Category: Mayor of Wirral

Wirral Council Christmas Question Time (Bah! Humbug! Edition)

Wirral Council Christmas Question Time (Bah! Humbug! Edition)

Wirral Council Christmas Question Time (Bah! Humbug! Edition)

                      

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As it’s Christmas Day on the day I write this I thought I’d start first with the question most related to Christmas from Cllr Mike Hornby to Cllr Harry Smith (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation) which starts at 0:46 in the video above.

Cllr Mike Hornby, Conservative (Greasby, Frankby and Irby): Thank you Mr. Mayor. Errm, my question to Councillor Harry Smith who doesn’t seem to able to hear me, can you hear me?

Cllr Harry Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation: Just about.

Cllr Mike Hornby, Conservative (Greasby, Frankby and Irby): I shall speak up. Is he aware that a large number of small children in my ward are greatly saddened when they learnt that Santa will not be coming to turn on their lights next year? Is he further aware that the once…

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: Is that in relation to the report? Highway services contract, how does that relate to the report? Can I just stop you there and say that I’ve had the great pleasure and I’m sure my Deputy will follow the line we’ve continued for many years regarding the Mayor who’s attended an awful lot of occasions like this where he goes and switches lights on.

Cllr Harry Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation: Mr Mayor, Mr Mayor can I just say?

Cllr Mike Hornby, Conservative (Greasby, Frankby and Irby): Mr Mayor, I..

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: Just …

Cllr Harry Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation: Allow me to say, sorry go on.

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: Please relate your questions to the report.

Cllr Mike Hornby, Conservative (Greasby, Frankby and Irby): I will make a comment. Is Councillor Smith aware that the once jolly Harry is now being referred to as Ebenezer Smith? However, however will you not agree that it is not too late to change any thoughts he has in mind on this matter and that he should become like the Dickens character the spirit of Christmas yet to come?

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: I would like you to try and answer that one.

Cllr Harry Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation: Thank you. Err, Mr Mayor the Christmas tree lighting program is no longer part of my portfolio. It’s been dished out to the areas a long time ago and I think really what you have now is the area committees, which will may have the money to afford a program such as that or you could as Claughton and other areas have done approach the local business people who may well be ready to pay for the lighting.

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: Thank you very much for that.

Cllr Harry Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation: Mr Mayor, my children, it’s well been known that I am Mr Humble if you know what I mean.

Mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell: That report needs to be noted.

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Annual Meeting (Part 1) (Wirral Council) 14th May 2013 Highlights of Mayor Gerry Ellis’ year

Annual Meeting (Part 1) (Wirral Council) 14th May 2013 Mayors Communications | The Mayor Gerry Ellis gave an update on the highlights of his year in office

Continued from Annual Meeting (Part 1) (Wirral Council) 14th May 2013 Mayors Communications, Mayor of Wirral Cllr Gerry Ellis “It’s been an amazing, exciting, unbelievable experience”.

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Highlights of Mayor Gerry Ellis’ year

Annual Meeting Part 1 (Wirral Council) 14th May 2013 Civic Hall Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis arrives

The Mayor said he would tell people of some of the highlights of his Mayoral year. A few days after becoming Mayor he had been introduced to the Queen as she came off the Yellow Duckmarine in Liverpool. He said to her, “Did you enjoy your trip on the Duck?”, the Queen didn’t answer the question and it was later pointed out to him that it was a breach of etiquette to ask the Queen a question.

Another event he’d been to had been in Woodchurch when it was raining, so sheets had been used to stop them getting wet. Unfortunately one of the sheets had blown over sending water cascading down over the Mayor. The Mayor continued his speech and referred to a good relationship with other cultures, the work of the Wirral Multicultural Organisation and the monthly citizenship ceremonies.

Remembrance Sunday was the first time the Mayor had been to the “splendid” Remembrance Service in Birkenhead, as in previous years he’d attended the Remembrance Service held in West Kirby. The Cockleshell Heroes event “turned out to be one of the highlight’s of the Mayoral year” and the “best publicity Wirral had”.

He loved going to theatres and the Mayor was Honorary President of a couple of theatre groups. The Chrysanthemums Pantomime Society were particularly pleased that he was Mayor as he was a former member.

Council (16th July 2012) Parts 1 to 7

I’ve finally uploaded the video footage from last Monday’s well attended Council to Youtube. Links to each part are below with part 7 being in HD.

Part 1 00:00 to 04:07
Part 2 04:08 to 06:34
Part 3 06:35 to 50:49
Part 4 50:50 to 53:43
Part 5 53:44 to 130:37
Part 6 130:38 to 136:00
Part 7 136:00 to 169:33

A playlist of all seven parts is below.

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Frequently Asked Questions, 1) Cllr Watt, 2) Colas Ltd, 3) Merseyside Pension Fund Job Evaluation 4) Cllr Gerry Ellis

Answers to readers questions:-

Q1. Councillor Geoffrey Watt is from what council?

A1. Councillor Geoffrey Watt is from the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral.

Q2. Who is the Colas representative on Wirral Council?

A2. There isn’t a Colas Limited representative on Wirral Council as Colas Limited and Wirral Council are separate organisations.

