Policy And Resources Committee - 12/09/2005

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 12th September 2005.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Jill SHIMI, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 15th August, 2005 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I PERFORMANCE REPORT 2005

There was submitted Report No 445-2005 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) advising the Committee on the publication of the Council's Performance Report 2005.

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

II STATUTORY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 2004/2005

There was submitted Report No 538-2005 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) advising the Committee of the publication of the Council's Statutory Performance Indicators for 2004/2005.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the Council's performance for 2004/2005;

(ii) noted that in future, statutory performance indicators would be reported to Committee twice per annum, firstly in September comparing this authority's current to past performances and, secondly, in the following March comparing this authority's current performance to that of the other local authorities in Scotland when the required data was published by Audit Scotland.

III TENDER FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

There was submitted Report No 562-2005 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) advising members of the outcome of a tendering exercise for the City Council's Mobile Communications Service.

The Committee agreed that T-Mobile be awarded the contract to provide the City Council with Mobile Telecommunications Services for a two year period commencing on 19th September 2005 at an estimated cost for the two year period of 315,364.

IV COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION 2005/2006

There was submitted Report No 534-2005 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and the Head of Communities relative to the above.

The Committee noted the process for allocating small grants through the Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals contained in Section 8 of the report.

V COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES 2005/2006

There was submitted Report No 535-2005 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and the Head of Communities detailing funding available to the Dundee Partnership for 2005/08.

The Committee noted the process for allocating funding through Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals contained in Section 8 of the report.

VI DISCOVERY CARD PROJECT - ABERTAY MATRICULATION

Councillor Grant declared a non-financial interest in this item by virtue of being an employee of the University of Abertay.

There was submitted Report No 554-2005 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) relative to the above.

The Committee approved the Service Level Agreement between Dundee Discovery Card and the University of Abertay.

VII CIVIL PARTNERSHIP ACT 2004

The Committee acceded to requests for two deputations to be heard against the proposed Civic Partnership Ceremonies. After the deputations had stated their case they were thanked for their attendance and withdrew.

There was submitted Agenda Note AN369-2005 intimating that the purpose of the Civil Partnership Act was to enable same sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship by forming a Civil Partnership which they may do by registering as civil partners of each other provided:-

they are of the same sex;

they are not related in a forbidden degree;

both have attained the age of 16;

neither is married or already in civil partnership; or

neither is incapable of understanding the nature of civil partnership.

It was recommended that in Dundee the actual registration process should, if requested, take the forms of a Civil Partnership Ceremony, much in the same manner as a Civil Wedding.

Councillor Shimi, seconded by Councillor Grant, moved approval of the foregoing recommendation.

As an amendment, Councillor Webster, seconded by Councillor Scott, moved that the Council comply with the legal requirements set out in the Act but no ceremonies be arranged.

On a division, there voted for the motion - Lord Provost Letford, Bailies Farquhar, Wright, Corrigan and Powrie, Councillors Shimi, Keenan, Regan, Sturrock, Grant, Morrow, Macpherson, Dick, Don, Duncan, Beattie, Andrew Dawson, Sawers, Fitzpatrick, Roberts, Barrie, Will Dawson and Wallace (23); and for the amendment - Bailies Mackie and Borthwick and Councillors Webster and Scott (4) - whereupon the motion was declared carried.

VIII WIDENING ACCESS TO COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP

There was submitted Report No 517-2005 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the recommendations of the Widening Access to Council Membership Progress Group which were aimed at local authorities;

(ii) approved the draft response to each of the recommendations in Appendix One to the report; and

(iii) remitted to the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning), in conjunction with the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), the Director of Education and the Head of Communities, to implement the actions suggested in the recommended response.

IX SUPPLY OF IT EQUIPMENT - GCAT

There was submitted Report No 533-2005 by the Head of Information Technology reporting IT equipment purchased under the GCAT Government Procurement Scheme.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the IT purchases amounting to 132,675 detailed in Appendix 1 for the period 26th May 2005 to 22nd August 2005; and

(ii) approved ongoing engineering maintenance costs of 9,832 per annum.

X REPLACEMENT OF TAYSIDE HOUSE WITH NEW CITY CENTRE OFFICE ACCOMMODATION

On a reference to Article X of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 8th September, 2003 there was submitted Report No 565-2005 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) providing elected members with an appraisal of the Council's long term requirement with new City Centre office accommodation for the replacement of Tayside House.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) confirm its previous agreement to relocate from Tayside House to new office accommodation at North Lindsay Street;

(ii) authorise the Director of Economic Development to negotiate the purchase of the premises, comprising 26 to 36 North Lindsay Street either by agreement or, failing that, to bring forward a report to promote the acquisition of the property by compulsory purchase;

(iii) request Tayside Police to vacate their premises in the Podium Block at a date to be jointly agreed between Tayside Police and the Council;

(iv) a Project Board being established and that representation on the Board be three members of the Administration, two members of the SNP Group and one member of the Conservative Group, together with the Chief Executive (Chair), Depute Chief Executive (Finance) and the City Architectural Services Officer;

(v) an advert being placed by the Project Board in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) inviting tenders for a design team (including Project Manager) to take forward the construction of the new Council offices;

(vi) a further report being submitted to the Committee for information advising it of the design proposals and technical costs appraisal obtained by the Project Board;

(vii) the Project Board, once the Project Board had appointed the Design Team, being authorised to take forward the development of the new council offices to the point where tenders had been invited for the construction contract and the Project Board being able to recommend the design and actual contractor;

(viii) the new offices being funded as outlined in this report, with the final funding, including its phasing to be agreed when the design and proposed contractor for the construction contract were reported to the Committee;

(ix) the timetable detailed in Appendix G;

(x) instruct the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) to continue consultation with the Trade Unions on the issues of home-working and hot-desking; and

(xi) Paragraph 3.1 being amended to read 22.894M instead of 19.084M.

XI DUNDEE SCIENCE CENTRE/SENSATION - ACCESS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

After considering Agenda Note AN370-2005, the Committee approved the provision of 25,000 from the General Contingency Fund to meet the cost of providing the transport and entrance to Sensation Science Centre for up to 4,000 Dundee primary pupils

XII TACKLING KNIFE CRIME - A CONSULTATION

There was submitted Report No 559-2005 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the proposals for the introduction of a Licensing Scheme for the sale of non-domestic knives and controls upon the sale of swords contained in the Consultation Paper; and

(ii) remitted to the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) to reply to the Consultation Paper on behalf of the Council in the terms set out in Paragraphs 6.1 to 6.5 of the report.

XIII INTEGRATED CHILDREN'S SERVICES

There was submitted Agenda Note AN371-2005 intimating that a "Development Event" building on the foundations laid down within the Chief Executive's Action Plan for Children's Services was to take place on 8th November 2005 from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm in the Committee Rooms at 14 City Square.

The Committee authorised the attendance of the Leader of the Council, Conveners and Shadow Conveners of Social Work, Education and Communities, along with a representative from the Liberal and Conservative Groups.

JILL SHIMI, Convener.