Councillors agree ‘special governance arrangements’

Orkney islands councillors have today agreed “special governance arrangements” which are designed to allow for more “efficient and timely” decision-making, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The arrangements, which take the form of amendments to standing orders, include:

• Measures to allow meetings to be called within the same working week

• Allow for the remote attendance of members at meetings

• The allowance for new information to be given in verbal or written forms on the day of meetings.

These measures were agreed upon by councillors unanimously.

OIC’s interim chief executive John Mundell currently holds delegated powers during the ongoing situation, allowing him “to take action on behalf of the council where considered necessary.”

The council’s convener Harvey Johnston chaired today’s meeting and began the session by appealing to people’s “sense of social conscious” asking them to abide by the advice issued by the Scottish and UK Governments.

He asked people not to stockpile food, look after each other, the needy, the anxious and vulnerable and “think what you can do without so others can have.”

He said: “The COVID-19 virus and this health emergency is one which we in Orkney will not be able to avoid. It is not something that we will be able to beat, rather it’s something we will have to endure. But there’s no place better fitted to endure such a challenge than Orkney, with strong extended families, communities and a reasonably dispersed population. We will endure this together and come out the other end even stronger.” 

It was also heard that one of the new measures discussed is a weekly Monday meeting, to update members, which, it was argued by councillor Barbara Foulkes, should include “to include the public.”