Agenda for Policy & Resources Committee (pre 2015) on Thursday, 14th February, 2013, 4.00pm
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Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 222 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Mark Wall Head of Democratic Services
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Procedural Business (a) Declaration of Substitutes: Where Councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Political Group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.
(b) Declarations of Interest:
(a) Disclosable pecuniary interests not registered on the register of interests; (b) Any other interests required to be registered under the local code; (c) Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.
In each case, you need to declare (i) the item on the agenda the interest relates to; (ii) the nature of the interest; and (iii) whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.
If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.
(d) Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part Two of the Agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls. Additional documents: Minutes: (a) Declarations of Substitutes
135.1 Councillors Jarrett and Wealls declared that they were attending the meeting as substitutes for Councillors Wakefield and A. Norman respectively.
(b) Declarations of Interest
135.2 There were no declarations of interest; however the Chair also noted that each councillor would need to apply for dispensation, in order to be able to take part in the budget debate at the full Council meeting on the 28th February 2013.
135.3 The Monitoring Officer confirmed that in regard to the current meeting he was happy for the meeting to proceed without any such declarations as the budget matters had to be referred to full Council for decision. However, he did advise that each councillor should apply for dispensation as anyone who owned property or paid council tax would be caught by the new regulations in regard to having a disclosable pecuniary interest in the budget.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public
135.4 The Committee considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the items listed on Part 2 of the agenda.
135.5 RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the item listed on Part 2 of the agenda. |
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To consider the minutes of the meeting held on the 24th January 2013 (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 136.1 The minutes of the last meeting held on the 24th January 2013 were approved as a correct record of the proceedings and signed by the Chair. |
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Chair's Communications To receive any communications from the Chair. Additional documents: Minutes: 137.1 The Chair reported that today the council had opened the new Customer Service Centre here in Hove Town Hall, which now included a customer service desk for Sussex Police, along with access to council services including parking, planning, building control, private sector housing, taxi licensing and highways. He noted that the refurbished venue offered a pleasant and safe environment for customers and staff and stated that he wished to thank everyone involved in transforming the space and helping the council’s customer focus.
137.2 The Chair stated that he was very pleased to note the launch of Valley Gardens consultation. This central and heavily used area of the city had long needed re-alignment and some imaginative thought. The council was taking an open and collaborative approach to this re-design and he hoped that everyone who uses the area; either as a driver, pedestrian, shopper, resident, student or visitor would share their opinion so that any changes that were made were of benefit to the widest possible range of people.
137.3 The Chair also noted that the council was set to provide great dividends from a new collaborative ICT service; having just signed a deal with East Sussex County Council for a public services IT system. It was called ‘The LINK Network’ and had been developed in partnership to provide a collaborative ICT service for public sector organisations in Sussex. It was expected that savings in the region of £2m over seven years would be achieved as services were bought, managed and used collectively. He stated that this kind of creative solution recognised both the resource pressures all councils faced and the ability of IT to help address them.
137.4 The Chair then referred to the Green Deal and the opportunities and efficiencies that the council could win by realising the potential of our economic geography. Respecting the boundaries of our neighbours but encouraging collaboration to really make best use of our regional clout. Our plans are less about a ‘Greater Brighton’ and more about a better region – working together for the benefit of all.
137.5 Finally the Chair stated that he wished to promote a few of the upcoming city events:
· The Brighton Science Festival is happening right now (6 Feb – 3 March). This is the 8th year we have supported it and its bigger and better than ever, featuring some nationally significant artists and contributors like Ben Goldacre, Robin Ince and David Blandy;
· We are currently celebrating LGBT history month with an exhibition at Jubilee library and a series of events to recognising, examine and consider our local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans communities;
· The Brighton Fringe launches on 26th February. It’s the 3rd largest fringe festival in the world now and significantly more than 50% of participants are from Brighton;
· The Brighton Festival launches the following day (27th Feb) – the largest arts festival in England - and our guest artistic director this year is the former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen; and
· Lastly with it being Valentines Day, Brighton Museum is hosting a special Valentines Late night opening with music, dance, comedy and dressing up. |
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Call Over (a) Items (141 – 149) will be read out at the meeting and Members invited to reserve the items for consideration.
