of the next meeting is scheduled to be Thursday 23rd June 2022 at 7pm.

The date of the next meeting was agreed as Thursday June 23^rd at 7pm.