MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON THURSDAY, 19 JUNE 2003 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM
Present :
Mrs B Lawson (Vice Chairman in the Chair), Mr M J Cunningham, Mr J F Howe, Mr P D Joyce, Mr A J Mellor (deputising for Mr R A Sutton), Mr K Pearson, Mr G P Price, Mr R C Richards (deputising for Mr V J Morey), Mr I R Stephens,
Apologies :
Mrs M J Lloyd Mrs M J Miller, Mr V J Morey, Mr R A Sutton, Mr D T Yates
Portfolio Holder :
Mr R R Barry
Also Present (Non Voting) :
Mr A C Bartlett
16. MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2003 be confirmed.
17. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mrs B Lawson declared a personal interest in Minute 18 as a member of the Programme Board.
18. GREAT ACCESS TO GREAT SERVICES - ACCOMMODATION REVIEW UPDATE
(Mrs B Lawson declared a personal interest in this item and vacated the Chair, Mr J Howe took the Chair).
The Head of Property Services presented his report on the accommodation review update. The Select Committee were given an outline of the on-going work in connection with the Accommodation Phase III Review.
Members were advised that at the Executive held on 4 June 2003 approval had been given for a series of moves involving Enterprise House and the transfer of the Training Unit from Bugle House to free up space for an interim Call Centre at Bugle House. Since that meeting the proposed tenant for the first floor of Enterprise House no longer wished to proceed. After consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources it was decided to put the proposed Training Unit move on hold. The Select Committee asked that the option of externalisation and joint venture partnership working should be looked at.
The Head of Property Services circulated to the Select Committee a copy of the check list used when a move was requested. He advised members that a maximum capacity of 8m2 had been allowed for each member of staff in the current moves. Members discussed the idea of hot desking and believed a pilot scheme could be tried out, but there would need to be a culture change to bring this about.
Members were advised that planning applications had been submitted for both Forest Road and the Vectis Buildings.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT an accommodation option be worked up for GAGS looking at externalisation and joint venture partnership working.
(ii) THAT the implementation on the Council Guidance Note for the Allocation of Office Accommodation be supported.
(iii) THAT a maximum capacity of an average of 8m2 per staff be agreed.
(iv) THAT all accommodation moves should be managed through Property Services.
(Mr J Howe vacated the Chair and Mrs B Lawson re-took the Chair)
19. BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT THE END OF MAY 2003
The Chief Financial Officer presented the report on the budget and spending position on both revenue and capital for the services within the remit of the Committee, as at the end of May 2003. The Committee believed that it would be of held if the report also showed the percentage of budget spent and remaining.
RESOLVED :
THAT the budget monitoring report be noted.
20. EXTRACT FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL FORWARD PLAN - MAY TO AUGUST 2003 (RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE ITEMS ONLY)
The Select Committee was made aware of items that appeared in the Executive’s Forward Plan for June to September 2003 relating to Resources items.
The Select Committee were advised that the report on Care Homes had been to the Executive on 18 June 2003. The Portfolio Holder explained that before the Executive took any decision it would wish to have the views of the Select Committee on the issues involved.
Members believed that the Select Committee should look at the Forward Plan to see how effective it was in identifying in advance items that required scrutiny.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT a report on Care Homes be brought to the next meeting of the Select Committee.
(ii) THAT an investigation to see if the Forward Plan was performing properly be included on the Select Committees Workplan.
21. BEST VALUE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 2002/03
Members were advised that the Best Value Performance Plan provided an overview of the Council’s corporate priorities and identified objectives for the coming year. It linked the actions and targets set out by the Council in its Corporate Plan, Annual Action Statement, CPA Improvement Plan and individual service plans, providing a comprehensive summary of our performance over past years and priorities for the coming year.
The Select Committee were advised that some of the definitions had changed since last year. Some of the targets were set nationally and the Council had no control over those and others were set locally. Members asked if the locally set targets were achievable and were told they had been set by Heads of Service and Line Managers. The targets set by the Government were more difficult to meet as they were continually changing. The Select Committee believed that some of the indicators were not meaningful to the Council and that some of the figures were incomprehensible. Members asked for the costs involved in compiling all the necessary data required and how relevant some of the targets were. Additionally they believed Best Value Performance Indicators should be monitored by all the Select Committees on the same principles as the budget. It was suggested that the Performance Management Task Group should be reconvened and its remit was discussed. All members of the Resources Select Committee would be asked if they wished to be on the Task Group.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT the Performance Management Task Group be reconvened with the remit of investigating performance indicators to establish whether they were meaningful and relevant.
(ii) THAT each Select Committee does scrutiny of their own area of Best Value in conjunction with their Portfolio Holder.
(iii) THAT a letter be sent to all members of the Select Committee asking if they want to be on the Performance Management Task Group.
CHAIRMAN