(b) Those items not reserved will be taken as having been received and the reports’ recommendations agreed. Additional documents: Minutes: 138.1 The following items on the agenda were reserved for discussion:
Item 141 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2012/13 Month 9 Item 142 General fund Revenue & Council tax 2013/14 Item 143 Capital Resources & Capital Investment Programme 2013/14 Item 147 Senior Officer Structure
138.2 The Head of Democratic Services confirmed that the Items listed above had been reserved for discussion; and that the following reports on the agenda with the recommendations therein had been approved and adopted:
Item 144 Housing Revenue Account 2013/14 Item 145 Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2013-2016 Item 146 Risk Management Strategy 2013 Item 149 Part Two Minutes – Exempt Categories 4 & 5. |
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To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions presented by members of the public to the full council or at the meeting itself;
(i) To consider a petition calling for a vote of no confidence in the Green Administration presented at Full Council on the 31st January 2013 by Mr. Campbell (as detailed in the report attached);
(i) To receive any other petitions.
(b) Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 7th February 2013;
(c) Deputations: to receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 7th February 2013. Additional documents: Minutes: Petitions
139.1 The Chair referred to the petition detailed in the report, concerning a vote of no confidence in the Administration which had been presented to the last council meeting by Mr. Campbell and proposed that it be noted.
139.2 RESOLVED: That the petition be noted.
139.3 The Chair stated that he had been informed of a petition concerning the retention of the Mobile Library and invited Ms. Selene Rull-Usano to come forward and present her petition.
139.4 Ms. Rull-Usano thanked the Chair and stated that she had previously submitted a petition in support of the mobile library and hoped that the further two petitions to be presented would lead to the council reconsidering the proposal to close the mobile library. She stated that there was a combined total of 186 signatures and these represented the strength of feeling for the maintenance of the mobile library. It kept local communities together and provided much needed access to books and learning opportunities for school children who would otherwise be unlikely to use a library. She hoped that it could be retained and its benefit to local users recognised.
139.5 The Chair thanked Ms. Rull-Usano for presenting the petitions and stated that he was also aware of a deputation on the same matter and suggested that the petition be noted and a response be given to both the petition and the deputation once the deputation had been presented.
139.6 RESOLVED: That the petition be noted.
139.7 The Chair noted that there were no other petitions to be presented.
Written Questions
139.8 The Chair noted that no written questions from members of the public had been submitted.
Deputations
139.9 The Chair noted that one deputation had been submitted and invited Mr. Spillman as the spokesperson to come forward and address the committee.
139.10 Mr. Spillman thanked the Chair and stated that he was aware that the Chair had used his casting vote at the last meeting of the committee to approve the recommendation to close the mobile library. He questioned the Chair’s decision in light of the clear recommendations from the Economic Development & Culture Committee to maintain the mobile library and look for additional funding to enable the service to continue. He believed that the majority of councillors were in favour of the mobile library as had been shown at the last Budget Council meeting and hoped that they would again support the continuance of the service at the next Budget Council meeting on the 28th February.
139.11 The Chair thanked Mr. Spillman for his deputation and his passionate comments in support of the mobile library. He understood the concern raised for the library but noted that the decision taken at the last committee meeting had been based on value for money considerations. The continued operation of the mobile library was not financially viable, taking into account the need to replace the actual vehicle and the improved visitor service that was being put forward as an alternative service provision. He noted that there were 500 people registered as housebound library users in the city who could not get to any type of library provision, and it made sense to invest the limited resources in developing a service to meet their needs and to hopefully expand that service.
139.12 The Chair then moved that the deputation be noted.
139.13 RESOLVED: That the deputation be noted. |
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Member Involvement To consider the following matters raised by councillors:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself. Additional documents: Minutes: 140.1 The Chair noted that there were no items to be raised under Member Involvement. |
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Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2012/13 Month 9
Report of the Director of Finance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the forecast outturn position for the General Fund, which has an underspend of £4.213m be noted;
2. That the forecast outturn for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which has an underspend of £1.304m be noted;
3. That the forecast outturn for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which has an underspend of £0.367m be noted;
4. That the forecast outturn position on the Capital Programme be noted;
5. That the following changes to the Capital Programme as set out below be approved:
- The budget re-profiling and budget variations as set out in Appendix 2 to the report;
- The carry forward of slippage into the 2013/14 capital programme to meet on-going commitments on these schemes as set out in Appendix 2 to the report; and
- The new schemes as set out in Appendix 3 to the report. Minutes: 141.1 The Director of Finance introduced the report which detailed the current financial position of the authority as at month 9. She noted that there were underspends in certain areas and savings put forward which were on track to be met. She also noted that the value for money programme was projected to over-achieve and that there had been some re-profiling and slippage in relation to the Capital Programme; which was accounted for 2013/14.
