Minutes:
The Mayor Councillor J Chesworth made the following announcements:-
You may have noticed in the corner tonight a gentleman with a video camera. This meeting is being recorded as part of the 24 hours in Tamworth project. So if any of you were wondering that is the purpose of the video camera in the corner.
Doctor Goodwin has announced as we know that he will be retiring later on this year so this will be his last Mayor Making. I think inaugurating me as Mayor has cared him off. But I thought that this should be mentioned and I just wanted to say that it has been a
pleasure to sit with him over the last few months at Council.
At the end you may remember last year that photographs were taken of the groups after the meeting. If I could ask all Members just to stay in the Chamber at the end of the meeting so we can do a similar thing this year.
The Leader of the Council Councillor D Cook made the following announcements:-
I had promised the Chief Executive that I would make the official announcement at this meeting that he is going to retire at the end of this year. I would like to remind this Council of the work Doctor Goodwin has done for this Council over the last two decades he has been working for us from being a Leisure Manager to becoming Chief Executive. This Council is in the place that it’s in not just because of the Councillors but because of the work of Doctor Goodwin. How he has taken a team of officers through this period of austerity to put the Council in the position it’s in is nothing short of a miracle and none of us should forget that. He has been a marvellous asset of this Town and Council. I told him that he should give us another two to three years. So how plans are draw up on of how we move on lets first of all remember the achievements of Doctor Goodwin and I have personally asked Doctor Goodwin where this Council goes now because nobody knows that Chair better than he does. This Council has a wonderful and it’s a wonderful place to be in Tamworth and so much credit goes to Tony. But it would be a remiss of me as Leader not to mention that as one of my announcements. First and for
most I would like to propose a round of applause to Tony Goodwin.
Tamworth has received Dementia Friendly Status and I can also say the fastest town in the country to achieve such status from starting point. It has never been done faster or as well in my opinion. I would like to put some thanks out there to who have been involved. I would like to thank former Councillor Lee Bates for the effort he has put into
that from the voluntary point of view. Councillor Andrew James who led on this from a Scrutiny point of view and Councillor Tina Clements for the continuing work she does in the Community around Dementia Friendly Status. But most of all and importantly to Karen Clancy the officer that has led on this and done such a wonderful, wonderful job on this and really led the project from the front and a wonderful achievement made. But just a final one to Councillor Simon Goodall who first came up with the idea that we should take Dementia Friendly Status as a Town. Simon great job well done.