Venue: Council Chamber, Kilmory, Lochgilphead
Contact: Hazel MacInnes Tel: 01546 604269
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Councillor Anne Horn presented Petitions to the Council on behalf of Bowmore Primary School and Port Charlotte Primary School in relation to Service Choices. These Petitions were accepted by the Provost and it was confirmed that they would be passed to the appropriate department. |
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Minutes: Apologies of Absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Iain Angus MacDonald, Robert E MacIntyre and Iain Stewart MacLean; and on behalf of William Crossan, Church Representative. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS Minutes: There were none intimated. |
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Argyll and Bute Council held on 21 January 2016 Minutes: The Minutes of Argyll and Bute Council held on 21 January 2016 were approved as a correct record subject to the first sentence of the Amendment under item 17 of the Minutes (Council Bird Control Policy) should be amended to read “The Council agree to provide both an Advisory and a limited enhanced service in respect of bird control.”. |
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Additional documents:
Minutes: The Council considered the Revenue Budget and Capital Budget papers as contained within the budgeting pack; considered such other appropriate resolutions in relation to these papers and fixed the Council Tax for the year to 31 March 2017 which had been referred without recommendation by the Policy and Resources Committee held on 11 February 2015. There was tabled an amended page 270 of the Revenue Budget Pack which was referred to by the Head of Strategic Finance in her presentation of the Budgeting Packs. The Leader of the Council proposed the following which was unanimously agreed by the Council – “Provost. I move that as is the Council’s normal approach to setting the budget that all budget proposals to be put to this meeting should clearly detail how they will be funded and that any amendment to the budget proposals I am about to propose should clearly detail how such changes would be funded ”. Motion The Council: 1.
Notes
the Revenue Budget Monitoring position as at 31st December 2015; 2.
Notes
the findings of the Planning our Future consultation which have been taken into
account in the preparation of the budget proposals; 3.
Notes
that Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) have been carried out and notes the
subsequent detail in the report on Assessing Equality Impact; 4.
Notes
the Financial Risk Analysis as set down in the Revenue Budget Pack; 5.
Notes
the funding gap of £10.052m within the Revenue Budget estimates; 6.
Approves
the Revenue Budget estimates for 2016/17 as set out in the Revenue Budget
Overview report, subject to the following: Further savings ·
Reduce
elected members cost centre £150,000 ·
20%
savings in staff travel budgets across all council services £235,000 ·
10%
saving in staff overtime across all council services £158,000 ·
Increase
vacancy savings target £310,000 ·
Increase
council tax base £200,000 ·
Remove
additional monies previously allocated for Unitary charge for 2016/17 £500,000 ·
1%
pay inflation saving as a result of savings options
£26,000 ·
Management
savings, with Chief Executive to bring forward a report to members on
proposals for implementation £95,000 Total £1.674m 7.
Notes
that management/operational savings of £1.044m will be taken forward as part of
normal business; 8.
Notes
the revised funding gap of £7.334m as a result of the above adjustments; 9.
Approves
the following and further policy options to balance the budget; ·
Adjustment
to social work budget ( saving ) £990,000 ·
Social
work cost pressures arising since 2015/16 being met by IJB £551,000 ·
Additional
3% to the Council’s income-generating fees and charges to total 6% each
year, apart from the general increase exceptions
outlined in the Revenue Budget Overview report. £610,000 10.
Rejects the following savings options totaling
£1.402m: 1.
EDUC05g
Reduce subsidy payments to community swimming pools 2.
EDUC07a
Reduce primary school classroom assistants by 20% 3.
EDUC07d
Reduce primary school janitor costs by 20% 4.
EDUC07k
Stop lunch payments for primary school supervision staff 5.
EDUC08a
Reduce secondary school classroom assistants by 20% 6.
EDUC08c
Reduce secondary school janitor costs by 20% 7.
EDUC08g
Reduce school technician costs by 20% 8.
EDUC08k
Stop lunch payments for secondary school supervision staff 9.
CC02a
Reduce Adult Learning/Literacies service availability 10.
CSS02k
End discretionary non-domestic rates relief for charities 11.
FS03m
Remove out of hours property emergency line cover 12.
FS04G
Remove discretionary Community Transport Grant funding 13.
PRS04g
Reduce debt counselling service to focus on complex
cases 14.
RAMS01c
Removal of hanging baskets 15.
RAMS01d
Close 43 public conveniences across Argyll and Bute 16.
RAMS01f
Replace annual bedding display with grass areas 17.
RAMS01k
Reduce Environmental Warden Team 18.
RAMS01o
Additional Roads and Amenity Service staff reduction 19.
RAMS02a
Reduce coastal and flooding work budgets 20.
RAMS02b
Reduce bridge assessment budget 21.
RAMS03c
Reduce budget for road works/bridge repairs 22.
RAMS05d
Removal of food waste collection, Helensburgh area 23.
SF01F
Further review of Strategic Finance team ·
Value
of options rejected - £1.402mm (68FTE jobs secured) 11.
Accepts in part or in full the savings options
totalling £5.186m (82FTE) as follows, rejecting
£0.809m (34FTE) through reduced levels of savings: 1.
SF01a
Review of staffing structure within Strategic Finance 2.
CC02b
Adult Literacies and Learning – reduce spend in areas
based on needs assessment 3.
CC03a
Reduce cost of combined community development and community planning teams 4.
CC03b
Provide reduced amount of third sector grant funding – full saving in first
year, with 10% in 17/18 and 10% in 18/19 5.
CC03c
Introduce consistent management arrangements for four community centres 6.