141.2 Councillor Littman stated that he wished to thank the finance officers involved in bringing the report forward and for their continued work on the various budget matters. He welcomed the report and noted that a greater underspend was projected for the current year compared to last year and that the value for money programme was proving to be of benefit.
141.3 Councillor G. Theobald noted that having agreed the council tax freeze previously, a number of underspends had been still been achieved and in relation to Home to School Transport queried why the underspend had not been used to enable the continued support for the bus route to Ovingdean. He also referred to the overspend in relation to the Traveller’s site at Horsdean and queried whether additional expenditure was forecast for next year as a result. In regard to the Communications budget he also noted that the Head of Communications was due to leave the organisation and questioned the need for the additional £100k for the budget, which was already overspent when other service areas were having to reduce their budgets. Finally, he also queried the costs associated with the Local Delivery Vehicle (LDV) and whether these were in relation to set up costs.
141.4 The Chair referred to the communications budget and stated that there had been an unachievable income target and no central allocation made which had put pressure on the budget area. It was proposed that this should be harmonised and appropriate funding identified to enable the service to move forward effectively. He also noted that the TBM position to date was one of the best that the council had experienced.
141.5 Councillor Shanks referred to the query for Home to School Transport and noted that an underspend had been achieved to date as it primarily related to the transfer of children with disabilities to and from school. The budget for support to the bus services came under a different area and a review was in progress with the intention to report to committee in March.
141.6 The Director of Finance stated that a service pressure for the Traveller’s budget had been identified and it was an area that consistently overspent and therefore provision had to be made for 2013/14. In regard to the LDV, provision had previously been made for the set up costs, however these had under spent and it was therefore appropriate to release the funding now that the LDV was operating.
141.7 Councillor West noted that in regard to the expenditure for travellers, it was a variable matter which was subject to changes throughout the year and he believed that the costs had been managed well to date.
141.8 Councillor Hamilton stated that there was a £259k underspends in the General Fund for Home to School Transport and a further £96k in the Dedicated School Grant (DSG). He suggested that it should be possible to transfer funds from one area to another which would have enabled the retention of the No.96 bus service. He sought assurance that the underspend in the Dedicated School Grant would be carried forward to 2013/14 and asked for further information to be provided to him in relation to the communications budget and the shortfall for this year and the reasoning for the additional funding for next year.
141.9 The Director of Finance confirmed that the DSG was ring-fenced and any underspend would be carried forward. She stated that the General Fund was used to finance general aspects of the Home to School Transport budget and at the last Budget Council meeting; councillors had agreed to reduce the subsidies for supported bus routes. With regard to the Communications budget, the income target set for advertising and sponsorship had been recognised as being unachievable and following the recent procurement exercise was now more appropriate. She also noted that the staffing provision for internal communications amounted to a 0.5fte post and having assessed the level of service required for the organisation more funding was recommended. She stated that she would be happy to provide further information to Members following the meeting should they require it.
141.10 The Chair noted that at the recent Staff Consultation Forum meeting the question of resources for the communications team was raised given the size of the organisation and with the Public Health element coming across to the council from the 1st April; it was felt that additional resources were required.
141.11 Councillor Wealls referred to the value for money programme in respect of the Children’s Services and noted that £2.74m savings had been achieved against a target of £3.17m and queried where the additional savings would be coming from.
141.12 The Director of Finance stated that the Children’s Services vfm was wide-ranging and it was hoped that the high cost placements could be reduced and that there was a need to bear in mind that the number of looked after children varied throughout the year. She believed that there was a need for a level of judgement in respect of the savings to be made for this year and the following year, however, it was one of the identified corporate critical budgets and was tracked on weekly basis. She was happy to provide further information following the meeting and noted that for this area the vfm considerations related to day to day activities whilst for other areas of the organisation vfm took a more corporate wide view.
