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 with 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, via the completed forms, in relation to relevant aspects of the Capital and Revenue Budget proposals:

The following personal interests were declared, via the completed forms, 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.

There were no Civic announcements.

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on any matter directly relevant to the business on this agenda (namely, the setting of the budget) may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Wednesday 23 February 2011.

The Lord Mayor reported that there had been fourteen registrations under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme to speak at the meeting with regard to business associated with the setting of the Budget.  As the Public Participation Session was limited by Standing Orders to 30 minutes, the first ten speakers would be called and the remaining four would be invited to address the meeting only if time allowed.

In the event, eleven speakers were called, as follows:-

(i)         Ceri Owen spoke against reductions in funding for services to vulnerable people, including those with a mental illness, learning, physical or sensory disabilities, older people, and carers.  She handed in a petition to that effect, signed by 1,22 people.

(ii)        Joe Armer, of the Youth Council, spoke against cuts in services to young people; in particular, mental health support and careers advice.

(iii)       Poppy Hindby-Smith, of the Youth Council, also spoke against cuts in services to young people, with emphasis on the effects of the cuts on individual service provision.

(iv)       Simon Moss, of Tang Hall Residents’ Association, spoke against the proposal to trial 24/7 opening of Hull Road Park, on the grounds that the dangers to users, particularly children, would outweigh the estimated savings.

(v)            Heather MacKenzie, of UNISON, spoke against the budget savings proposals in terms of their effect on Council staff and the wider economy, particularly in relation to the market testing of care services, cuts to children’s and youth services, and the Conservative proposal to reduce the funding of facility time for union representatives.

(vi)       Peter Barton, of Fulford Residents’ Association, spoke against any proposals to leave parks and open spaces open at night, due to the risk of a subsequent increase in anti-social behaviour, leading to extra cleaning and security costs.

(vii)      Ben Tanguay spoke in support of keeping the City’s libraries open, and particularly Dringhouses Library, on behalf of Dringhouses residents and library staff and users.

(viii)     Owen Clayton spoke against the budget savings proposals, commenting that the cuts would hurt vulnerable groups disproportionately and that the proposal to fund highway maintenance from reserves showed that the Executive had its priorities wrong.

(ix)            Jennifer Clayton spoke against cuts to Council-funded mental health services, from the perspective of someone who had benefited from receipt of these services.

(x)        Philip Crowe spoke in objection to the proposal to cease the targeted mental health in schools project.

(xi)       Ken Beavan spoke in support of proposals to reduce the amount spent by the Council on employment costs.

To receive any petitions to be 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.  To date, notice has been received of petitions to be presented by:

(i)                 Cllr Potter, on behalf of residents at Glen Lodge sheltered housing scheme, regarding proposed changes to their care.

In accordance with Standing Order 7, a petition was presented by Cllr Potter on behalf of residents of Glen Lodge sheltered housing scheme, objecting to proposed changes to their care arrangements.

To consider the recommendations made by the Executive, at their meeting on 15 February 2011, following consideration of the third monitor report on the Capital Programme.  These are set out in the attached Part B minute and will be moved by the Executive Leader.

Cllr Waller moved, and Cllr Runciman seconded, the recommendation made by the Executive at their meeting on 16 February 2010 in relation to the Capital Programme Monitor 3 (Minute 165 refers), as follows:

“That Council approve the net adjustments of (£8.504m) in 2010/11, £2.337m in 2011/12, (£5.851m) in 2012/13, (£6.023m) in 2013/14 and (£3.517m) in 2014/15, as set out on a scheme by scheme basis in the report and contained in Annex A.”

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

RESOLVED: That the recommendation contained in Minute 165 of the Executive meeting held on 16 February 2010 be approved.

