CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL

 

To: Councillors Smart (Chair), Bagnall, Bradnack, Currie, Durrant, Knowles, Sian Reid, Schofield, Stuart, Ward

Alternate member:  Councillor Hipkin

 

Executive Councillor – The Leader, David Howarth

 

(Despatched and placed on public deposit:  5 July 2002)

 

STRATEGY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

Date:           Monday 15 July 2002

 

Time:         

LATER START - 6.30pm

 

 

Place:         Committee Room 1, The Guildhall

 

Contact:      Gary Clift                        Direct Dial:  (01223) 457011

                                                            

 

AGENDA

 

THE COUNCIL'S NEW DECISION-MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

 

There will be a short introduction by the Head of Legal & Democratic Services (or his representative) to make sure everyone at the meeting is clear about the role, functions and procedure of this scrutiny committee and how it relates to decision-making by the Executive Councillor.

 

 

1       APOLOGIES

 

Apologies for absence.

 

2       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.

 

3       PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – see below for detail of the scheme and other public information.

 

4                      KEY DECISION - PROVISIONAL REVENUE OUTTURN FOR 2001/02 AND BUDGET CARRY FORWARD REQUESTS INTO 2002/03

Appendix B   -        Main Variances

         Appendix C   -        Requests to Carry Forward Budgets from 2001/2002 into 2002/2003

Report by  Director of Finance [pages 1-9 ]

 

5                      COUNCILLORS NOTIFICATION UNDER THE DATA PROTECTION ACT

Report by Director of Central Services [pages 10-12]

 

6       KEY DECISION - MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY - Not attached, circulated previously and placed on public deposit 25 June. Members please bring your copy with you.

Report by Chief Executive, Director of Finance

 

Part 4C (Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules) of the Council’s Constitution includes the requirement for the issuing of a Medium Term Strategy (MTS) document.  This document sets out the financial context in which the budget for the following year will be made, issues which are or will be facing the Council, policy priorities and an indication of the approach which Executive Councillors are minded to take in respect of preparing budget proposals.  The document will also outline proposals for consulting the public regarding budget matters.

 

A copy of the draft MTS is being submitted to all Scrutiny Committees for the purpose of consultation.  Scrutiny Committees are asked to submit any views on the MTS to the Leader, who will consider these in agreeing the final version of the MTS document following the Strategy Scrutiny Committee meeting on 15 July 2002.

 

The final version will then be submitted to Council on 25 July 2002 for adoption.

 

 

7       KEY DECISION - PROJECT APPRAISAL : UPGRADING THE COUNCIL E-MAIL AND FILE SERVER

Report by IT Contract Manager [pages 13-24 ]

 

The (unconfirmed) minutes of the E-Government Working Party are attached for members' information. On the proposed upgrades, the majority of the Working Party agreed that the proposed solution (upgrading the current Novell Netware Operating system to Netware Version 6.0; upgrading the existing NDS to Novell's eDirectory and upgrading GroupWise to GroupWise version 6.0) should be adopted at the present time, to achieve a speedy upgrade with minimum complexity. However, members felt that a hybrid or Linux solution should be given serious consideration for the future and perhaps be built into the re-tendering of the IT contract.

 

On the hardware costs, the WP felt these were too high and that the Council should go out to tender for this part of the project, on a specification which reflected what was needed for the purpose, rather than one which specified a particular make of server. The ITCM said that this could be done and the pros and cons of alternatives evaluated as part of the tender process.

 

For decision

 

8       KEY DECISION - IMPLEMENTING E-GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

 

The Council's second Implementing E-Government Statement ("IEG2") will have to be submitted to Government by the end of September. However, we have not yet been given any guidelines about the form or content of this. As there is no meeting of this scrutiny committee between now and then, the officers propose that the draft IEG2 is taken for comment to the E-Government Working Party in  August or (more likely) September and then referred to the Leader for approval. The Committee is asked to agree this approach, or to indicate whether any member(s) of Strategy Scrutiny would wish to see the draft, in addition to the EGWP members.

 

For decision

 

9       KEY DECISION - GRANT FUNDING TO THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR – ANNUAL REVIEW AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR  A COMPACT

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 25-58]

 

10      SAFER CITY GRANTS

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 59-64]

 

11       TWINNING GRANTS

Report by Director of Central Services [pages 65-69 ]

 

12      CITY LOTTERY FUND REVIEW

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 70-73]

 

13      MOBILE PHONE MASTS – LIAISON OFFICER APPOINTMENT

         Appendix 1   -        Daily Action Plan

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 74-81 ]

 

 

14      MAPPING POVERTY 2002 – KEY FINDINGS

         Appendix 1   -        Use of Mapping Poverty Research 2000 and Future Use of 2002 Research

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 82-95 ]

 

 

15      APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES

 

To consider nominations to the outside bodies shown on the attached list and for the Leader to approve them.

[page 96]

 

16                   DELEGATIONS TO OFFICERS

[pages 97-98]

(i) On 23 May Executive Councillors agreed to delegate executive functions of both a service and specific nature to officers as set out in Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution.  These delegations are very similar to those which existed under the committee system. The delegations agreed on 23 May by the Leader are attached to this agenda.  The listing also indicates from which committee/sub-committee prior to the adoption of the Constitution the delegation was agreed.

 

Delegations to officers are made in two ways:

 

·                                  Service Area Delegations (which are intended to give wide powers to officers over routine operational matters for a given service or function) and

 

·                                  Specific Delegations (which are more closely defined powers).

 

Scrutiny Committees are asked to consider the delegations as agreed and raise any matters for further consideration by the Leader.

 

(ii) Officers recommend that under the delegations to the Chief Executive of service areas, (first box), ‘Best Value and Performance Management’ should be added on a new line under promoting the work of the Council and public relations.

 

For decision

 

 

17      DATE OF STRATEGY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE IN JANUARY 2003

 

Subsequent to the dates being set for 2002/03, officers have been advised that the date set for Strategy Scrutiny on 27 January 2003, is the Holocaust Memorial Day and it is expected that there will be memorial events that evening.

 

Committee is therefore recommended to meet on Tuesday 28 January 2003 at 6.00pm.

 

For decision

18      EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

 

Before considering the next items on this agenda, the 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 Categories 3, 7 (item  20) and  8 (item 19) as defined in the Council’s Constitution part 4B (page 154).

 

19      KEY DECISION - CORPORATE CONSULTATION PROGRAMME:COUNTY WIDE PROCUREMENT

Report by Head of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 99-102]

 

20      BUSINESS RATES IRRECOVERABLE DEBTS TO BE WRITTEN OFF

Report by Director of Finance [pages 103-105]

 

Members of the Scrutiny Committee requiring any background on any of the cases listed in this report are requested to contact John Frost (tel. 457701) prior to the meeting rather than waiting until the meeting itself.

 

 

The next meeting of the Strategy Scrutiny Committee is scheduled for 11 November 2002.

 

 

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.

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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.