Policy And Resources Committee - 28/01/2008

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 28th January, 2008.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 14th January, 2008 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I PROGRESS BRIEFING ON THE REDUCTION OF ON-STREET PROSTITUTION

There was submitted Report No 30-2008 by A D Boffey, Co-Chairperson, Dundee Community Safety Partnership and the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), updating the Committee on the progress and planning for initiatives to reduce the frequency of on-street prostitution in Dundee.

The Committee:-

(i) welcomed the award of external funding from the Scottish Government of 200,000 to support this initiative;

(ii) noted the progress of the inter-agency group and approved the actions outlined in the draft Action Plan appended to the report;

(iii) agreed that Press Briefings where required, be jointly approved by Press Officers of Dundee City Council and Tayside Police.

II LOCAL HOUSING ALLOWANCE VULNERABILITY POLICY

Councillor Guild declared a financial interest in this item by virtue of being the joint owner of flats to let.

On a reference to Article XV of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 10th December, 2007 there was submitted Report No 44-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance), informing the Committee of the policy to be adhered to by the Revenues Division in dealing with vulnerable tenants and the payment of Housing Benefit under the Local Housing Allowance.

The Committee approved the policy appended to the report.

The Convener agreed that the undernoted item be considered as a matter of urgency in terms of Standing Order No 17(b) in view of the timescales involved.

III LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE SETTLEMENT 2008/2011 AND REVENUE BUDGET/COUNCIL TAX SETTING PROCEDURE

There was submitted Report No 92-2008 by the Head of Finance advising members of the recent announcements made by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in respect of the revised Local Government Finance Settlement for the three year period 2008/2011.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the Council's Revenue Funding Allocation for the three year period 2008/2011, as recently announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth;

(ii) noted the current position on the Revenue Budget for the three year period 2008/2011;

(iii) approved the procedures to be followed for setting the 2008/2009 Revenue Budget and Council Tax level, as set out in Section 8 and Appendix A of the report.

IV COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION 2007/2008

There was submitted Report No 63-2008 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and Director of Leisure and 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 detailed below:-

V TENDERS RECEIVED - DEMOLITION AT NORTH LINDSAY STREET - DUNDEE HOUSE

On a reference to Article V of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 11th December, 2006, there was submitted Report No 84-2008 by the City Architectural Services Officer detailing offers received for the above works.

The Committee agreed to accept the lowest offer received being that from Safedem Ltd, Dundee amounting to 444,444, together with the undernoted allowances:-

making a total expenditure of 642,177.

VI EURO-ARAB CITIES FORUM

This item was withdrawn.

The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the press and 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 paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

VII WHITFIELD REGENERATION

Reference was made to Article I of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 26th November, 2007, wherein the Committee approved a number of recommendations including remitting to the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) to submit a report to this Committee to establish a temporary seconded post to project manage the regeneration of Whitfield.

There was submitted Agenda Note AN18-2008 intimating that the Council's Housing Strategy Manager had expressed an interest in being seconded to this post, and having considered the employee's abilities and experience, it was considered that he was evidently a suitable candidate and accordingly, it was recommended he be seconded to the post of Project Manager - Whitfield Regeneration on his current grade and conditions of service until 31st March, 2010.

In addition, the employee also indicated that when his secondment ended, he would be interested in taking early retirement were the option open to him. In the circumstances, the Chief Executive and the Director of Housing were of the view that this should be granted, and the Committee were therefore asked to resolve that ER02/08, Housing Strategy Manager within the Housing Department be retired with effect from 31st March, 2010 in the interests of the efficiency of the service and that the retiral be in accordance with the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations.

The Committee approved the proposals and remitted to the Director of Housing to proceed to fill the post of Housing Strategy Manager on a permanent basis.

VIII HOUSING DEPARTMENT - EARLY RETIREMENT

The Committee resolved that ER01/08 within the Housing Department be retired with effect from 31st January, 2008 in the interests of the efficiency of the service, and that the retiral be in accordance with the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1998. The employee would also receive enhanced benefits in accordance with the Local Government (Discretionary Payments and Injury Benefits) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 (as amended).

Kevin KEENAN, Convener.