CAMBRIDGE
CITY COUNCIL
To: Councillors Taylor
(Chair), Bradnack, Currie, Douglas, Dryden, Lakin, Liddle, C Rosenstiel, Smith
and Woodford
Alternate members: Councillors Smart and Stuart
(Despatched and placed
on public deposit: Monday 11 March)
PROPERTY AND
ADMINISTRATION SUB-COMMITTEE
Date: Tuesday 19 March 2002
Time: 4.30pm
Place: Committee Room 1, The Guildhall
Contact: Angus MacQueen Direct Dial: (01223) 457013
AGENDA
1 MINUTES
To
confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2002.
[pages
1 - 8]
2 APOLOGIES
Apologies
for absence.
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members are asked to
declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of the following
items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they should declare
an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek advice from the
Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
4 PUBLIC
QUESTION TIME – see
below for detail of the scheme and other public information.
Appendix
1: Outcome of Mobile Phone Mast seminar 31 Oct 2001
Appendix
A: Carry Forward Requests 2001/02
Appendix
B: Summary of Bids and Savings Approved
Report
by Head of Property and Building Services [pages 38 - 73]
Appendix
1: Significance and Future of Abbey House
Exclusion of Press and Public: Before considering Appendix 3 to the report
on this item (page 73), the Sub-Committee is recommended to exclude
members of the public from the meeting on the grounds that, if they were present,
there would be disclosure to them of information defined as exempt from
publication by paragraphs 7 and 9 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local
Government Act 1972.
Note: Attached at pages 72a –72b is a letter
from Councillor Durrant relating to this item.
8 PETITIONS
(a) E-mail
Petitions
At the last meeting, the
Sub-Committee resolved to ask officers to investigate the possibility of
accepting petitions which people have put their names to by e-mail, with a view
to introducing this facility at the same time as the new political structures,
in May 2002.
Investigations have revealed that
Cambridgeshire County Council already accepts e-mail petitions, provided that
they:
1.
consist of individual e-mails, showing the sender’s e-mail address;
2.
also include the sender’s postal address; and
3.
are addressed to the organiser (rather than the Council) who must then
let the Council have print-outs of the requisite number of supporting e-mails.
This procedure ensures that nobody can
take advantage of the e-mail system and put their name to a petition
twice. It is necessary for print-outs
to be provided, as petitions are public documents and a copy must be available
on file.
It is also suggested that, as an
added measure against abuse of the system, random checks are carried out on
petitioners that have used this e-mail procedure.
The Sub-Committee is recommended
to agree that the officers include in the Council’s new Constitution, which
will take effect in May 2002, a procedure for accepting e-mail petitions along
the same lines as the County Council, as set out above, subject to random
checks being carried out on petitioners that have used the e-mail procedure.
(b) Petitions
Procedure
At the
last meeting, the Sub-Committee considered some suggested revisions to the
Council’s petitions procedure. As a
result of members’ comments, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services was
asked to reword the suggested revisions, and to refer the rewording back to
members for approval. The Sub-Committee
is asked to note that this work is in hand but has not yet been completed.
For Information
9 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC
Before
considering the next items on this agenda, the Sub-Committee is recommended to
exclude members of the public from the meeting on the grounds that, if they
were present, there would be disclosure to them of information defined as
exempt from publication by paragraphs 3, 7 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of
the Local Government Act 1972.
10 129 HOBART ROAD
The Sub-Committee
is asked to consider this confidential agenda item.
[page
74]
11 NON-DOMESTIC RATES AND COUNCIL TAX – BAD
DEBTS FOR WRITE-OFF
Report
by Director of Finance [pages 75 - 77]
12 FORMER
TENANT ARREARS – WRITING OFF BAD DEBT
Report by Director of
Community Services [pages 78 - 119]
Information for the public
You are welcome to attend this meeting as an observer, although it may
be necessary to ask you to leave the room during the discussion of matters
which are described as confidential on the agenda.
o0o
You can ask questions on an issue included on the agenda below, or on
an issue which is within this committee’s powers. If you wish to ask a question
related to an agenda item contact the committee officer (listed above under
‘contact’) before the meeting starts. If you wish to ask a question on a matter
not included on this agenda, please contact the committee officer by 10.00am
the working day before the meeting.
Further details concerning the
right to speak at committee can be obtained from the committee section.
o0o
In the event of the fire alarm sounding (which is a continuous ringing sound), you should pick up your
possessions and leave the building by the route you came in. Once clear of the building,
you should assemble on the pavement opposite the main entrance to the Guildhall
and await further instructions. If
your escape route or the assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe
areas by a member of Cambridge City Council staff.