141.13 Councillor Mitchell referred to the breach of security at the Traveller’s site at Horsdean and the overspend on the budget that resulted and queried what actions had been taken to avoid a repetition of the breach. She also noted that there was an outstanding dispute in relation to insurance and repairs in the transport budget and suggested that it needed to be resolved as there was already an overspend in that budget.
141.14 The Strategic Director; Place stated that the security company had been replaced and additional staff were now being used as well as improvements made to the site’s security. He also stated that the Transport Budget was closely monitored and estimates had been identified at this point, however as various works commenced on projects a clearer picture should emerge. He also noted that the recent poor weather had affected the road maintenance budgets.
141.15 Councillor G. Theobald queried how the targets for the communications budget had been set and when had Members been informed that they would not be achievable.
141.16 The Director of Finance stated that with the advertising and sponsorship contract there was a need to set a risk provision for that and for other aspects of the communications budget a judgement had to be made and then it could be reviewed. There had previously been a miss-match of expectations for the budget and the service provision which it was hoped could now be addressed.
141.17 The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendations to the vote.
141.18 RESOLVED:
(1) That the forecast outturn position for the General Fund, which has an underspend of £4.213m be noted;
(2) That the forecast outturn for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which has an underspend of £1.304m be noted;
(3) That the forecast outturn for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which has an underspend of £0.367m be noted;
(4) That the forecast outturn position on the Capital Programme be noted;
(5) That the following changes to the Capital Programme as set out below be approved:
- The budget re-profiling and budget variations as set out in Appendix 2 to the report;
- The carry forward of slippage into the 2013/14 capital programme to meet on-going commitments on these schemes as set out in Appendix 2 to the report; and
- The new schemes as set out in Appendix 3 to the report. |
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General Fund Revenue Budget & Council Tax 2013/14
Report of the Director of Finance (to be circulated). Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:
(1) That subject to the recommendation (3) below, the 2013/14 General Fund Revenue Budget proposals contained in the body of the report be approved including:
· A 1.96% increase in the Brighton & Hove element of the council tax; · The 2013/14 budget allocations to services as set out in appendix 1; · The council’s net General Fund budget requirement for 2013/14 of £228.1m; · The reinvestments as set out in paragraph; · The budget savings package as set out in appendix 4; · The contingency budget of £6.0m as set out in table 6; · The reserves allocations as set out in paragraph and table 4; · The borrowing limit for the year commencing 1 April 2013 of £371m; · The annual Minimum Revenue Provision statement as set out in appendix 9; · The Prudential Indicators as set out in appendix 10 to this report; · The proposed responses to the scrutiny recommendations as set out in appendix 14.
(2) That the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy budget and resource projections for 2013/14 to 2018/19 as set out in appendix 7 to the report be noted; and
(3) That it be noted that supplementary information needed to set the overall council tax would be provided for the budget setting Council as listed in paragraph 4.5 of the report. Minutes: 142.1 The Director of Finance introduced the report which set out the final proposals for the General Fund Revenue Budget and Council Tax for 2013/14. She stated that it took into account feedback and evidence received through the consultation process and set out the principles on which the budget had been prepared. She also noted that it took account of the latest information which had only recently been received from the Government, along with the final settlement on the 11th February.
142.2 Councillor Littman welcomed the report and stated that the budget had occupied the minds of many people over the last year and the lateness of information from the Government had not helped in bringing the proposals forward. He wished to thank the officers involved in putting the report together and for their support and advice during the budget setting process. He noted that budgetary pressures were expected to continue with further cuts required in the years ahead and the recommended council tax increase of 1.96% was required to help support the provision of services. He also noted that the council now faced a further pressure of around £7m due to changes in Business Rates and local authorities being required to meet the costs of appeals.
142.3 The Chair stated that the consultation process had been very useful and had built on the previous years with more people responding and scrutiny and the Members Budget Review Group taking an active role in reviewing the proposals. He stated that the 1.96% council tax increase would off-set the impact of the cuts for people across the city and noted that support to various advice services was being maintained, which was crucial in the current economic climate. The mid-term financial strategy predicted further savings of between £20-25m year on year up to 2020, which implied that the council would need to be virtually self-sufficient by that time and meant further work, was required to enable the savings to be achieved.
