Policy And Resources Committee - 23/06/2008

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 23rd June, 2008.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 9th June, 2008 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I VALEDICTORY - JIM PETRIE

The Convener, on behalf of the Committee, intimated that Jim Petrie, Assistant Chief Executive (Management), was retiring on 30th June, 2008 and paid tribute to the services rendered by him in local government and the work he had undertaken as Assistant Chief Executive (Management).

II MINUTES

(i) SUPERANNUATION INVESTMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF 19TH MAY, 2008

(ii) AUDIT AND RISK MANAGEMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF 2ND JUNE, 2008

Councillor Morrow thanked the Audit and Risk Management Section for the services rendered by them which was very much at the forefront of the changing culture of the Council.

(iii) PERSONNEL APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE OF 9TH JUNE, 2008

The minutes of meetings of the above Sub-Committees, copies of which are appended hereto (Appendices I, II and III), were submitted for information and record purposes.

III HOUSING CAPITAL BUDGET 2008/2009, 2009/2010 AND 2010/2011 REVISION

There was submitted Report No 317-2008 by the Director of Housing relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the Housing Capital Budget for 2008/2009, 2009/2010 and 2010/2011;

(ii) approved the action as detailed in paragraph 3 of the report;

(iii) instructed the City Architectural Services Officer and City Engineer, in conjunction with the Director of Housing, to invite offers for the projects included in these Capital and Planned Maintenance estimates and authorised the Director of Housing, City Architectural Services Officer and City Engineer to implement alternative methods of procurement with contractors where these were necessary to achieve the value for money that would be required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (including partnering arrangements with contractors, where appropriate);

(iv) authorised the Director of Housing to accept offers as detailed in paragraph 4.3 of the report.

IV FAIRER SCOTLAND FUND COMMUNITY REGENERATION FORUM ALLOCATION 2008/2010

This report was withdrawn.

V HEALTH IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

There was submitted Report No 315-2008 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) advising the Committee of progress regarding the development of a new health improvement strategy.

The Committee:-

(i) supported the review of the Dundee Partnership Health and Care Strategic Theme Group;

(ii) approved a revised timescale for the development of a new health improvement strategy by the end of the year;

(iii) remitted to the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) to produce a new health improvement strategy and report to Committee by December 2008.

VI DUNDEE PARTNERSHIP SOCIAL SURVEY 2008

There was submitted Report No 329-2008 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) summarising the main findings from the Dundee Partnership Social Survey 2008.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the results contained in the report and agreed that the issues raised should inform the Single Outcome Agreement for Dundee and the Fairer Scotland Fund programme;

(ii) authorised officers to publish the report on the Dundee Partnership website and distribute copies to partner organisations and representative bodies to report on progress in achieving regeneration in the City.

VII SINGLE OUTCOME AGREEMENT

There was submitted Report No 335-2008 by the Chief Executive seeking approval for the Single Outcome Agreement for Dundee as amended following discussion between the Chief Executive and the nominated Liaison Director from the Scottish Government.

The Committee, on behalf of the Dundee Partnership, approved the Single Outcome Agreement appended to the report.

VIII SAFEGUARDERS - FEES

After considering Agenda Note AN125-2008 the Committee noted the fees detailed below which had been introduced with effect from 1st April, 2008.

Fees - Appointments by Hearing

(a) Fixed Appointment Fee - 226

Fixed Appointment Fee - second and subsequent children

113 per child (living separately from first child)

56.50 per child (living together with first child)

(b) Fixed Attendance Fee - 113

(c) Fixed Fee for Reports - Continued Hearings

113 (written report) 54.85 (oral report)

56.50 (written report) 27.43 (oral report) - second and subsequent children

Fees - Appointments by Sheriff

(a) Fixed Appointment Fee - 226

Fixed Appointment Fee - 56.50 (not entering proceedings as a party)

Fixed Appointment Fee - second and subsequent children

113 per child (living separately from first child)

56.50 per child (living together with first child)

(b) Fixed Attendance Fee 113 per day regardless of the number of children involved (entering as a party only)

(c) Fixed Fee for Continued Diets - 56.50 (entering as a party only)

IX COUNTER-FRAUD REPORT - APRIL-MARCH 2007/2008

There was submitted Report No 324-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) informing elected members of the Revenues Division's Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Counter-Fraud activity as at 31st March, 2008.