CC05/1,
CC05a, CC10a, CC11a, CC11a/1 Create a charitable leisure trust to bring
together council owned community halls, libraries, swimming pools and fitness
facilities 7.
CC06a
Provide reduced level of funding support for events and festivals 8.
CC06b
Offer Campbeltown Museum for community ownership 9.
CC006c
Provide reduced level of funding for arts development 10.
CC08a
Provide reduced level of funding to energy and mediation advice services where
other opportunities are available and where there is less demand for service 11.
CC08b
Align funding for rent deposit scheme to current demand 12.
CC08c
Reduce budget for housing IT, strategy development and staff training following
major work done in 2014/15 13.
CC08d
Reduce staffing costs re promotion of housing information/capacity for
partnership work 14.
CC08e
Save council funds by transferring strategic staff costs to Strategic Housing
Fund 15.
CC10b
Reduce library management costs 16.
CC10c
Saving of £50,000 on mobile library service 17.
CC12A
Provide reduced level of funding for domestic abuse outreach support 18.
CC12b
Provide reduced level of funding for tenancy support contracts 19.
EDUC01a
Align disability access budget (for adaptations in education centres) with current demand following previous underspend 20.
EDUC01b
Review Service Level Agreement for home and hospital tuition in line with
previous demand 21.
EDUC01c
Reduce education Quality Improvement Team materials budget 22.
EDUC01d
Align specialist equipment budget with demand following previous underspend 23.
EDUC01e
Reprioritise repairs and maintenance budget for
Education HQ 24.
EDUC01h
Manage cover for ASN assistants from within current devolved budget at
individual schools 25. EDUC01i Deliver ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY STATEMENT AND ANNUAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY PDF 788 KB Report by Head of Strategic Finance Minutes: The Council considered the proposed Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy, a requirement of the Treasury Management in the public services Code of Practice issued by CIPFA, which set out the Council’s strategy for borrowing and investment for the forthcoming year along with the Council’s prudential indicators which require to be set for a three year period. Decision The Council – 1. Approved the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy subject to review by the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee in February. 2. Approved the removal of Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Qatar from the list of approved countries for investment. (Reference: Report by Head of Strategic Finance dated 3 February 2016, submitted) |
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POLITICAL MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS PDF 70 KB Report by Executive Director – Customer Services Additional documents: Minutes: The Council considered a report updating Members on vacancies which had arisen on the Councils Committees and other outside bodies/organisations. Decision The Council: a) Noted the material change in circumstances in relation to the council’s representation on the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) and, in light of this change and in accordance with Standing Orders, appointed Councillor Maurice Corry to the IJB with immediate effect to avoid any gap in representation; b) Nominated Councillor Maurice Corry as the council-appointed Chair of the IJB; c) Noted the vacancies arising on the Audit Committee and Performance, Review and Scrutiny Committee following Councillor Maurice Corry’s resignation; d) Appointed Councillor Robert E MacIntyre to the Performance, Review and Scrutiny Committee; e) Deferred consideration of the Audit Committee vacancy until after the Oban North and Lorn by-election on Thursday 18th February; f) Noted the resignation of Councillor Douglas Philand as the council’s substantive representative on the Stramash Board; g) Appointed Councillor John McAlpine as the council’s substantive representative on the Stramash Board; h) Noted the resignation of Councillor George Freeman from the council’s Administration and his resignation from the role of Vice Chair of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee; i) Appointed Councillor Robert G MacIntyre to the role of Vice Chair of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee; j) Noted the resignation of Councillor Douglas Philand from the council’s Community Services Committee and appointed Councillor Iain Angus MacDonald to the arising vacancy; k) Noted the resignation of Councillor Donald Kelly from the council’s Policy and Resources Committee and appointed Councillor Neil MacIntyre to the arising vacancy. (Reference: Report by Executive Director – Customer Services dated 1 February 2016, submitted; and Notice of Motion by Councillor Dick Walsh, seconded by Councillor Ellen Morton, tabled) |
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APPOINTMENT OF RECRUITMENT PANEL: POST OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE PDF 47 KB Report by Chief Executive Additional documents: Minutes: The Council considered a report advising of a tender of resignation from the Chief Executive of the Council, Sally Loudon, with effect from 8 May 2016. The report invited the Council to establish an appointments Panel of 7 Members to appoint to the post of Chief Executive. Motion The Council: 1. Establishes an Appointments Panel to appoint to the post of Chief Executive; 2. Agrees that the Appointments Panel will consist of seven members – five from the Administration and two from the main Opposition, with appropriate substitutes; 3. Appoints Councillors Dick Walsh, Ellen Morton, Aileen Morton, Roddy McCuish and Gary Mulvaney as the five Administration members; 4. Appoints Councillors Mary-Jean Devon, Rory Colville, Alex McNaughton and Maurice Corry as the Administration substitute members; 5. Invites the Leader of the council’s main Opposition group to notify two Panel members and appropriate substitutes; 6. Notes that, as an operational matter, arrangements will be made as necessary to ensure continuity of service delivery. Moved Councillor Dick Walsh, seconded Councillor Ellen Morton. Amendment That the Council agree not to replace the post of Chief Executive and consider appointing the three current Directors to carry out the duties of the Chief Executive on a four month rotational basis. Moved Councillor Donald Kelly, seconded Councillor Douglas Philand Decision Following a show of hands vote the Motion was carried by 21 votes to 3 and the Council resolved accordingly. (Reference: Report by Chief Executive dated 4 February 2016, submitted; notice of Motion by Councillor Dick Walsh, seconded by Councillor Ellen Morton, tabled; and Amendment by Councillor Donald Kelly, seconded by Councillor Douglas Philand, tabled) |