Committees
A meeting of the Resources Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 15 February 2012 at 10.30 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.
Yours faithfully
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
Business
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
3. Central Services Revenue Budget Monitoring
(a) Chief Executive’s Service and Members Revenue Expenditure
Monitoring to 31 December, 2011
There is circulated Report No. RES-1-12 (69kb pdf) dated 8 February, 2012 by the Chief Executive which provides information on the revenue monitoring position for the Chief Executive’s Service for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011.
Members are invited to note the revenue monitoring report for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011and approve the actions being taken to manage pressures and achieve a balanced budget by the end of the financial year.
(b) Finance Service Revenue Monitoring 2011/12
There is circulated Report No. RES-2-12 (34kb pdf) dated 31 January, 2012 by the Director of Finance which provides information on the revenue monitoring position for the Finance Service for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011.
The Committee is asked to consider and approve the Finance Service Revenue Monitoring Report for the period to 31 December 2011.
4. Property Revenue Maintenance Budget 2011/12 Monitoring Statement to 16 January 2012
There is circulated Report No. RES-3-12 (27kb pdf) dated 6 February, 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property Services which sets out the current position with regard to the component parts of the 2011/12 Property Revenue Maintenance Budget for the period 1 April 2011 to 16 January 2012.
The Committee is asked to note the current position with regard to progress with the 2011/12 Property Revenue Maintenance Budget.
5. Property Revenue Maintenance Budget 2012/13 – Proposed
Budget Allocation
There is circulated Report No. RES-4-12 (101kb pdf) dated 6 February, 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which sets out proposals for the allocation of the 2012/13 Property Revenue Maintenance Budget using the same basis as has been adopted in previous financial years.
Members are asked to approve the proposed work categories, budget allocations and project proposals for the 2012/13 Property Revenue Maintenance Budget, subject to the final budget figure being set by the Highland Council.
6. Corporate Revenue Monitoring
(a) Monitoring Statement to 31 December, 2011
There is circulated Report No. RES-5-12 (65kb pdf) dated 31 January, 2012 by the Director of Finance which presents the revenue budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011 and the projected year end position and seeks approval for the use of Spend to Save earmarked funds.
The Committee is invited to agree:
i. the Revenue Expenditure Monitoring Statement for the financial year
2011/12, which shows a predicted net underspend of £2.344m; and
ii. to approve the use of the Spend to Save fund for £0.070m for Chip and Pin
technology in the Finance Service.
(b) Request for Supplementary Estimate
There is circulated joint Report No. RES-6-12 (25kb pdf) dated 1 February, 2012 by the Director of Finance and Director of Planning and Development which asks Members to consider a request from the Planning and Development Service for a supplementary estimate in 2011/12 of £0.577m.
Members are asked to approve a supplementary estimate of £0.577m to the Planning and Development Service.
7. Chief Executive’s Service: Capital Budget Monitoring Report to 31
December 2011
There is circulated Report No. RES-7-12 (47kb pdf) dated 7 February, 2011 by the Chief Executive which sets out the monitoring position for the Chief Executive’s Service capital budget for the period to 31 December 2011.
The Committee is asked to note the position of the Chief Executive’s Service Capital budget for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011.
8. Property Capital Budget 2011/12 - Programme Monitoring to 31
December 2011
There is circulated Report No RES-8-12 (57kb pdf) dated 6 February 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which provides the current position with regard to the component parts of the 2011/12 Property Capital Programme for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011. It also updates Members on progress with achieving additional approved capital spend within the current financial year, including accelerated capital projects and the emergency spend on Dingwall Leisure Centre Re-Roofing Project approved by Committee on 8 June 2011.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the current position with regard to progress with the original 2011/12
Property Capital programme and approved accelerated projects; and
ii. note the financial implications of essential emergency expenditure on the
Dingwall Leisure Centre Re-Roofing Project.
9. Corporate Capital Monitoring Report to 31 December, 2011
There is circulated Report No. RES-9-12 (79kb pdf) dated 30 January 2012 by the Director of Finance which provides an overview of the General Fund and HRA capital programmes for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011 and the projected year end position.
The Committee is asked to note and agree the financial position of the General Fund and HRA capital programmes as at 31 December 2011.
10. Treasury Management: Summary of Transactions
There is circulated Report No. RES-10-12 (43kb pdf) dated 31 January 2012 by the Director of Finance which provides details of the Treasury Management transactions for the period November and December 2011.
