The proposal had been recommended for approval at a meeting of Liverpool Council's planning committee earlier this month, but the decision was deferred to allow officials to visit the sites.
These two calls are not so surprising given that both Glass Lewis and ISS recommended the same thing last year, when the proposal got about 40% shareholder support.
The proposal to support joint working, particularly joint management and shared services, was recommended to the council by Taunton Deane Borough Council leader John Williams.
The Japanese bureaucracy has recommended modestly and gradually increasing the premiums or co-pay requirements for the actual beneficiaries, but the proposal has met stiff opposition by politicians who fear losing votes.