• Agenda

 

Minutes of Meeting of the Highland Council held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Friday 23 March at 10.30 a.m.

 

1. Calling of the Roll and Apologies for Absence

 

Mrs A L Magee in the Chair

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr D C M Flear, Mr J Green, Mr G Smith, Mrs K MacNab, Mr F R M Keith, Mr A MacKay, Mr A Rhind, Mr A Torrance (OCB), Mr J Connell, Mr E C MacKinnon, Mr M Macmillan, Ms A MacLean, Mrs I McCallum, Mr I MacDonald, Mr H Fraser, Mrs H Carmichael, Mr J T MacDonald, Mrs C M Cumming, Mr P Corbett, Ms E MacDonald, Mr J Ford, Mr D Henderson, Mr C L Goodman, Mr J Gray, Mr N Donald, Mrs J N Home, Mrs K Matheson, Mr R Wynd, Mr A S Park, Mrs S Slimon, Mr F D S Black, Mr B Dunlop, Mr C King, Mr W Clark, Mrs O J Macdonald, Mr B J Murphy and Mr A R McFarlane Slack.   

 

2. Exclusion of the Public

 

The Council RESOLVED that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the following item on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

 

3. Appointment of Director of Education, Culture and Sport

 

There had been circulated to Members only the Minutes of the Meeting of the Short Leet Panel for the post of Director of Director of Education, Culture and Sport held on 1 March 2007, the Job and Person Specifications and the advert for the post, a summary of the candidates and a note of the presentation topic for interview.

 

In addition, the Pre-Interview Panel, comprising Mrs A L Magee, Dr M E M Foxley, Mr J N Matheson, Mrs E MacRae, Mr A Anderson, Mr A M Millar, Mrs I Campbell, Mr N Clark, Mr H Fraser, had met with the candidates on the previous day. 

 

The following candidates were interviewed for the post:-

 

Mr William Alexander, Cromarty

Mr Hugh Fraser, Marybank

Ms Carol Kirk, Glasgow

Mr Ian Robertson, Livingston

 

At the end of the interview, the Chief Executive gave an assessment report on the candidate.

 

Thereafter, Mr D Allan, seconded by Mr J N Matheson, MOVED that no appointment be made.

 

Mr W A Mowat, seconded by Mr A M Millar, moved as an AMENDMENT that the Council proceed to appoint one of the four candidates.

 

Following a vote, Members AGREED by 33 votes to 7 votes to proceed to appoint one of the four candidates.

 

Following a further vote, Mr Hugh Fraser was recalled to the meeting and, having been offered the post of Director of Education, Culture and Sport on a fixed salary point of CO52, £97,923 per annum, duly accepted the post.

 

4. Appointment of Director of Housing and Property

 

The Convener advised Members that the candidate appointed at the Council Meeting on Thursday, 22 March 2007 to the post of Director of Housing and Property had contacted the Council that morning, Friday, 23 March, to indicate that, for personal reasons, he did not wish to take up the appointment.

 

Members were asked to consider how they wished to progress to an appointment to the post.

 

Mr W Fulton, seconded by Mr R Durham, MOVED that the three remaining candidates who had been interviewed on Thursday, 22 March be invited to attend a further interview by the Council.

 

Mr D Briggs, seconded by Mrs I Campbell, moved as an AMENDMENT that the post be re-advertised.

 

On a vote being taken, the MOTION received 26 votes and the AMENDMENT received 13 votes and the MOTION was therefore CARRIED – the votes being cast as follows –

 

 

For the Motion

 

 

 

For the Amendment

 

                          

 

The meeting ended at 1.55pm.