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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee |
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Date |
14 December 2020 |
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Present |
Councillors Aspden (Chair), D'Agorne (Vice-Chair), Hook and D Myers |
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Apologies |
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39. Declarations of Interest
At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare if
they had any personal interests not included on the Register of
Interests or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests
that they might have had in the business on the agenda. None were declared.
40. Exclusion of Press and Public
Resolved: That the press and public be excluded from the
meeting during the consideration of annexes to agenda item 7.
on the grounds that they contained information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular
persons. This information is classed as exempt under
Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to Section
100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised
by the Local Government (Access to Information)
(Variation) Order 2006).
41. Minutes
Resolved: That the minutes of the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee held on 19 October 2020 be approved and then signed by the Chair as a correct record.
42. Public Participation
It was reported that there had been two registrations to speak at
the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Janet O’Neill spoke as a former president of the Royal Town Planning Institute and a planning developer in the city in relation to agenda item 6. She raised her concerns about proposals that would remove a senior qualified town planner from an assistant director or higher role to support planning in York, highlighting both the major projects, as well as, the Local Plan that she felt would require a qualified planner to manage these teams council teams.
Gwen Swinburn also spoke in relation to agenda item 6 and raised concerns regarding the recommended option. She requested that the council release further analysis of the options including a 4 year cost analysis. She also raised apprehensions about there being no review timeline after April 2021 outlined in the report, as well as, breakdown of how services could be balanced across the Director posts.
43. Changes to Membership of Committees, Joint Committees administered by other Councils, Regional Local Authority Bodies and Other Bodies
Members considered a report which sought approval for a number of changes to the Council’s appointments. The Committee considered the changes to membership of Committees, including an additional appointment change that was outlined by officers which was not reported in the agenda.
Proposed appointments were set out in the report and the following additional change was reported at the meeting:
Shareholders Committee
Cllr Widdowson to replace Cllr Ayre as the chair of the Shareholders Committee.
Resolved:
i. That the changes to appointments set out in the report and the further change reported at the meeting be approved.
Reason: To ensure that appropriate Council appointments to
Committees and Outside Body appointments for the remainder of the current municipal year.
44. Proposed structure Corporate Leadership Group (CLG)
Officers introduced the report and outlined what the recommended option 3 would deliver for the council and noted that the structure needs to go hand in hand with a positive culture at the council, which promotes a collaborative working environment. They noted the support for option 3 in the report from chief officers in the council throughout the consultation period. Officers confirmed that should the recommendation be approved, they would move to a formal consultation which is time lined in the report.
Members discussed the proposed structure and questioned whether the council would continue to have an adequate level of expertise in planning if the Director of Enviroment, Transport, and Planning was not a qualified own planner. Officers noted that expertise was delivered across the council at a head of service level. It was noted that Director level posts encompass a wide range of services and therefore could not expect a post holder to be an expert in each area, but instead their role would be to effectively manage their services. It was also noted that the council maintained a desire to deliver the local plan and would be sufficiently resourced.
The proposed structure of the Directorate of People was considered, bringing Children and Adults Services under the same director. Members noted that they were glad to see that resources would be in place at assistant director level in the directorate. Members also noted that they hoped that the new structure would allow closer working between Children and Adults Services and an smooth transition for individuals moving between these services. Concern was raised however about the financial challenges for both Children and Adults Services and whether these changes would assist in tackling these financial challenges. Officers noted that the council continued to try and manage financial challenges and noted that there would be opportunities moving forward for greater integration with health services with the new structure.
Resolved:
i. The Committee agreed to the Chief Operating Officer progressing with the implementation of the recommended option 3;
ii. The Committee agreed to set up the relevant Appointment Sub-Committees to carry out the necessary selection in line with the HR processes. That this committee delegates sufficient powers to the Sub-Committees enabling them to conduct the recruitment process, select and appoint a candidate, subject to the requirements of the standing orders on appointment.
Reason: To ensure the council has an appropriate Chief Officer structure to deliver the councils priorities.
45. Pension or Exit Discretion
Members considered a report which advised them of expenditure
associated with proposed pension or exit discretions. Details of the
proposal and its implications were set out in the business cases in exempt Annex A to the report.
Resolved:
i. That the expenditure associated with the proposed pension or exit discretions, as detailed in the report annex be noted.
Reason: So that the Committee has an overview of expenditure
associated with pension or exit discretions.
46. Work Plan
Members considered the committee’s work plan to the end of the 2021 calendar year.
Resolved: That the work plan be approved.
Reason: To ensure that the committee has a planned programme of work in place.
Cllr K Aspden, Chair
[The meeting started at 5.30 pm and finished at 6.30 pm].