Agenda item - Mayor's Communications.

43.1         The Mayor informed the Council of the recent deaths of former councillors Andy Durr, Brighton and Brighton & Hove, and Joan Mont, East Sussex County Council and asked Members to join him in a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for former colleagues.

43.2         The Mayor stated that he would like to congratulate the Customer Services team on gaining their Customer Service Excellence award and invited Janine Cox, Revenues & Benefits Manager and Councillor Sykes to come forward to receive the award.

43.3         The Mayor then informed the Council that he had attended the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ awards in London and collected the award for the best UK City for restaurants and Bars. He invited Councillor Bowden, as Chair of the Economic Development & Culture Committee to come forward to receive the award.

43.4         The Mayor then offered his congratulations to the Social and Education Services Team of Legal & Democratic Services on their 2014 Children’s Services and Education award at the National Local Government Legal Awards held on the 29 November.  He noted that the judging panel commented that Brighton & Hove City Council had won the award as “an exemplar of best practice for other local authorities, showing a valuable standing both locally within the Family Justice Board, the local law society and nationally in advising government departments and writing legal articles.”  He then invited members of the SES Team and Councillor Shanks to come forward to receive the award.

43.5         The Mayor then stated that he wished to take the opportunity to offer the Council’s thanks and best wishes to Catherine Vaughan on her last day with the council. He stated that Catherine had made a significant contribution to the Council over the last 13 years and in particular as Director of Finance & Resources for the last 10 years. He then invited Members to join him in wishing Catherine all the very best for the future and in her new role at the Land Registry.

43.6         The Mayor informed the Council that he had received a letter from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum concerning the celebrations to mark the 150^th anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln.  He had been requested to send a letter explaining in what ways the legacy of Abraham Lincoln had affected leaders and citizens of the city and wished to inform the council that he intended to send such a letter on the City’s behalf.  He noted that the museum already had a letter of condolence from the Mayor of Brighton in 1865 and intended to put all such letters received at the time and those now requested on exhibit as part of its Abraham Lincoln anniversary celebrations in 2015.

43.7         Finally, the Mayor stated that he would like to remind councillors that the Mayor’s Civic Reception was taking place on Friday 19^th December from 6.30pm in the Royal Pavilion and The Mayor’s Civic Carol Service was on Sunday 21^st December, 6.30pm at St Nicholas’ Church, Dyke Road, Brighton.  He was also pleased to say that Jamie Oliver had agreed to sponsor the Mayoral reception for Looked After Children on the 18^th December, and he was hoping it would be a flavoursome event.  He also noted that Councillor Shanks had kindly agreed to collect any donations should councillors wish to make a contribution.