MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON THURSDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2003 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM
Present :
Mrs M J Lloyd (Chairman), Mr M J Cunningham, Mr J F Howe, Mr P D Joyce, Mrs B Lawson, Mrs M J Miller, Mr V J Morey, Mr A J Mundy (deputising for Mr R A Sutton), Mr K Pearson, Mr G P Price, Mr I R Stephens
Apologies :
Mr R R Barry, Mr R A Sutton, Mr D T Yates
Also Present (non voting) :
Mr A C Bartlett, Mr R G Mazillius
48. MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 2003 be confirmed.
49. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mr A J Mundy declared a personal interest in Minute 51 as he was a Trustee of Northwood House.
Mrs B Lawson declared a personal interest in Minute 50 as she was a member of the GAGS Board.
50. UPDATE ON GREAT ACCESS TO GREAT SERVICES
The Head of Organisational Development updated members on Great Access to Great Services (GAGS).
He advised the Committee that the Council had supported the principle of GAGS but had not committed any future funding until the budget for next year was known. Document Imaging was being implemented within the Planning Department. Work was in progress on how strategic partnering may be able to help the Council turn into a customer centred authority. There had been presentations from 4 suppliers and a report was due by Christmas 2003, members asked that it be brought to the Select Committee early in the New Year.
Members asked how the first point of contact would work and were advised that an audit of the most Frequently Asked Questions for each service was being compiled. It was anticipated that the data would be available by Christmas 2003 and would go live on 21 January 2004, when both Planning and Customer Services would capture data and feed it into the Programme.
RESOLVED :
THAT a report on the strategic partners be brought back to the Select Committee in January 2004.
51. ACCOMMODATION REVIEW
The Head of Property Services advised the Select Committee on the priority accommodation moves. A third party was interested in renting ¾ of Enterprise House for 18 months, that would still leave space for the call centre with room for expansion after the rental period. Members were told that home working was being trialed in the Planning Department and it was hoped to extend this to other areas.
An outline of the proposed moves and reasons for them was given and the Select Committee agreed that the priorities be changed to the following :
1. GAGS
2. Engineering Services Integration
3. ICT
4. Wight Leisure
5. Registrars
6. Fire Service
7. Planning Services
8. Transport Depot
9. Committee Rooms
10. Combined Social Services, Primary Care Trust and Health Trust
11. Guildhall
12. Public Records Office
Early Years Offices and the IBIT Team moves had already been achieved.
RESOLVED :
(a) THAT the Select Committee supported the priorities identified by the Head of Property Services.
(b) THAT members support an investigation into home working and a report on the findings to be brought back to the Select Committee in the New Year.
52. BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2003
The Chief Financial Officer reported on revenue and capital expenditure for services within the Select Committee’s remit as at the end of October 2003.
The previous problems associated with Land Charges budget appeared to have improved and they were back on target. Members asked why the underspend in the Policy Unit budget had still not been utilised. There was some concern in respect of funding for Ryde Community Wardens, the Select Committee asked who had agreed to that funding before it was certain that a claim from SRB would be forthcoming. Members asked that the Head of Policy and Communications and the Community Partnership Manager attend the next meeting of the Select Committee.
RESOLVED :
THAT the budget monitoring report be noted.
53. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND INDICATORS
The Principal Policy Officer gave an outline of the Comparison of Performance Indicators for Member Authorities for 2002/03, there were 191 indicators to be monitored. The report had previously been to the Executive on 19 November 2003.
Members discussed various aspects of the table which included % of top 5% earners that were women, early retirements including those on ill health grounds, energy consumption, cost of children looked after, violent offences committed under the influence and days sick by members of staff.
The Select Committee were advised that Heads of Service decided on the Key Areas to Watch, which were subsequently cleared by the relevant Portfolio Holder. Members believed that the Performance Indicators should be submitted to each Select Committee on a quarterly basis for discussion.
RESOLVED :
THAT the Performance Indicators be submitted to each of the Select Committee’s on a quarterly basis.
54. FORWARD PLAN
Members were made aware of items that appeared in the Executive’s Forward Plan for November 2003 to February 2004 for matters relating to the Resources Select Committee.
RESOLVED :
THAT the Forward Plan be noted.
55. MEMBERS’ QUESTION TIME
Mrs M J Miller asked a question in relation to the Council’s printing arrangements and was advised that a report would be brought back to the next meeting of this Select Committee.
CHAIRMAN