Was Cllr Thomas hiding in a cupboard at the Council offices?

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2 March 2025

Editing note. I initially said I understood the Council appointed Kate Walker as Chief Officer. That was a mistake. It was Kate Rogers. My apologies.

In my last blog of 26 February, I recorded the fact that I left the Extraordinary Council meeting of Hughenden Parish Council on 25 February making the meeting inquorate.  I added that this meant that no decisions could be taken. 

I left the meeting because of the unacceptable behaviour of Mr. Truppin whose services are provided to HPC by a company called the Local Government Resource Centre.  Apart from other things, Mr. Truppin once again lost his temper and shouted at me. 

HPC’s Standing Orders say: -

"If a meeting is or becomes inquorate no business shall be transacted and the meeting shall be closed. The business on the agenda for the meeting shall be adjourned to another meeting." 

But I now understand that didn’t happen.   Apparently, Council was able to conclude its business because “Cllr Thomas attended”. 

Now Cllr Thomas was not at the meeting when the Council meeting started.  He was not at the meeting while I was there.  He was not at the meeting when I left the meeting and Mr Truppin berated me for making the meeting inquorate.

I didn’t meet Cllr Thomas coming in the door as I left.  He didn’t arrive for at least 5 minutes after I left while I was in the carpark.

But maybe, just maybe, Cllr Thomas was hiding in a cupboard all that time?   And just popped out after I left so the meeting continued to be quorate?

But, unless he was there, the meeting should have been closed and no business transacted.    

However, the meeting was not closed and councillors carried on discussing business - presumably when Cllr Thomas arrived sometime later.  I have no idea when that was.  

I understand Council resolved unanimously to appoint Kate Rogers as Chief Officer, Louise Steele, a Director of the Local Government Resources Centre, as Responsible Financial Officer, Phillip Truppin as consultant, and Emma Marsden as mentor.

I have suggested Council takes legal advice on the situation because the appointments could be invalid.

If this is correct, HPC has no RFO and no Proper Officer which it is legally required to have.  It has no-one to carry out the functions of these officers.  And if the appointments of the officers are in question, so too are the payments to those officers.  I have informed the internal auditor of my concerns.

It’s the Wild West again at HPC.

I would add two things.

First, I have no idea whether Mr. Truppin stayed in the Council meeting while the extension of his contract was discussed and decided by Council.  

Certainly, while I was there, he refused angrily and loudly to recognise he had any interest in the item although he obviously had a financial interest.  He even refused angrily and loudly to recognise that I had any right to raise my concern about Council making this decision while he was present.

And this is the person Council is using as a consultant to manage the handover to Ms. Rogers – and at a cost of £70/hour.

Unbelievable (except of course this is HPC).  

Second, you might remember that last November I voted against the appointment of Marina Yaseen as Chief Officer on the grounds that Council was provided with minimal information particularly about her work experience.  

I requested a copy of her CV and was told by Mr Truppin that I could not have a copy because councillors who were not on the Human Resources Committee were not “authorised” to have it.

Ms. Yaseen started employment with HPC on 2 December.  Two and a half months later, Council decided to terminate her contract.  She left HPC on Friday 21 February.   

On Monday 24 February, Council was informed that it would be asked to appoint Kate Walker as Chief Officer at an Extraordinary meeting the next day.  Again, Council was provided with minimal information about the candidate, including minimal information about her work experience. 

I asked again for the candidate’s CV, questioning the basis for Mr Truppin’s advice in November last year.  Where for example was the national guidance to parish councils setting out the process of “authorisation” he referred to?  Or the statutory provisions that required Councils to “authorise” councillors to receive CVs of candidates it was considering appointing to statutory posts?   

Nothing. 

I can only assume Mr. Truppin was giving his personal opinion (which I may say differed considerably from other advice given to Council). 

I was merely told by the Chair of Human Resources Committee that this was a matter for Council to resolve in future.  

You would think Council would learn from its mistakes.  However, regardless of the previous disaster in appointing a Chief Officer, Council ploughed on regardless – even appointing Ms. Walker as Chief Officer at a meeting which should have been closed when it became inquorate.

Again, unbelievable (except of course this is HPC).

I can only hope for the taxpayers’ sake that lightning doesn’t strike twice.   

Because all this is costing the taxpayer an awful lot of money, not to mention time and other resources.