b. Agenda

When setting agendas, the following extract from NALC's Local Councils Explained (original wording amended where necessary to reflect changes in legislation/good practice since publication) should be taken into account.

There are accepted conventions and practices as to what happens at a meeting and the order in which they happen. Below is a guide to the basic sequence of events at a meeting:

1. The names of councillors present and absent are noted for inclusion in the minutes of the meeting. 

2. The Chair formally opens the meeting, and may make short announcements about the meeting that are appropriate or merely procedural (e.g. a reminder that the meeting may be filmed or recorded, or that there will be a part of the meeting from which the public will be excluded). 

3. If a councillor is unable to attend a meeting and has sought approval for their absence (or the reason is known to the council), the request will be considered. If granted, a resolution approving the absence will be included in the minutes (for more detail, see article d).

4. Certain interests of councillors in agenda items are, as appropriate, disclosed and minuted. 

5. Dispensation requests made by councillors may be considered and granted. 

6. The accuracy of the minutes of the last meeting is formally approved (and minutes signed by Chair)

7. Subject to standing orders, the public are permitted to speak about items of business on the agenda. 

8. Updates to resolutions from the last meeting are received.

9. Motions or other items of business on the agenda are considered and resolved. 

10. Standing items of business (e.g. authorisation of payments, the formal acknowledgement 

     of the minutes of a committee and/or as the case may be sub-committee) are dealt with. 

11. The Chair formally closes the meeting.

A detailed example of an agenda can be found here.