The Committee approved the terms of the report.

X UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 31ST MARCH, 2008

There was submitted Agenda Note AN128-2008 intimating that the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1985, as amended by the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1997, required that the accounts of the local authority were submitted to the authority and to the Controller of Audit by 30th June in the next financial year. It had been established practice for the Head of Finance to formally present the City Council's unaudited accounts to the Policy and Resources Committee for noting, in late June each year. This has not, however, an absolute requirement of the Regulations: simply ensuring that each elected member had access to a copy of the accounts by 30th June was sufficient to ensure compliance.

The City Council was required under statutory proper accounting practice to reflect in its Group Accounts its share of the results of the local Joint Boards and Joint Committee. This year, the accounts of the local Joint Boards and Joint Committees would be submitted to formal meetings on 30th June, 2008.

One of the Joint Boards had advised that it was unlikely that they would be in a position to pass the required information to the City Council to enable the completion of its accounts by 23rd June, 2008.

It was therefore proposed that the City Council's 2007/2008 unaudited accounts would not be presented to the Policy and Resources Committee on 23rd June, 2008. Rather, a copy of the unaudited accounts would be sent to each elected member by 30th June, 2008, thereby ensuring compliance with the Regulations. The audited accounts and External Auditor's Report to members would be submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee in December 2008.

The Committee approved accordingly.

XI FUTURE OF ST SAVIOUR'S R C SECONDARY SCHOOL

There was submitted Report No 350-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) relative to the future use of St Saviour's R C Secondary School as Council office accommodation after the school transferred to the new St Paul's R C Academy in January 2009 including the sections/departments which would be accommodated in the St Saviour's building.

The Committee approved the redevelopment of St Saviour's R C Secondary School as Council offices and that the funding of 4.94m for this project as included in the General Services Capital Plan 2008/2011 be revised to 5.17m in the next update of the approved Capital Plan in March 2009.

XII DECISION BY SHERIFF CHARLES McNAIR IN THE ACTION BY DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - RAM SWARUP BASRA

There was submitted Report No 352-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) advising members of the Committee of the decision of Sheriff Charles McNair in the action raised by Dundee City Council against Ram Swarup Basra.

It was reported that the City Council was unable to recover non-domestic rates of 21,285.32 in respect of the Town House public house as the various companies to whom the premises had been let by Mr Basra were dissolved. In addition, the City Council had incurred additional legal costs as a result of Mr Basra's actions.

Following introduction of the report, Councillor Ken Guild sought the undernoted assurances:-

(i) that the individual would be disbarred from any future application to the Licensing Board;

(ii) that the report would be circulated to neighbouring authorities; and

(iii) that licensees who behaved in a similar way would be dealt with in this manner.

The Committee noted the terms of the Sheriff's decision and agreed that a complaint be made to the Procurator Fiscal.

The Committee further noted:-

(i) that should further applications be made by Mr Basra for a licence, it would be for a meeting of the Licensing Board to determine his fitness;

(ii) that the report would be issued to neighbouring local authorities; and

(iii) that objection to the grant of licence by the Licensing Board may be submitted by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) in instances when conduct of a similar nature became known to the City Council;

XIII EMERGENCY PLANNING PROGRESS REPORT 2007/2008

There was submitted Report No 349-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) informing members of the work undertaken by the Emergency Planning Unit for the period April 2007 to March 2008.

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

XIV REPLACEMENT FOOTBALL PITCHES - BALFIELD PLAYING FIELDS

On a reference to Article III of the minute of meeting of the Education Committee of 10th March, 2008, there was submitted Report No 301-2008 by the Director of Leisure and Communities and Director of Education regarding the utilisation of St Saviour's RC Secondary School playing fields once it no longer functioned as a school and the pitches that would be lost at Balfield Playing Fields when the new Kingspark School was built.

The Committee approved the utilisation of St Saviour's RC Secondary School's playing fields for the use as community football pitches and that it be remitted to the Director of Leisure and Communities to further consult with Sport Scotland on the details of the proposals and liaise with the football league users of Balfield Playing Fields.

