Tuesday 8 July 2008

Last week

Keith spent last Monday & Tuesday at a conference centre at Leamington Spa with the Extended Management Team. This includes Cabinet Members, Scrutiny & Regulation Chairmen and senior officers looking to the future to see what challenges & opportunities await us. Certain members of the press may wish to paint this as a "jolly" but it is jolly hard work, very intensive and constant.
On Wednesday Sue had to see a physiotherapist about her wrist but still managed to get over to Sheldon for the Fostering and Adoption Panel. This is another duty that some Councillers take on which is probably unknown outside the Council. It involves mountains of reading to prepare for and one morning, twice a month. All this for no extra allowance, it shows how good value the Council Tax payers get.
Keith held a pre-agenda meeting to discuss the upcoming first meeting of the HR & Equalities Scrutiny Committee in the afternoon and then went off to Solihull for some training in his role as Chairman of Northfield Conservative Association. This is getting more complicated these days due to rules on donations, reporting and Data protection.
Ken meanwhile attended his first Housing Scrutiny Committee and enjoyed the experience. He will be a real asset to the committee where John Beadman is the Deputy Chairman.
We are off to Council now but will continue last week's goings on tommorrow.