142.4 Councillor Mitchell noted the report and thanked the offices for their work and support in regard to the various amendments that the Labour & Co-operative Group would be submitting at the Budget Council meeting on the 28th February. She welcomed the £300k support identified fro advice support and the inclusion of the corporate plan commitments alongside the budget proposals. In regard to the better bus project she queried whether it would result in parking being removed along Eastern Road, and in relation to the communal bins recycling in the city centre, she noted that the Environment & Sustainability Committee had approved a consultation exercise, but the report suggested that a decision had been made and therefore was the consultation simply on the siting of the bins.
142.5 The Strategic Director, Place stated that the better bus scheme would not result in the removal of the parking along Eastern Road and that the consultation exercise was on the proposal to have communal bin recycling in the city centre. Should the consultation result in a negative response then the scheme would not be implemented or may require amending to take account of views expressed.
142.6 Councillor West stated that over 27,000 households were being consulted and noted that the pilot scheme had been positively welcomed and he hoped that it would be taken forward, however it would depend on the outcome of the consultation.
142.7 Councillor G. Theobald noted the report and stated that the Conservative Group would be voting against the recommendations as they believed the council tax should be frozen and the government grant accepted. The council was effectively turning down £1.2m of support and this should be accepted and used to support the budget.
142.8 The Chair stated that the implications of a council tax freeze needed to be taken into consideration as they would permanently undermine the council’s financial base and all future council tax increases would effectively be worth less. He also noted that a number of other leading authorities had recognised this fact and chosen not to freeze council tax as a result.
142.9 Councillor Wealls queried whether structure of the budget report meant that all the savings identified had been mapped out and whether any of the budget lines had a zero change which was shown. He was concerned that in looking at alternative savings proposals the opposition groups were able to identify where the resources were allocated.
142.10 The Director of Finance stated that the council produced a budget book that was available on-line and listed the full budget in detail. She also noted that the question had been raised as part of the scrutiny process and officers had offered to review how the budget information was presented for next year. She stated that the report before the committee presented the savings that were being proposed.
142.11 Councillor West noted that two opposition groups were not prepared to outline their positions in regard to the budget proposals at this point and suggested that it had been an open and transparent process, involving more people than before. He believed that there had been a well managed approach and noted that the value for money exercise was outperforming its objectives and hoped that the budget could be taken forward and be supported by the council as a whole.
142.12 Councillor Jarrett stated that the council tax increase enabled services to maintained and questioned whether a freeze would enable a similar level of support and noted that to date no alternative proposals had been put forward by the opposition group. If the council tax was not increased it would result in the council falling behind in terms of revenue generation.
142.13 Councillor Hamilton noted that the local government settlement was around £10.7m less than the year before and that it was for the Administration to put forward a budget and for the opposition groups to then consider the position and look at alternative options which are put forward at the Budget Council meeting.
142.14 The Chair noted the comments and stated that he believed it had been the biggest and most complex budget setting process to date, with changes in welfare reforms, business rates and financial settlements. He therefore wished to place on record the Committee’s thanks and appreciation of the work undertaken by officers to enable the budget report to come forward. He then put the recommendations to the vote.
142.15 RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND: That subject to the recommendation below, the 2013/14 General Fund Revenue Budget proposals contained in the body of the report be approved including:
· A 1.96% increase in the Brighton & Hove element of the council tax;
· The 2013/14 budget allocations to services as set out in appendix 1;
· The council’s net General Fund budget requirement for 2013/14 of £228.1m;
· The reinvestments as set out in paragraph 3.37;
· The budget savings package as set out in appendix 4;
· The contingency budget of £6.0m as set out in table 6;
· The reserves allocations as set out in paragraph and table 4;
· The borrowing limit for the year commencing 1 April 2013 of £371m;
· The annual Minimum Revenue Provision statement as set out in appendix 9;
· The Prudential Indicators as set out in appendix 10 to this report;
· The proposed responses to the scrutiny recommendations as set out in appendix 14. |
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Capital Resources & Capital Investment Programme 2013/14
Report of the Director of Finance (to be circulated). Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND: That the following be approved:-
· The Capital Investment Programme for 2013/14 in appendix 1;
· Note the estimated capital resources in future years as detailed in appendix 1;
· To allocate £0.250m resources in 2013/14 for the Strategic Investment Fund for the purposes set out in paragraph 3.25;
· To allocate £1.000m for the ICT fund;
· To allocate £1.000m for the Asset Management Fund;
· The proposed use of council borrowing as set out in paragraph 3.17 and appendix 3.