However, Steve Grimes is the Contracts Manager for Colas Ltd.

On Wirral Council, there are a number of people with responsibility for the Colas contract, some of whom are listed below.

Brian Smith, Highway Management/(0151) 606 2426/briansmith@wirral.gov.uk .

Cabinet Member (Streetscene and Transport) Cllr. Harry Smith.
Cabinet Member (Corporate Resources) Cllr. Adrian Jones

The Deputy Director of Technical Services is Mark Smith and there are others apart from the four people named above with varying responsibilities.

Q3. Merseyside Pension Fund job evaluation?

Merseyside Pension Fund is administered by the Administering Authority. The Administering Authority is the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral.

The current round of job evaluations (Stages 3 & 4) was agreed at the Cabinet meeting of 13/10/2011. This also involves a new pay and grading structure for all posts above spinal column point 34.

Stage One (up to SCP 34) and Stage Two (Schools) are not covered by this answer.

This is because Stage 2 does not apply to the Merseyside Pension Fund AFAIK, Stage 1 is already complete (except for appeals) at the time of asking the question.

Stage Three covers SCP 35 to 70 (£29,174 to £61,000) and Band H employees. This is contracted to the HAY Group with support from the Council’s in-house team.

Stage Four (Heads of Service and above) of the Job Evaluations is now contracted by the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral to the HAY Group. The Hay Group is supported by the Job Evaluation Team.

For further information contact either Wirral Council: Chris Hyams, Head of HR and OD, Department of Law HR and Asset Management Telephone: (0151 691 8590) Email: chrishyams@wirral.gov.uk or the HAY Group.

Disclosure of interest: The author of this piece has a close family member who is now in receipt of a Merseyside Pension Fund pension.

Q4. What party is the current Mayor of Wirral Cllr. Gerry Ellis from?

A4. Cllr Gerry Ellis is from the Conservative Party.

Annual Meeting (Part 1), Council (Wirral Council) 14th May 2012

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Wirral 2012/2013. Appointments to Merseyside Police Authority.

Here is a brief update on the meeting.

1. Declarations of Interest 00:00 to 01:30

The Mayor asked people to please sit down. She welcomed people to Wallasey Town Hall and pointed out that it is a formal meeting with an agenda. She asked the councillors for any declarations of interest. None was made.

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2. Mayor’s Communications 01:30

She asked for any apologies for absence. A number of apologies for absence were made.

She then made a speech thanking people and talking about her year as Mayor and other matters. 01:30 to 08:50

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Wirral’s Young Poet Laureate then read a poem entitled “I am the Wirral”.

*note video of poem not available due to copyright not obtained on performance*

08:58 to  10:48

There was applause for her poem.

3. Election of Mayor 2012/13 11:00

The Mayor asked for nominations for Mayor. 11:00 to 11:15

Cllr Jeff Green nominated Cllr Gerry Ellis. 11:15 to 15:11.

There was applause. The Mayor asked for it to be seconded.

Cllr Phil Davies seconded the nomination. 15:27 to 17:00.

There was applause. The Mayor invited Cllr Harney to speak.

Cllr Harney spoke. 17:12 to 18:06.

There was more applause.

The Mayor thanked Cllr Harney and asked for any other nominations.  18:14 to 18:18

None was made.

The Mayor declared Cllr Gerry Ellis the Mayor for the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. 18:20 to 18:30.

There was applause.

The Mayor and others left the room. 18:55

The Mayor’s return was announced. 28:38

The Mayor returned. 28:38.

I couldn’t see much as to what happened next as I had to sit down due to the standing making my broken arm bones worse.

Bill Norman invited Gerry Ellis to make his declaration of acceptance of office. 32:35 to 32:40

Cllr Gerry Ellis read out the declaration. 32:40 to 33:10

He invited the Mayor’s Chaplain to speak.

The Mayor’s Chaplain read a prayer. 33:40 to 36:24

The Mayor asked people to sit down.

The Mayor addressed people present with a witty speech. He was provided with an extra microphone during it. 36:21 to 57:01

There was applause. 57:01 to 57:20

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4. Deputy Mayor 2012/13

Bill Norman announced item 4. 57:20 to 57:26

The Mayor asked for nominations. 57:26 to 57:31

Cllr Tom Harney asked if he could nominate Cllr Dave Mitchell. 57:34 to 57:44

The Mayor asked for it to be seconded.

Cllr Pat Williams seconded the nomination. 57:46 to 57:49

The Mayor declared Cllr Dave Mitchell as Deputy Mayor.

There was applause. End of tape 1.

Cllr Dave Mitchell was presented with the chain of office. 00:00 to 00:16

Bill Norman invited Cllr Dave Mitchell to make his declaration of acceptance of office. 00:17 to 00:22

Cllr Dave Mitchell made his declaration of acceptance of office. 00:24 to 00:46

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5 Appointments to Outside Bodies – Merseyside Police Authority Appointments Committee

(2 Labour, 1 Conservative)

Bill Norman announced item 5. 1:08 to 1:28

People were proposed and seconded by councillors.

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6. Adjournment

The Mayor asked for agreement to adjourn the meeting to 6.15pm on Monday 21st May 2012. The meeting was adjourned. 01:47 to 02:01

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