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.

The Lord Mayor invited all Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests in the business on the agenda to declare their interests at this point in the meeting.  Advice on the declaration of interests in respect of the Budget had been circulated to all Members by the Monitoring Officer, together with a form on which to record their interests. 

The following prejudicial interests were declared in relation to relevant aspects of the Revenue and Capital Budget proposals:

The following personal interests were declared in relation to relevant aspects of the Revenue and Capital Budget proposals:

To consider any announcements made by the Lord Mayor in respect of Civic business.

The Lord Mayor announced that a painting of former Councillor Ken Cooper was due to be received, as a gift from his widow Mrs Dolly Cooper, at a small private function to be held at the Mansion House shortly.

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or ask any question of any Member of Council, on any matter directly relevant to the business on this agenda (namely the setting of the budget), may do so.  Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requestedto contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Wednesday, 25 February 2009.

The Lord Mayor reported that there had been one registration under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme to speak at the meeting with regard to business associated with the setting of the Budget.

The speaker, Ken Beavan, commented that the Budget proposals had failed to take account of the need to cut down on bureaucracy and suggested that employment costs should be a major area for future savings, on an ongoing basis.

To receive any petitions presented by Members in relation to business associated with setting the Council’s budget for the coming financial year, in accordance with Standing Order No.7.

The Lord Mayor reported that there were no petitions to be presented by Members at the meeting in relation to business associated with the setting of the Council’s Budget.

To consider the recommendations made by the Executive at their meeting on 16 February 2009 in relation to the Revenue Budget proposals for 2009/10 and the Capital Programme Budget for 2009/10 – 2013/14.  These are set out in the attached report and will be moved by the Executive Leader. 

Note:

The original reports to Executive, on which their recommendations were based, were circulated to all Members on 6 February and 13 February.  The reports can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.asp?CId=102&MId=3585&Ver=4

Cllr Waller moved, and Cllr Runciman seconded, the recommendations of the Executive in respect of the Revenue Budget proposals for the 2009/10 Financial Year and the Capital Programme Budget for the period 2009/10 to 2013/14, as set out in the report at page 1 of the Council papers:

“Revenue Budget

The Executive recommends that Council approves and adopts the revenue budget proposals as set out below and in the annexes to the report of the Director of Resources (and the amended annexes attached to the report at page 1 of the Council agenda):

(i)         The net revenue expenditure requirement for 2009/10 of £117.686m, as set out in Annex 1 (as amended);

(ii)        The housing revenue account proposals outlined in Annex 12;

(iii)       The dedicated schools grant proposals outlined in the report;

(iv)       The revenue growth proposals of £8.969m on-going for 2009/10, plus one-off growth of £2.336m, outlined in Annex 3 (as amended), plus an additional £1.138m relating to one-off growth proposals brought forward from 2008/09;

(v)        The revenue savings proposals for 2009/10 of £5.228m outlined in Annex 4 (as amended);

(vi)       The use in 2009/10 of £3.474m revenue reserves, as outlined in Annex 6 (as amended);

(vii) The use in of prior year Collection Fund surplus of £0.236m;

(viii) The fees and charges proposals in Annex 8;

(ix)       The IT Development Plan proposals as shown in Annex 10;

(xi)       An advance from the Council’s Venture Fund of £627k in 2009/10 and £626k in 2010/11 to be made to phase 2 of the easy@york project, as outlined in Annex 11, which will enable the project to continue until 2014/15 (plus the £100k in 2009/10 and £200k in 2010/11, for the modernisation of the City’s street lighting stock).

The above recommendations resulting in a Council Tax increase of 4.25% for City of York Council.”

Capital Programme

The Executive recommends that Council:

(i)            Approve the revised capital programme of £185.515m, as set out in the report and annexes, and specifically the inclusion in the capital programme of new schemes totalling £56.958m.

(ii)            Approve:

a)            the bids in paragraph 49 of the report, totalling £10,586m and

b)            the additional externally funded schemes in paragraph 54, totalling £46,372m.