Minutes: 143.1 The Director of Finance introduced the report which detailed the level of available capital resources in 2013/14 which could be used for a Capital Investment Programme for 2013/14 if approved at the Budget Council meeting on the 28th February. She noted that the budget had faced similar problems to that of the Revenue Budget and that detailed reports would be submitted to the relevant committees following the strategic setting by the Council. She also noted that a significant shortfall of capital allocations had been reported in November and as a result a number of reconciliations and re-profiling had been undertaken, in order to provide for a fully funded programme for 2013/14. She stated that a shortfall was currently forecast for 2014/15 assuming that capital receipts were generated. She also noted that the Government had yet to announce its education capital grant and therefore a number of assumptions had been made based on the previous years. It meant that assuming the announcement was made in time for Budget Council that revised information may need to be presented to the meeting.
143.2 The Chair thanked the Director for her introduction and the information in relation to the education capital funding.
143.3 Councillor G. Theobald noted the report and stated that it offered a reasonable programme and queried what the position was in relation to the development of Patcham Court Farm, as it could be an alternative to Toads Hole Valley. He welcomed the review of school places and suggested that it would be beneficial to work with other authorities on projects. He expressed concern over the proposed provision for ICT as it appeared that it was not delivering results and queried when the HR system would produce the savings it had promised when a further £165k was being spent.
143.4 The Chair noted that funding for new schools was not available to the council as only third parties could apply, which meant that the council had to consider expanding schools. In regard to the ICT spend, he suggested that it was well below the level of comparable organisations and noted that the strategy had been trimmed down. However, there was a need to deliver better quality services which were fundamental to improving customer services.
143.5 The Director of Finance offered to provide a detailed briefing on the ICT strategy and its basic infrastructure and noted that the council’s own network was struggling to meet demand. She also noted that the provision for the HR system was part of a planned further roll-out and would provide benefits to the organisation.
143.6 The Chair noted the comments and pointed out that the council’s desk-top computers and software had an average age of 7 years when most organisations own equipment had an average life-span of 3 years. He believed that there was a need to invest in the ICT provision and put the recommendations to the vote.
143.7 RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:
(1) That the Capital Investment Programme for 2013/14 as detailed in appendix 1 to the report be approved;
(2) That the estimated capital resources in future years as detailed in appendix 1 to the report be noted;
(3) That the allocation of £0.250m resources in 2013/14 for the Strategic Investment Fund for the purposes set out in paragraph 3.25 of the report be approved;
(1) That the allocation of £1.000m for the ICT fund be approved;
(2) That the allocation of £1.000m for the Asset Management Fund be approved;
(3) That the proposed use of council borrowing as set out in paragraph 3.17 of the report and appendix 3 to the report be approved. |
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Housing Revenue Account 2013/14 Joint report of the Strategic Director; Place and Director of Finance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:
1. That the budget for 2013/14 as shown in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;
2. That individual rent increases and decreases be approved in line with rent restructuring principles as determined by the Government and detailed in paragraphs 3.13 to 3.15 to the report; and
3. That the changes to fees and charges as detailed in Table 2, paragraphs 3.16 to 3.18 to the report be approved and the Strategic Director; Place be granted delegated authority to increase communal heating electricity charges following the corporate procurement of new contract prices. Minutes: 144.1 RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:
(1) That the budget for 2013/14 as shown in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;
(2) That individual rent increases and decreases be approved in line with rent restructuring principles as determined by the Government and detailed in paragraphs 3.13 to 3.15 to the report; and
(3) That the changes to fees and charges as detailed in Table 2, paragraphs 3.16 to 3.18 to the report be approved and the Strategic Director; Place be granted delegated authority to increase communal heating electricity charges following the corporate procurement of new contract prices. |
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Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2013-2016 Joint report of the Strategic Director; Place and Director of Finance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the recommended HRA capital programme budget of £26.957 million and financing for 2013/14 as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report be approved. Minutes: 145.1 RESOLVED: That the recommended HRA capital programme budget of £26.957 million and financing for 2013/14 as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report be approved. |
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Risk Management Strategy 2013 Report of the Director of Finance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the Risk Management Strategy 2013 be approved. Minutes: 146.1 RESOLVED: That the Risk Management Strategy 2013 be approved. |
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Senior Officer Structure Report of the Chief Executive (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the proposals to move to a permanent senior officer structure which builds on the progress achieved since September 2012 and ensures managerial leadership capacity and clear accountabilities be noted;
2. That the proposed changes set out in the report and the changes to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Appendix Two to the report be agreed;
3. That the Chief Executive be authorised to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the proposals set out in the report, including the power to make transitional arrangements and any minor modifications she considers necessary;
4. That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the relevant parts of the Council’s constitution to reflect the changes authorised in the report and to make any necessary consequential amendments; and