XV SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT WITH DUNDEE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP/TAYSIDE POLICE

There was submitted Report No 327-2008 by the Head of Community Learning and Development/Co‑Chairperson, Dundee Community Safety Partnership seeking approval of the Service Level Agreement between Dundee City Council and Tayside Police for the provision of services relating to the reduction of anti-social behaviour and provision of community safety related intelligence for the task led deployment of resources.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the Service Level Agreement appended to the report between Dundee City Council and Tayside Police from 1st April, 2008 until 31st March, 2011 for the provision of the following services:-

7                                             provision of community intelligence strategic and localised community safety reports and analysis;

7                                             police support to the DUNCAN city centre retail crime reduction initiative;

7                                             dedicated anti-social behaviour police support unit;

7                                             provision of mobile CCTV vehicle deployment;

(ii) approved a Service Level Agreement with Tayside Police subject to annual satisfactory provision of the Service Specification contained in Appendix 1 of the report.

XVI SCHEME OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - REMOVAL/RELOCATION

After considering Agenda Note AN127-2008 relative to the above, the Committee, having noted that the Council's current scheme was introduced in 1997 and the level of reimbursement (maximum of 4,000) had not been increased since then, agreed that in order to continue to attract new employees it was necessary to increase the level of reimbursement and following consultation with the Head of Finance it was proposed that it be increased to a maximum of 5,000.

The Committee approved accordingly.

XVII UPGRADE TO IBM CONTRACT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN126-2008 intimating that the Council's main central servers were provided by IBM UK on a lease basis and in order to facilitate joined-up services and eliminate the need to duplicate information on separate servers, applications and services were continually being migrated to the IBM central platform.

To continue to meet the increasing demand on this core central IT resource this central server capacity required to be upgraded. Upgrading this system would also facilitate removal of legacy server systems.

The Committee agreed to accept a quotation from IBM based on the Council's approved CATALIST procurement policy amounting to 21,009.94 per annum for six years to upgrade this service.

XVIII PRIORITY PASSENGER WAITING SHELTER INSTALLATION PROGRAMME FY2008/2009

After considering Agenda Note AN122-2008 the Committee approved the provision of sixteen new SmartBus passenger waiting shelters which would be installed during financial year 2008/2009.

Shelters would be installed at the following locations:-

Each SmartBus shelter location would feature passenger waiting shelter, seating, real time passenger information, timetable poster, illumination, barrier free access for all and CCTV capability. The total installation cost would be approximately 192,000 and this would be met from capital receipts.

Installation would be carried out by a combination of contractors through the existing partnership agreement with Tayside Contracts and by specialist suppliers where prices had been market tested in previous large scale tender exercises associated with the original SmartBus project.

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

XIX PROPOSED DEPORTATION OF JOSIE PASANE

Councillor Morrow declared an interest and was absent from the chamber during discussion of this item.

The Committee considered the undernoted and agreed to support Josie Pasane's appeal to remain in the UK.

"A 25 year old Dundee woman, Josie Pasane has been ordered to leave the country, although her mother, Catherine and sister, Mammie, have been granted indefinite leave to stay in the UK.

Josie has been in Scotland for seven years and is a graduate of Abertay University. Josie's family are well known for their involvement in the Broughty Ferry New Kirk Church. A petition organised by the Reverend Catherine Collins has generated strong support in the community."

In addition, it was agreed that a letter be sent to Mr Liam Byrne, Minister of State (Borders and Immigration), at the Home Office.

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 paragraphs 1, 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

XX REGRADING OF POST - PLANNING AND TRANSPORT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN129-2008 intimating that the Chief Executive had reviewed the duties and responsibilities of a position in the above department.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

XXI REGRADING OF POST - LEISURE AND COMMUNITIES

There was submitted Agenda Note AN130-2008 intimating that the Chief Executive had reviewed the duties and responsibilities of a position in the above department.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

XXII RELIEF OF NON-DOMESTIC RATES ON THE GROUNDS OF HARDSHIP - HARDSHIP RELIEF

There was submitted Report No 351-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

XXIII BANKING SERVICES

There was submitted Agenda Note AN131-2008 relative to the above.

The Committee approved the note and agreed that a new tender exercise be undertaken for a contract starting from 1st July, 2009.

Kevin KEENAN, Convener.

APPENDIX I