The Stray Ferret today (November 11) publishes our recording of a Ripon City Council meeting that shows our report was accurate — and the council minutes were wrong.

Our recording is key evidence in the latest row at the crisis-hit council, which suspended a meeting last night amid more bad-tempered exchanges. You can read more here.

Our coverage of an extraordinary meeting on September 26 was at the heart of last night's dispute.

We reported at the time that seven councillors — Jo Bate, Chris Hardisty, Tony Duncan, Pauline McHardy, Sid Hawke, Barbara Brodigan and Julie Ann Martin-Long — were voted on to a new human resources committee, which oversees staff appointments.

But the minutes from the meeting said six councillors were appointed — which is how many should have been appointed according to the committee’s terms of reference.

Cllr Pauline McHardy said the minutes were based on notes she took of the September 26 meeting, which was not recorded as the council had no staff at the time.

But last night councillors voted 5-3 against ratifying the minutes, which raised questions about the legitimacy of the committee and could in turn block the appointment of staff.

At one point Cllr Andrew Williams proposed starting again and appointing six councillors. 

He nominated three loyal to him and said the rival faction, led by Cllr Brodigan and deputy mayor Cllr McHardy, could nominate the other three and he would accept Cllr McHardy as chair, but this was not acted on.

When the Stray Ferret left the meeting, Cllr McHardy said she wanted to see our notes.

Well, here they are — and below is the recording we took. The names of the councillors elected to the human resouces committee are read out at about 23 minutes 50 seconds into the recording.

The notes show councillors voted 5-0 in favour of a motion dissolving the staffing committee, which consisted mainly of councillors loyal to former leader Cllr Williams.

They then voted 5-0 in favour of a motion, proposed by Cllr Martin-Long, to establish a human resources committee, which consists mainly of councillors loyal to Cllr Brodigan.

Jo Bate was elected chair, although she didn’t attend the September 26 meeting and subsequently resigned from the council.

Attention is likely to fall now on Cllr McHardy to produce her notes from the September 26 meeting.

Power struggle

Control of the human resources committee is part of the wider power struggle at Ripon Town Hall.

All four council staff left or went off sick prior to Cllr Brodigan’s election as mayor.

Cllr Brodigan is keen to get the human resources committee up and running as soon as possible so it can ratify appointments, most notably a new clerk to replace Paula Benson, and get the council back on its feet.

Adam Chugg is fulfilling the clerk’s position on a temporary basis.

Cllr Brodigan’s supporters claim Cllr Williams is taking every opportunity to block the council from getting on with business. His supporters say democratic processes are not being followed.

Another extraordinary city council meeting is due to be held on November 24.

By then, the result of the Ure Bank by-election on November 20 will be known and the council will be up to its full quota of 12 councillors.

Whoever is elected could determine whether Cllr Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat, retains control of the town hall or whether Cllr Williams, who leads the independents group and is a member of the Conservative Party, resumes control.