5. That the changes should come into force with effect from 1st April 2013.
Minutes: 147.1 The Chief Executive introduced the report and stated that following consultations with Members and officers she was pleased to report that the proposed senior officer structure had a great deal of support. She stated that she had been keen to build on the good work that the Director of Finance had undertaken in her capacity as Acting Chief Executive. She also noted that the proposed post of Assistant Chief Executive was to be a service head, directly managing areas as well as working closely with her to build on the culture of the organisation. She stated that the Head of Law & Monitoring Officer held a crucial role for the organisation and senior management team. She also wished to welcome the transfer across of the Public Health service and believed that the inclusion of Community Safety under the Director’s remit would be beneficial to the council and the city. She therefore hoped that the new structure could be agreed.
147.2 The Chair stated that he believed it was an important report which set out a very clear and open structure which could take the authority forward and meet the challenges that were ahead. He wished to thank the Chief Executive and officers for their work in bringing the report forward.
147.3 Councillor Mitchell welcomed the report and stated that the Labour & Co-operative Group fully supported the proposed structure and welcomed the clear lines of accountability.
147.4 Councillor Peltzer Dunn welcomed the report and the approach taken by the Chief Executive, which he believed was a good step forward and reflected the wishes of Members to have clear areas of accountability. In regard to the proposed Assistant Chief Executive post, whilst he acknowledged that it would exist in other local authorities he wondered how it would be perceived in the organisation.
147.5 The Chief Executive stated that she saw it as a service head role and was not intending on it being regarded as her Deputy, but rather the chance to offer a career opportunity internally in this instance for someone to hold a wide remit corporately. She hoped that Members would accept her view and wait to see how it developed once the structure was in place and the post filled.
147.6 Councillor Wealls queried whether it was intended to move away from the commissioning model but to retain the discipline of commissioning.
147.7 The Chief Executive stated that essentially it was intended to use the commissioning model where it was appropriate, but to recognise that it did not lend itself equally to every area of the organisation. The discipline could be used to look at service delivery and she did not want to lose the skills that had evolved in the organisation however she did not see the need for a separation of roles between commissioners and heads of service.
147.8 The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendations to the vote.
147.9 RESOLVED:
(1) That the proposals to move to a permanent senior officer structure which builds on the progress achieved since September 2012 and ensures managerial leadership capacity and clear accountabilities be noted;
(2) That the proposed changes set out in the report and the changes to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Appendix Two to the report be agreed;
(3) That the Chief Executive be authorised to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the proposals set out in the report, including the power to make transitional arrangements and any minor modifications she considers necessary;
(4) That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the relevant parts of the Council’s constitution to reflect the changes authorised in the report and to make any necessary consequential amendments; and
(5) That the changes should come into force with effect from 1st April 2013. |
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Items Referred For Council To consider items to be submitted to the [Insert Date] 2012 Council meeting for information.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 24.3a, the Committee may determine that any item is to be included in its report to Council. In addition, each Minority Group may specify one further item to be included by notifying the Chief Executive no later than 10.00am on [Insert Date] 2012 (the eighth working day before the Council meeting to which the report is to be made), or if the Committee meeting takes place after this deadline, immediately at the conclusion of the Committee meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: 148.1 No items were identified for referral to the Council meeting on the 28th February 2013. |
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PART TWO SUMMARY Additional documents: |
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Part Two Minutes - Exempt Categories 4 and 5 To consider the part two minutes of the meeting held on 24th January 2013 (circulated to Members only). Minutes: 149.1 The part two minutes of the meeting held on the 24th January 2013 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record of the proceedings, subject to the attendance record being amended to show only the Committee Members were present for the proceedings. |
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Part Two Proceedings To consider whether the item listed in Part Two of the agenda and decisions thereon should remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public. Additional documents: Minutes: 150.1 RESOLVED: That the item contained in Part Two of the agenda and the decisions thereon remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public. |