Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6^th July, 2009.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th July, 2009, be approved as a correct record.

Joe Johnson, Principal Accountant, presented briefly the submitted report relating to the above.

The report showed that the Financial Services Directorate was forecasting a break-even position against a net revenue budget of £10.5M by the end of March, 2010.

The report set out the summary year to date and projected outturn position for Financial Services as at the end of July, 2009.

Resolved:- That the latest revenue forecast outturn position for the Financial Services Directorate for 2009/10 be noted.

Joe Johnson, Principal Accountant, presented briefly the submitted report relating to the above.

The report showed that the Chief Executive’s Directorate was forecasting currently an overspend of £7,000 against a net revenue budget of £9M by the end of March, 2010.

Areas highlighted in the report covered:-

-                      Transport

-                      Vacancies and secondments

The report set out the summary year to date and projected outturn position for the Chief Executive’s Directorate as at the end of July, 2009.

Resolved:- That the latest revenue forecast outturn position for the Chief Executive’s Directorate for 2009/10 be noted.

Mark Gannon, Transformation & Strategic Partnerships Manager, presented the submitted report which summarised RBT’s performance against contractual measures and key service delivery issues for June and July, 2009, across the areas of Customer Access, Human Resources and Payroll, ICT and Procurement.

Key points for this period included:-

• All targets had been achieved in Human Resources and Payroll, ICT in June and July and in Procurement for June, with only one Procurement measure failing in July.
• The target for seeing face to face customers within 15 minutes had not been met with only 88.41% of customers being seen to date against a target of 90%.
• Acorn Online, the new system which allowed all officers to access Acorn data which profiled our Borough at the post code level was now live. 
• The PO2 (% cheque requests processed on next payment run) failed in July with performance of 96.13% against a target of 98.46%.  Investigations were ongoing to establish the reasons for this measure failing and to establish actions to prevent recurrence.

Resolved:-  That RBT’s performance against  contractual measures and key service delivery issues for June and July, 2009, be noted.

- minutes of meeting held on 6^th July, 2009

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Complaints Forum held on 6th July, 2009.

Resolved:-  That the contents of the minutes be noted.

- minutes of meetings held on 8^th July and 12^th August, 2009

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Website Strategy Group held on 13th July, 2009.

Resolved:-  That the contents of the minutes be noted.

- to be held on Friday, 20^th November, 2009 in London

Consideration was given to attendance at the following conferences:-

• I&DeA Global perspectives on local challenges: Local Government Leaders International Symposium to be held in London on 2^nd October, 2009
• LGA Annual Capital Finance Conference to be held in London on 20^th November, 2009

In addition, it was noted that attendance at the LGA Annual Rural Conference on 9^th September, 2009 had been agreed, but there had been no take up.

Resolved:-  (1) That attendance at the I&Dea Global perspectives on local challenges: Local Government Leaders International Symposium be not authorised.

(2) That the Chairman (or substitute) be authorised to attend the LGA Annual Capital Finance conference to be held in London on 20^th November, 2009.

(information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council))

Consideration was given and discussion took place on the minutes of the E-Government Board held on 3^rd July, 2009.

Resolved:-  That the contents of the minutes be noted.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under those paragraphs indicated below of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in those paragraphs indicated below of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council)).

Mark Gannon, Transformation & Strategic Partnerships Manager, presented a report which summarised RBT’s performance in respect of Procurement savings achieved and in respect of the Revenues and Benefits Service.

Resolved:-  That RBT’s performance against contractual measures and key service delivery issues for June and July, 2009, be noted.

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council)).

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

It was noted that a meeting of a Complaints Panel held been held on 1st July, 2009, comprising Councillors Atkin (in the Chair), Austen and Littleboy.  The Panel heard a complaint received from Mrs. E. regarding housing benefit due to herself being paid to her landlord despite the fact that she had been promised the payment by several staff within the Service and at the Customer Service Centre.

The Panel had upheld the complaint insofar as a decision to pay the landlord directly on the grounds that it was in her best interests to do so was made without any or adequate consultation with the complainant.  If there had been consultation, the Panel had felt it quite likely that a different decision would have been reached and the cheque paid directly to Mrs. E.

The Panel had recommended that an offer of £250 be made to the complainant for her time, trouble and out of pocket expenses as a consequence of the decision.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Panel’s findings be noted.

(2)  That the complainant be awarded £250 compensation.

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which was likely to reveal the identity of individual)

Treasury Management Adviser

Stuart Booth, Director of Central Finance reported that Butlers had been re-appointed as Treasury Management Adviser. 

He confirmed that a rigorous process had been undertaken with four bids initially which were reduced to two.  Those two had then had to make presentations to the Council, and as a result of this Butlers were awarded the contract.

National Pay Award

Phil Howe, Assistant Chief Executive, Human Resources, reported that the National Pay Award had now been accepted by all Trade Unions.  The new rates would be paid in the October salary with back pay to April 2009.  There had been no offer made to Chief Executives or Chief Officers at the present time.