The Committee is invited to note the terms of the report.
11. Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Investment Statement – 2012/13
There is circulated Report No. RES-11-12 (350kb pdf) by the Director of Finance relating to a requirement of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Code of Practice on Treasury Management in Local Authorities for an annual Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Investment Statement to be approved by Council for the forthcoming financial year.
Members are invited to scrutinise for their interests the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Investment Statement for 2012/13 and the Prudential Indicators as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.
Members are asked to note that, in compliance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Code of Practice on Treasury Management in Local Authorities, the attached Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Investment Statement for 2012/13 will be submitted to the Council for approval in March, 2012.
12. ICT Transformation Programme Status
There is circulated Report No. RES-12-12 (225kb pdf) dated 6 February, 2012 by the Assistant Chief Executive which provides an update about the progress of the ICT Transformation Programme and Fujitsu’s work addressing their areas of noncompliance through the Correction plan.
Members are asked to note:
i. the content of the report;
ii. the weekly progress reports to Members on the ICT Transformation
Programme will continue;
iii. the change of completion date for the Rollout Project to March, 2012; and
iv. that strong contract management and governance arrangements continue
to be applied and pursued by the Council.
13. Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 – Summary of thresholds from 1 January 2012 (net of VAT)
Members are invited to note that the European Commission reviews the financial thresholds at which tendering of requirements covered by the Consolidated Procurement Directive (listed in the current set of Council Orders Relating to Contracts) is required through the Official Journal of the European Union every two years. This review has now been completed and the thresholds applicable, implemented in Scotland under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006, are set out below.
Supplies Services Works
Contract Notices £173,934 £173,934 £4,348,350³
€200,000 €200,000 €5,000,000
Prior Information £652,253 £652,253 £4,348,350
Notices €750,000 €750,000 €5,000,000
14. Sustainable Procurement Update
There is circulated Report No. RES-13-12 (65kb pdf) dated 22 December 2011 by the Director of Finance which follows on from the implementation of the Council’s Sustainable Procurement Action Plan in February 2010. It shows progress against the Scottish Government’s Flexible Framework and sets out actions being taken to deliver sustainability objectives in all significant procurement projects.
Members are asked to:
i. support the actions outlined in the report; and
ii. note the forthcoming consultation exercise on the Sustainable Procurement
Bill and agree to participate where appropriate.
15. Corporate policy and guidance on preventing violence at work
There is circulated Report No. RES-14-12 (202kb pdf) by the Assistant Chief Executive which presents a revised policy and guidance on preventing violence at work and introduces a new system for placing warning markers on perpetrators of violent or aggressive incidents against Highland Council staff.
Members are asked to agree to the policy and guidance for preventing violence and aggression in the workplace including the introduction of the violent warning marker scheme.
16. Cost Implications of Health and Safety Improvement Notice – The
Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007
There is circulated Report No. RES-15-12 (32kb pdf) by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which provides an update on the cost implications for achieving compliance with the Improvement Notice served on The Highland Council on 22 June, 2011 by the Health and Safety Executive regarding non-compliance with The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007.
Members are asked to
i. note progress to date in developing arrangements, as well as the preferred
option, for ensuring compliance with the HSE Improvement Notice by 28
July 2012;
ii. note the anticipated costs for the scanning, management and hosting of
currently held Health and Safety files, with the 2012/13 allocation being
subject to a budget pressure bid;
iii. subject to approval of the budget pressure bid by the full Council, approve
the creation of a dedicated CDM-C post within Housing and Property Service
for the purposes of managing Health and Safety information on an on-going
basis and further developing associated IT systems; and
iv. agree that a future report be brought to Committee outlining long term
proposals for holding Health and Safety information internally, as well as any
cost savings associated with that approach.
17. Freedom of Information Assessment and Action Plan
There is circulated Report No. RES-16-12 (1206kb pdf) dated 1 February 2012 by the Chief Executive on an assessment of the Council’s handling of information requests in relation to compliance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002(FOISA), the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (the EIRS) and the Codes of Practice, carried out by the Scottish Information Commissioner on 28/29 June 2011.
Members are asked to note:
i. that the Commissioner has recognised the Council’s commitment to
complying with the FOISA and EIRS regulations;
ii. the executive summary and recommendations of the Commissioner’s
Assessment Report (Appendix 1 to the report); and
iii. that the Council is now implementing the Action Plan (Appendix 2).
