Policy And Resources Committee - 10/03/2003

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 10th March, 2003.

 

Present:-

 

COUNCILLORS

 

George de GERNIER

Allan PETRIE

C D P FARQUHAR

Helen WRIGHT

George REGAN

Fraser MACPHERSON

Betty WARD

Bruce D MACKIE

Jim BARRIE

Jill SHIMI

Roderick A J WALLACE

Julia M STURROCK

Ian BORTHWICK

Kenneth J N GUILD

Neil GLEN

Robin PRESSWOOD

Derek J SCOTT

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

Richard BEATTIE

John CORRIGAN

Fiona M GRANT

Andrew DAWSON

Dave BEATTIE

David BOWES

Joe FITZPATRICK

 

Mervyn J ROLFE

 

Councillor Julia STURROCK, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th February, 2003 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I APPLICATION FOR BETTER NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES FUNDING (BNSF) - STREET LIGHTING

 

There was submitted Report No 201-2003 by the Director of Neighbourhood Resources and Development and the Director of Corporate Planning seeking approval for the completion of the installation of white street lighting in the BNSF neighbourhoods of Kirkton and Hilltown.

 

The Committee approved the funding proposals detailed in paragraph 7 of the report.

 

II BALDOVIE INCINERATION DECOMMISSIONING PROJECT - APPOINTMENT

 

Reference was made to Article VIII of the minute of meeting of the Environmental and Consumer Protection Committee of 18th February, 2002 wherein authority was given to appoint Safedem Limited to carry out the above works.

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN138-2003 intimating that in the interim further additional works had been authorised by the Director of Environmental and Consumer Protection and the Chief Executive. These works included alterations to the existing electrical services and works required for Health and Safety purposes associated with existing Environmental and Consumer Protection Department operations and that the value of the additional works including all professional services costs amounted to 136,695 which had been funded from the Environmental and Consumer Protection Department's Capital Budget 2002/2003.

 

The Committee noted the revised overall expenditure on this project of 575,278.

 

III CORPORATE PLANNING DIVISION ? SERVICE PLAN PERFORMANCE

 

There was submitted Report No 136-2003 by the Director of Corporate Planning updating the Committee on performance achieved against the baseline and targets set in the Corporate Planning Division Service Plan.

 

The Committee noted the performance achieved against the indicators detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

 

IV LEVY ON MANUFACTURERS OF CHEWING GUM

 

There was submitted Report No 179-2003 by the Director of Corporate Planning recommending support for a levy on the manufacturers of chewing gum to meet the cost of removing this from streets and pavements.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i)noted the problems caused by chewing gum on streets and pavements, the efforts made by the Council to deal with this and the costs involved;

 

(ii)agreed to support a proposal by Aberdeen City Council that the Government should consider introducing a levy on chewing gum manufacturers, the proceeds of which should be redistributed in full to local authorities to help them deal with the problem of removing gum from streets and pavements; and

 

(iii)remitted to the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and to COSLA confirming the Council's support for Aberdeen's proposal.

 

V DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF AN INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

 

There was submitted Report No 202-2003 by the Head of Information Technology seeking approval for the development of an Information Security Management System.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i)approved the proposal for Cetis Limited to provide twenty days consultancy for the development of an Information Security Management system;

 

(ii)approved the purchase of hardware and software from Evesham Technology, which would allow the IT Division to remotely apply security patches to Council computers; and

 

(iii)approved the purchase of hardware and software from Bytes Technology Group, for San Storeage Provisioning.

 

VI IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPORTING PEOPLE ? INTERIM PROCESS 2003/2004

 

There was submitted Report No 259-2003 by the Director of Social Work, Director of Housing and Director of Finance advising the Committee of the requirement to progress the Supporting People policy and administration locally and more specifically to make recommendations on how certain aspects of the policy and administration should be implemented locally.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i)approved in principle the recommendations within this report, summarised at paragraph 6.9; and

 

(ii)instructed the Directors of Housing, Social Work and Personnel and Management Services to prepare further detailed reports setting out the personnel and resourcing implications of these recommendations.

 

VII REPLACEMENT OF CORPORATE PAYROLL AND PERSONNEL SYSTEM

 

There was submitted Report No 251-2003 by the Director of Finance and Head of Information Technology proposing the replacement of the Corporate Payroll and Personnel system operated by the City Council.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i)authorised the purchase of the integrated Payroll and Personnel "Resourcelink" package from "Northgate Information Solutions"; and

 

(ii)authorised further negotiations with Northgate to determine the best hardware platform and more detailed costings of possible implementation variations.

 

VIII USE OF COUNCIL PROPERTY BY OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS FOR SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

 

There was submitted Report No 5-2003 by the Directors of Neighbourhood Resources and Development, Education, Leisure and Arts and Social Work seeking approval to amend letting conditions in order to meet new Scottish Executive requirements with regard to the care and protection of young people.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i)to note the arrangements made by the Scottish Executive to encourage parents and young people to use youth provision from voluntary and public bodies which met approved standards for care and protection, vetting of workers and public accountability and open governance;

 

(ii)to amend letting conditions of Council property to be met by voluntary and public agencies on a rolling programme from 1st August, 2003 to 31st March, 2004 to allow individual Departments the opportunity to manage this change;

 

(iii)to encourage the display of literature within Council property advising parents of the Scottish Executive's Parent Checklist regarding quality/safe provision; and

 

(iv)to support the voluntary sector and the Central Registered Body in Scotland, to offer support and training locally for organisations to keep them registered and to access and operate disclosure vetting of volunteers.

 

The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the public be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

 

IX A92 - PFI SCHEME UPDATE

 

It was reported for information and record purposes that in view of the timescales involved the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Convener and Councillors Corrigan and Powrie, after considering Report No 181-2003, approved the increase in the annual revenue contribution payable to Angus Council.

 

X DUNDEE ICE ARENA - REVENUE FUNDING

 

After considering Report No 236-2003 by the Chief Executive regarding revenue funding to Dundee Ice Arena, the Committee approved the recommendations detailed therein.

 

 

 

 

JULIA STURROCK, Convener.