Policy And Resources Committee - 27/06/2011

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 27th June, 2011.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Bailie Willie SAWERS, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 13th June, 2011 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I COUNCIL PLAN REVIEW

There was submitted Report No 277-2011 by the Chief Executive reporting on progress with the performance indicators and key programmes included in the Council Plan 2010/2012.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the contents of the report;

(ii) instructed the Chief Executive and relevant Chief Officers to continue to seek improvements on the performance indicators and make progress on the key programmes set out in the Council Plan; and

(iii) noted that a corporate self-assessment had to be carried out using the Public Sector Improvement Framework and may result in additional key programmes being recommended at the next half-yearly review.

II COUNCIL TAX SINGLE PERSON DISCOUNT REVIEW

Councillor Macpherson declared a financial interest in this item by virtue of having dealings with CAPITA in a professional capacity through his employment, and left the Chamber prior to the consideration of this item, and re-entered the Chamber at the conclusion of the discussion.

There was submitted Report No 255-2011 by the Director of Finance relative to the Council Tax Single Person Discount.

The Committee approved a proposed pilot to undertake the review of Single Person Discount awards using data matching rather than the current method of a postal review.

III OPERATING MODEL RE-DESIGN - REVIEW OF HEALTH AND SAFETY FUNCTION

There was submitted Report No 297-2011 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) providing the findings of an investigation into the current operating arrangements for health and safety.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) that a new centralised operating model, as outlined in Option B, be implemented by 1st July, 2011;

(ii) that one Health and Safety Officer post be deleted; and

(iii) that a standard job description and person specification be drawn up for Health and Safety Officers and an agreement made on the level of professional qualification required.

IV OPERATING MODEL RE-DESIGN - POSTAL SERVICES

There was submitted Report No 296-2011 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) explaining the Procurement Scotland Postal Services National Framework and seeking approval for the adoption of the framework across all departments of the Council.

Councillor Sawers, seconded by Councillor Duncan, moved:-

(i) that the National Framework Agreement for Postal Services be accessed by all departments of the Council, making TNT Post the Council's "Down Stream Access Provider" for second class mail from 1st July, 2011;

(ii) that Procurement Scotland's Good Practice Guide "Postal Services for the Scottish Public Sector" (February 2010) be adopted as Council policy to ensure staff select the most cost effective methods of sending outgoing mail; and

(iii) the use of franking machines be phased out, as far as possible.

As an amendment, Councillor Keenan, seconded by Councillor McCready, moved that the Committee do not approve the report.

On a division, there voted for the motion - Councillors Barrie, Black, Bowes, Will Dawson, Duncan, Fordyce, Hunter, Lynn, Melville, Roberts, Ross, Guild, Hay, Sawers, Wallace, Scott and Lord Provost Letford (17); and for the amendment - Councillors Keenan, Asif, Bidwell, Ferguson, Gordon, McCready, Macpherson, Dick, Regan, Wright and Depute Lord Provost Borthwick (11) - whereupon the motion was declared carried.

V INTEGRATION OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

There was submitted Report No 302-2011 by the Director of Contract Services regarding the implementation of a corporate approach to fleet management.

The Committee:-

(i) agreed to establish a corporate fleet management function;

(ii) agreed to adopt a fleet hire function; and

(iii) approved a three phased implementation strategy as set out within the report.

VI IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK STYLE CHANGE WITHIN DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL

There was submitted Report No 298-2011 by the Director of Social Work relative to the implementation of work style change in Dundee City Council.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) that there be no more than eight workstations for every ten staff based in Dundee House, it being recognised that in some cases less than eight workstations to ten staff was achievable and should be worked towards. These guidelines should be applied to all Council premises;

(ii) that Departments and the Leisure and Culture Charitable Incorporated Organisation nominate a Management Team member to be a "work style change officer";

(iii) that Departments complete work style change action plans within six months and that these be presented to the Strategic Management Team for prioritisation;

(iv) that the current Implementation Project Team, via its departmental representatives, monitor departments progress (eg change plans, milestones and Strategic Management Team updates);

(v) that the Director of Finance make provision of 100,000 per annum in the Chief Executive's capital budget for 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, to cover the cost of rolling out telephony and other technology to support future work style change; and

(vi) that the "agile working - change management" Elearning package (commissioned by the Improvement Service) be purchased at an estimated cost of 3,000.

VII ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE - REDEPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES FOR FILLING VACANCIES

After considering Report No 306-2011 by the Head of Personnel relative to the above, the Committee approved the proposed redeployment policies and the principles for filling vacancies appended to the report.

VIII CORPORATE PLANNING - DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE PLAN REVIEW

There was submitted Report No 329-2011 by the Chief Executive reviewing the performance of the Corporate Planning Department in relation to its Service Plan 2010/2012.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the contents of the Corporate Planning Department Service Plan Review and instructed the Chief Executive to continue to seek improvement on the level of performance; and

(ii) approved the new actions identified in the review to be included in the Department's Service Plan.

IX LOCAL CODE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

There was submitted Report No 190-2011 by the Chief Executive to review and update the Council's Local Code of Corporate Governance.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the review and updated Local Code of Corporate Governance, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(ii) approved the implementation of the improvements listed in Appendix 2 of the report;

(iii) noted the scores recorded against the guidelines in Appendix 3 of the report; and

(iv) agreed that the code would be updated as a project on the internet.

X CORPORATE REVIEW OF CHARGES

There was submitted Report No 334-2011 by the Director of Finance, seeking Committee's approval to change the manner in which charges for certain City Council facilities were organised by establishing a series of co-ordinated corporate charges.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the proposed introduction of co-ordinated corporate charges and the associated changes to the City Council's charges;

(ii) approved the associated Policy of Use and that paragraph 4.5.1 of the Policy be amended to read "all Community Council meetings, Neighbourhood Representative Structure meetings and Community Planning Partnership meetings will be provided free of charge"; and

(iii) agreed to refer the report to the Leisure and Culture Dundee Board, once established, for their interest.

XI RESHAPING CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE - CHANGE FUND

There was submitted Report No 237-2011 by the Director of Social Work advising the Committee of the progress which had been made by the Dundee Partnership in accessing the Change Fund which had been introduced by the Scottish Government to support the implementation of the Reshaping Care for Older People Programme.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the contents of change fund submission;

(ii) endorsed the development of a more detailed project plan to advance the proposals contained within the change fund submission; and

(iii) approved the governance arrangements outlined in paragraph 4.6 of the report.

XII CORPORATE RISK REGISTER

There was submitted Report No 285-2011 by the Director of Finance providing the Committee with the Council's Corporate Risk Register which had been updated in line with the current Council Plan.

The Committee approved the Risk Register and the risk control actions contained therein.

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 6, 8, 9 and 12 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

XIII DUNDEE ENERGY RECYCLING LTD (DERL) - BALDOVIE WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT

There was submitted Report No 333-2011 by the Director of Finance relative to the above. The Committee approved the recommendations detailed therein.

XIV DUNDEE ICE ARENA

Councillors Duncan, Ross, McCready and Bailie Scott declared non-financial interests in this item by virtue of being Council representatives on the Dundee Ice Arena Board.

On a reference to Article XIII of the minute of meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee of 13th December, 2010 and Article VIII of the minute of meeting of the Leisure, Arts and Communities Committee of 25th April, 2011, there was submitted Agenda Note AN110-2011 relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

The Committee 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.

XV DUNDEE HOUSE - MONITOR ARMS

On a reference to Article XVII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 13th June, 2011, the Committee agreed to accept the recommendation detailed in the report.

Willie SAWERS, Convener.