Agenda item - Mayor's Communications.

58.5         The Mayor welcomed everyone back to the reconvened meeting and invited the Chief Executive to address the Council.

58.6         The Chief Executive thanked the Mayor and stated that "Following the heated discussion in the Council chamber at the end of the long night of 26/2/15 I sought a private conversation with Councillor Mary Mears. I am sorry that this took place in a public area and was experienced by Councillor Mears as disrespectful.  That was certainly not my intent. I am sorry.  I acknowledge how frustrating it has been for all Members to find time to reconvene. I appreciate the excellent turnout and preparedness to reprioritise diaries."

58.7         Councillor Mears thanked the Chief Executive for her apology and stated that she was willing to draw a line under the matter and to move on.

58.8         Councillor G. Theobald raised a point of clarification with regard to the information provided at the previous meeting, when it had been intimated that Group Leaders had been aware of the potential date for an adjourned budget council meeting.  Having checked the minutes of the Leaders Group meeting in question, no record had been found and he had received an apology from the Monitoring Officer.

58.9         The Mayor thanked Councillors Mears and Theobald and also stated that he wished to apologise to the Council if he had in any way misled Members over the date for a potential reconvened meeting.

58.10      Councillor Cobb noted that the Monitoring Officer had given an apology to the Leader of the Conservative Group, but questioned whether he wished to comment further on the matter.

58.11      The Monitoring Officer stated that his recollection and that of the Head of Democratic Services had been that a potential date for a reconvened budget council meeting had been raised with the Group Leaders.  However, he acknowledged that there is no reference to this in the notes of the meeting. He further stated that, as honourable Members, he accepts the statement from Councillors Theobald and Peltzer Dunn that this was not mentioned and would like to apologise for any offence caused.

58.12      The Mayor thanked the Chief Executive and the Monitoring Officer, as well as Councillor Mears and noted that a revised procedural note had been circulated for the meeting.  He therefore moved that the new procedural note should be agreed and put it to the vote.

58.13      The motion was carried.