To consider the recommendations made by the Executive, at their meeting on 15 February 2011, in relation to:

a)                   the Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2011/12 – 2015/16

b)                   the Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2011/12 and

c)                    the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2011/12-2015/16

These recommendations 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 are based, were circulated to all Members on 4 February 2011 and can be found on the Council’s website, here:

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=102&MId=5505&Ver=4

Executive Recommendations

Cllr Waller moved, and Cllr Runciman seconded, the recommendations of the Executive in respect of the Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2011/12-2015/16, Financial Strategy for 2011-2017 (including detailed Revenue Budget proposals for 2011/12) and Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2011/12-2015/16, set out in the report at page 3 of the Council papers, as follows:

“Capital Budget

15. The Executive recommends that Council:

(i)            agree to the revised capital programme of £175.318m, that reflects a net overall increase of £18.891m (as set out in the ‘growth’ column of Annex A with the amendments totalling £2.616m set out in (d) and (e) below).  Key elements of this include;

a)      the bids recommended in paragraph 114 (table 5) totalling £7.205m, subject to the following amendment:

·        the timing of Yearsley Pool energy solution moved to 2012/13 from 2011/12 to permit thorough investigation of necessity and appropriate technology

b)   the schemes funded form external resources in paragraph 122 (table 8) totalling £3.629m

c)     the revised prudential borrowing profile for the IT development plan in paragraph 126 (table 9) totalling £3.750m that shows a decrease of £250k per annum in years 11/12 - 14/15 and an extension of the programme by £750k in 2015/16 containing specific schemes

d)     the use of HRA balances to fund HRA capital schemes as set out in paragraph 130 (table 10) totalling £5.691m subject to the following amendment;

·        the inclusion of £700k (including work at The Glebe) towards a building insulation programme, including the fitting of double glazed windows, to commence in 2011/12 to bring the increase in the HRA capital programme to £6.391m

e)     the inclusion of the following new/amended schemes totalling £1.916m with a revenue implication of £29k in 2011/12:

·        £1.000m in 2012/13 to be utilised in conjunction with the Environment Agency for the provision of the Leeman Road flood defences

·        an additional £50k p.a.(to the £80k p. a. already included in the LTP line) allocation for the street lamppost replacement programme from 2011/12 to 2015/16, totalling £250k

·        £100k p.a. from 2011/12 to 2015/16 to fund an energy generation project which will exploit modern technologies such as photovoltaic cells and which is aimed at providing an additional revenue stream, through the sale of energy, by utilising the availability of new “feed in” tariffs, totalling £500k

·        an additional capital investment in structural highways of £166k for 2011/12.

ii)            Note that the revenue implications of the above amendments in 2011/12 are £29k, to be reflected in the revenue budget proposals

iii)            note the overall funding position identified in the report, which highlights a current shortfall in resources over the next five years, which the Council will need to address through increased revenue contributions in the medium term;

iv)            approve the full restated programme as summarised in Annex A totalling £175.318m (£172.702m plus £2.616m amendments) up to 2015/16.

Revenue Budget

15. The Executive recommends that Council approve the budget proposals outlined in the report of the Director of Customer and Business Support Services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

To consider the Council Tax Resolution for 2011/12, as set out in the attached report.

Councillor Waller moved, and Councillor Runciman seconded, the Council Tax Resolution for 2010/11, as set out in the report at page 17 of the Council papers.

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

RESOLVED: That the revised Council Tax Resolution for 2010/11 set out in the report at page 17 of the Council papers be approved, as follows:

(i)            COUNCIL TAX BASE

That it be noted that the Director of Customer and Business Support Services, under his delegated authority, calculated the following amounts for the year 2011/12 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

            (a)            Whole of the Council’s Area

67,041.43 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 2011/12 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

            (a)            District/Parish Gross Expenditure

£341,643,938.00 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

£217,141,350 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

£124,502,588.00 being the amount by which the aggregate at 12(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 12(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

£50,768,150.00 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 22 November, 1995.

            (e) Basic Amount of Tax (including average parish precepts)

£1,099.8339 being the amount at 12(c) above less the amount at 12(d) above, all divided by the amount at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.