18. Business Support
i. Business Support Restructure
There is circulated Report No. RES-17-12 (67kb pdf) dated 24 January 2012 by the Director of Finance which provides an update on the progress of the on-going Business Support review as part of the Council’s Corporate Improvement Programme.
Members are asked to note:
a) the progress of the on-going Business Support review as part of the
Council’s Corporate Improvement Programme; and
b) the delivery of the new Business Support structure continues to plan,
however there are challenges in delivering the ResourceLink solutions to
enable the savings to be met within timescale.
ii. The review of Business Support in Schools
There is circulated Report No. RES-18-12 (195kb pdf) dated 7 February, 2012 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport Service which provides an update on progress with the review of the business support function in schools.
Members are asked to note:
a) the report approved by the ECS Committee in January, 2012; and
b) the progress to date achieved by the review Project Board and the work
streams planned for the period until June, 2012.
19. Performance Reports
i. Attendance Management
There is circulated Report No. RES-19-12 (40kb pdf) dated 30 January 2012 by the Assistant Chief Executive providing a summary of the staff absences for the period 1 October – 31 December 2011.
Members are asked to note the details of the report.
ii. Finance Service Performance Report for the Quarter to 31 December 2011
There is circulated Report No. RES-20-12 (39kb pdf) dated 30 January 2012 by the Director of Finance providing details of 2011/12 Finance Service performance for the third quarter ending 31 December 2011.
Members are asked to consider the contents of the report.
20. The Kyle Centre, Tongue
There is circulated Report No. RES-21-12 (43kb pdf) dated 23 January 2012 by the Director of Social Work regarding the future of the Kyle Centre in Tongue.
Members are asked to agree that:
i. the ownership of Kyle Centre be transferred to Kyle Centre Organisation at
a nominal price, subject to an Economic Development Burden, on terms to
be agreed by the Director of Housing and Property and in accordance with
‘The Disposal of Land by Local Authorities (Scotland) Regulations 2010’;
ii. the Kyle Centre Group would be funded within the current budget of
£102,000 from financial year 2012/13, with a contribution of 75% for year
1 and 50% for years 2 and beyond; and
iii. a revenue budget transfer of £2,000 should be made to the Housing &
Property Service.
21. Amendments to Organisational Structures/Establishments
There is circulated Report No. RES-22-12 (173kb pdf) by the Assistant Chief Executive which recommends amendments to organisational structures/establishments as a consequence of proposals from Service Directors.
The Committee is asked to approve the amendments to the staffing establishment and other staffing changes as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.
22. Minutes of Meetings
The following Minutes of Meetings are circulated for confirmation:-
i. Early Retirement Sub-Committee held on 1 December 2011 (28kb pdf);
ii. Joint Consultation Group (Administrative Etc. Manual and Crafts Staffing) –
9 December 2011 (41kb pdf);
iii. Central Safety Committee – 9 December 2011 (44kb pdf);
iv. Appeals Committee – 31 January 2012 (25kb pdf); and
v. ICT Members Working Group – 25 January 2012 (31kb pdf).
23. Exclusion of The Public
The Committee is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 6 & 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.
24. Debts Recommended to be Written-off
There is circulated to Members only Report No. RES/23/12 dated 30 January 2012 by the Director of Finance which, in accordance with good accounting practice, recommends the write-off of uncollectable debts.
In the event that there is no additional information from Members, the Committee is asked to agree that that total value of debts as detailed in the report be written-off.
25. Property Transactions
There is circulated to Members only Report No. RES/24/12 dated 6 February 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which seeks approval for the disposal of 20 Longman Road, Inverness.
Members are asked to approve the recommendation detailed in the report.
26. Property Sale Transactions Monitoring
i. Property Sales Transactions Monitoring Report
There is circulated to Members only Report No RES/25/12 dated 6 February 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which advises on property sales targeted for completion within the financial year 2011/12 and summarises progress to date.
The Committee is invited to note progress on property sales with anticipated settlement within financial year 2011/12.
ii. Industrial and Commercial Property Transactions Monitoring
There is circulated to Members only Report No. RES/26/12 dated 6 February 2012 by the Depute Chief Executive/Director of Housing and Property which provides Members with details on the Property Account property transactions approved by the Head of Property Partnerships.
Members are asked to note Property Account transactions approved by the Head of Property Partnerships between 15 November 2011 and 3 February 2012.