Agenda item

The head of democratic services presented the introductory report to  the civic awards, categories and eligibility criteria.

Representatives from the Civic Association then addressed the committee and presented their proposals for the categories and eligibility criteria.

The committee asked questions of the Civic Association representatives.

The committee had some concerns regarding the Mayor’s Discretionary Award and asked that the title of the award should be changed to the Mayor’s Award.  Members also asked that officers explore safeguards in place in other boroughs to ensure that the award would be politically neutral and that guidance be given to the Mayor prior to the Mayor making a nomination for the award.

The committee also expressed concern that the Civic Association had experienced problems when trying to promote civic awards in Southwark Life and in the John Harvard Library, where there was no public notice board available.

The committee asked that the information on reasons for nominations given to the committee be more standardised than in past years. The Civic Association representatives advised they would endeavour to ensure that this request was fulfilled.

Both the standards committee and the Civic Association representatives agreed that it had been productive to meet to discuss civic awards matters and would continue to do this each year going forward.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the committee received the recommendations of the Civic Association for the categories and eligibility criteria for civic awards and agreed the recommended categories and eligibility criteria subject to:

i)  The Mayor’s Discretionary Award being renamed the Mayor’s Award.

ii)  That officers explore safeguards in place in other boroughs to ensure that the Mayor’s Award will be politically neutral and that the Mayor be given guidance on making any such award.

2.  That relevant officers be called to attend the next meeting of the committee in order to resolve the problems the Civic Association had experienced when trying to promote civic awards in Southwark Life and in the John Harvard Library.