Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests which they might have in the business on the agenda. 

Councillor Potter declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in agenda item 5 (City of York Council Organisational Review – Stage Two: Chief Executive’s Department) in relation to the discussion about redundancy and early retirement costs for schools being met from a corporate budget, as chair of a school governing body.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following:

Annex 3 to Agenda Item 5(City of York Council Organisational Review - Stage Two: Chief Executive's Department) on the grounds that it contains information relating to individuals.  This information is classed as exempt under paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

RESOLVED:             That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following:

Annex 3 to Agenda Item 5 (City of York Council Organisational Review - Stage Two: Chief Executive's Department) (minute 9 refers) on the grounds that it contained information relating to individuals.  This information was classed as exempt under paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Urgency Committee held on 17 July 2006.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the Urgency Committee, held on 17 July 2006, be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is Thursday 17 August 2006, at 10.00 am.

The Chair reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

The Chair agreed to hear representations from Ben Drake on behalf of Unison, regarding Agenda Item 5 (City of York Council Organisational Review – Stage Two: Chief Executive’s Department) (minute 9 refers).  He highlighted that the report differed significantly from the proposals that were consulted on, particularly with regards to the overall chief officer structure and in that it included an option for combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources in a single directorate.  He requested that the Committee defer consideration of the report to allow time for full consultation with Unison members and reported that initial discussions suggested that Unison members had some concerns about the proposals.  He concluded by stating that if the proposals were approved by the Committee, then Unison would register a formal dispute with the Council.

This report completes the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brings forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and seeks a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also makes recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

Members received a report which completed the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brought forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and sought a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also made recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

The report was being considered at an Urgency Committee because decisions on the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s Department needed to be implemented without further delay, particularly given the imminent departure of two chief officers. 

The information in the report was set out in the following nine sections:

·        Section 1 – Background and introduction;

·        Section 2 – Current structure and functions of the Chief Executive’s Department;

·        Section 3 – Combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources;

·        Section 4 – Proposals for overall chief officer structure;

·        Section 5 – Transfer of functions and resources to other directorates;

·        Section 6 – Portfolios and detailed staffing structure;

·        Section 7 – Financial and other implications;

·        Section 8 – Other issues left over from stage one of the Council organisational review;

·        Section 9 – Summary of recommendations.

The report set out the following options for the overall chief structure:

OPTION 1

 OPTION 2a

 OPTION 2b

              OPTION 2c

The structure set out in Option 2c was for a combined directorate comprising the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources.  This was the option recommended in the report.

In response to the representations made on behalf of Unison (minute 8 refers), the Chief Executive explained that the proposals brought forward in the report were not considered to be so fundamentally different from the original proposals as to constitute a brand new set of proposals, requiring a brand new consultation exercise.  Members confirmed that where in principle decisions were being taken, consultation could continue and the decision be brought back for review by the Chief Executive.

With regards to paragraph 7.5 of the report, Members noted that redundancy and early retirement costs for schools were met from a corporate budget and requested that the Director of Resources provide them with a briefing note detailing the current situation and how this might change now that the Dedicated Schools Grant had been introduced.

It was proposed that the recommendations in the report be agreed, with amendments to recommendations 9.12, 9.17 and 9.26 to defer the appointments to the new posts of Partnership Officer, Safe City Co-ordinator and Scrutiny Officer pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006.

Councillor Merrett outlined his concerns regarding the proposal to transfer responsibility for the Local Strategic Partnership and other partnership work to City Strategy as a key part of the Chief Executive’s role was providing strategic direction for the Council and the transfer could create confusion amongst external partners as to where this responsibility lay.  Councillor Galloway expressed the view that the transfer of responsibility would allow the Chief Executive greater opportunity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

This report sets out the changes that have been made to the Statement of Accounts approved at Council on 2 June 2006 and the reasons for these changes, and seeks approval for the revised Statement of Accounts.

Members received a report which set out the changes that had been made to the Statement of Accounts approved at Council on 2 June 2006 and the reasons for these changes, and sought approval for the revised Statement of Accounts.

The report was being considered at an Urgency Committee because there was a statutory requirement for Members to approve the accounts prior to the District Auditor giving his opinion on them and there was not a Council meeting scheduled prior to the statutory deadline for the completion of this audit on 30 September 2006.

The report explained that in July 2005 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) had issued a notification that the proportion of total value of the housing stock that must be included within fixed assets in the Accounts as the ‘social housing’ value should be reduced from 55% to 47% of the gross value, with effect from April 2005.  Since the Accounts were approved it had been confirmed that this adjustment should have been made retrospectively to the full Housing Revenue Account (HRA) re-valuation exercise that had taken place between January and April 2005 using the then approved rate of 55%.  The implications of making this adjustment were to reduce the value of the assets in the balance sheet by £61m, with consequential amendments to the Fixed Asset Restatement Account and the Capital Financing Account in the Total Equity on the Balance Sheet, as well as alterations to the Consolidated Revenue Account, the Housing Revenue Account, the Statement of Movement on Reserves and the Foreword.  Paragraph 8 of the report detailed a failsafe procedure which had been put in place to prevent a repeat of this incident occurring.

Paragraphs 9-11 of the report outlined a number of other more minor changes to the Accounts and a full list of amendments was attached as Annex 1.  Full copies of the draft revised Accounts had been circulated to Members.

RESOLVED:(i) That the amendments set out in Annex 1 of the report be agreed and the revised Statement of Accounts for the financial year 2005/06 be approved;

(ii)         That the Chair of the Committee be authorised to sign and date page five of the Accounts as a formal record that Members have approved them.

REASON:(i) The revised Accounts have to be formally approved by members before the District Auditor can give his opinion on them;

                        (ii) The Accounts must be signed and dated at their formal approval by the Chair of the meeting.

This report seeks approval for the membership of an Appointments Committee for the post of Head of Corporate Services in the Directorate of Housing and Adult Social Services.

Members received a report which sought approval for the membership of an Appointments Committee for the post of Head of Corporate Services in the Directorate of Housing and Adult Social Services.

The report was being considered at an Urgency Committee because of the need to proceed with the appointment to enable the new directorate to operate effectively and to avoid any further delay by having to wait until October Council to get the Appointments Committee in place.

RESOLVED:             That an Appointments Committee be created for the post of Head of Corporate Services in the Directorate of Housing and Adult Social Services, with the following membership:

Liberal Democrat –  Councillor Steve Galloway

Councillor Sue Galloway

Substitute: Councillor Sunderland

Labour –                     Councillor Fraser

Substitute: Councillor Horton

REASON:                  To proceed with the appointment to enable the new directorate to operate effectively and to avoid any further delay by having to wait until October Council to get the Appointments Committee in place.