At Monday’s Ventnor Town Council meeting ex-Ventnor councillor and town clerk for Sandown, Val Taylor, attempted to call the meeting to a halt.
During the public question time at the beginning of the meeting, Ms Taylor stood up and addressing the Ventnor Town Council, declared that no proper notice had been given for the meeting.
She stated that three clear days notice of the agenda had not been provided, therefore the meeting should be deemed illegal.
Allegations refuted by Mayor
Cllr Welsford, who was chairing the meeting, replied that VTC had taken advice and that three clear days had been given, which included the weekend.
Ms Taylor stood again, saying this was incorrect – Saturday could be counted, but Sunday could not.
He thanked her for the advice and said they were going to continue the meeting.
She asked for it to be put on record that she disagreed and objected.
VB seeks clarification
We contacted David Bartlett, Ventnor’s temporary town clerk, to get further details.
He told us that he’d discussed the matter in advance with Cllr Welsford and advised him that in those circumstances, it wasn’t ideal that the weekend days had been used, but it was perfectly legal, especially as the meeting had been long-announced, in the schedule of meeting dates released months back.
“The previous town clerk, Tina Bailey, had only left her post on 25 March and Wednesday 7th April was the first day that I had a chance to get in to the Ventnor office. The meeting notice was posted the next day,” he told us.
“Three clear days is what is required – that doesn’t include the day the notice was posted, or the day of the meeting – so, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are those three days.
“The two authoritative books I referred to were Charles Arnold-Parker’s Local Council Administration (which says three clear days) and Clayden’s Parish Councillors Guide, which specifically says that Saturday and Sunday are not excluded.”
De ja vu?
This is not the first time that Ms Taylor has attempted to call a VTC meeting to a halt. Back in September 2009, when former Town Clerk John Farrant was off sick and had not posted the agenda of the meeting with three clear working days notice, Ms Taylor insisted the meeting be abandoned.
The 100+ people at the meeting had to leave the hall as the meeting was stopped.