(iii)       Agree to provision being made in the capital programme, subject to further detailed reports being brought back to the Executive, for five further additional schemes, as follows, resulting in a total capital programme of £194.165m:

a)            Community Stadium and athletics facilities -£4m (this being an initial estimated net cost, in year 2011/12)

New recycling facility – net cost £2.5m (all in 2011/12)

Acomb Office - £1.75m gross, £0.9m prudential borrowing, £0.85m net cost (0.5m in 2010/11, £1.25m in 2011/12)

d)         Street light modernisation expenditure of £100,000 in 2009/10 and £200,000 in 2010/11, to be financed from the Venture Fund.

e)            £100,000 in 2009/10 to fund a programme aimed at improving energy conservation standards in homes in the City.

(iv)       Note the overall funding position identified in the report, which highlights a current shortfall in resources over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

To consider the Council Tax Resolution for 2009/10, as set out in the attached report.

In consequence of the amendments to the Revenue Budget proposals approved under the previous item, a revised version of the Council Tax Resolution set out in the report at page 43 of the Council papers was circulated around the Chamber.

Councillor Waller moved, and Councillor Runciman seconded, the revised Council Tax Resolution for 2009/2010, as set out in that document.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED: That the revised Council Tax Resolution for 2009/2010, as set out in the document circulated around the Council Chamber, be approved, as follows:

                        (i)         COUNCIL TAX BASE

That it be noted that the Director of Resources, under his delegated authority, calculated the following amounts for the year 2009/10 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

                        (a)       Whole of the Council’s Area

65,732.91 being the amount calculated in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 and the Local Government Act 2003, as its Council Tax Base for the year.

                        (b)       Parts of the Council’s Area

the amounts mentioned in Column 1 of Schedule A to this Resolution, being the amounts calculated in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations and the Local Government Act 2003, as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

                        (ii)        DISTRICT / PARISH COUNCIL TAX RATES

That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2009/10 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

                        (a)       District/Parish Gross Expenditure

£346,486,384.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act.

                        (b)       Income

£231,689,000.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act.

                        (c)        District/Parish Net Expenditure

£114,797,384.00 being the amount by which the aggregate at 11(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 11(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year.

                        d)         Government Grants and Collection Fund Surpluses

£43,716,480 being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed non-domestic rates and revenue support grant, increased by the amount of the sums which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its Collection Fund to its General Fund in accordance with Regulation 4(7) of the Local Government Changes for England (Collection Fund Surpluses and Deficits) Regulations 1995 and increased by the amount of any sum which the Council estimates will be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Fund pursuant to the Collection Fund (Local Government Changes for England)(Community Charges) Directions under Section 98(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 made on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

To consider the recommendations made by the Executive at its meeting on 16 February 2008 in relation to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2009/10 to 2012/13.  These are set out in the attached report and will be moved by the Executive Leader. 

Note:

The original report to Executive, on which their recommendations were based was circulated to all Members on 6 February and can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.asp?CId=102&MId=3585&Ver=4

Cllr Waller moved, and Cllr Runciman seconded, the recommendations of the Executive in respect of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2009/10 to 2013/14, as set out in the report at page 53 of the Council papers:

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED: That the recommendations of the Executive in respect of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2009/10 to 2013/14 be approved and adopted, as set out below (references to ‘the report’ relate to the report to the Executive meeting on 16 February 2009):

(i)The Prudential Indicators for 2009/10, as set out in Annex A to the report;

(ii)The proposed Treasury Management Strategy for 2009/10;

(iii)The Specified and Non-specified investments schedule;

(iv) The revised Treasury Management Policy and Treasury Management Practices, as set out in Annexes C and D to the report.

To consider a report of the Chief Executive which seeks formal approval to establish an Appointments Committee for the post of Director of Neighbourhood Services, and to delegate sufficient powers to that committee to enable it to conduct the recruitment process, select and appoint a candidate.

Cllr Waller moved, and Cllr Moore seconded, the recommendations in respect of the establishment of an Appointments Committee for the post of Director of Neighbourhood Services, as set out in the report of the Chief Executive at page 57 of the Council papers.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED: That the recommendations be approved and that consequently:

(i)An Appointments Committee be established consisting of five members, two from the Liberal Democrat Group, two from Labour and one Conservative, as follows:

·        Councillors King  and Potter

·        Councillors Waller and Reid

·        Councillor Gillies.¹

(ii)The Appointments Committee be authorised to conduct the final interviews, select a successful candidate and make an offer of employment subject to the necessary employment procedures.¹