Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on progress with the procurement of a replacement for the Council’s current vehicle maintenance provider and makes recommendations for a short to medium term solution.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the options set out in the report be noted.

                        (ii)        That Option 3 - using Northgate Kendrick Ash (NKA) to provide interim management for, and an efficiency review of, vehicle maintenance, to be funded from the Council’s Corporate Efficiency Project – be approved.

REASON:      In accordance with Officers’ advice regarding NKA’s existing track record of success within the Council and the need for them to manage services directly in order to apply their risk based model as part of the efficiency review.

Members considered a report which provided an update on progress towards the procurement of a replacement for the Council’s current vehicle maintenance provider and made recommendations for a short to medium term solution.

The current provider, Defence Support Group (DSG), wished to give up their contract with the City of York Council as soon as possible, along with all their other non-defence contracts, and had offered the sum of £50k to assist with the cost of any future procurement exercise.  Because the procurement process would take longer than DSG were prepared to continue working for the Council, a solution would need to be found to enable them to withdraw from their contractual obligations.

Members were invited to consider the following options for management of the service pending the outcome of the efficiency review currently being carried out across the Council by efficiency partners Northgate Kendrick Ash (NKA):

Option 1 – bring the service back in-house and manage it directly.  This was not considered a viable option in the short term and could lead to a conflict of interest with the efficiency review.

Option 2 – employ external expertise to manage the service.  This would require a procurement exercise, causing further delay, and could also lead to a conflict of interest with the efficiency review.

Option 3 – utilise NKA to manage the service as part of their efficiency review.  This was the recommended option, on the basis that NKA already had a track record of success within the Council and would need to manage services directly in order to apply their risk based model as part of the efficiency review.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the options set out in the report be noted.

                        (ii)        That Option 3 - using Northgate Kendrick Ash (NKA) to provide interim management for, and an efficiency review of, vehicle maintenance, to be funded from the Council’s Corporate Efficiency Project – be approved. ¹

REASON:      In accordance with Officers’ advice regarding NKA’s existing track record of success within the Council and the need for them to manage services directly in order to apply their risk based model as part of the efficiency review.