Issue - meetings

The Governance Manager advised that the following public questions had been submitted in advance of the meeting:-

Valerie Nimmo

When, and how will the consultations regarding the satisfactory completion of Burnside Square be carried out, as so far, the levels of satisfaction within the town are approaching rock bottom?

The Governance Manager undertook to feed this question back to the Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services and provide the response to Ms Nimmo and the Members by email.

Fiona Macpherson

What lessons will the council be taking on board over Donald Kelly's resignation as these reflect the feelings of much the local community about how A&B Council fulfil their duties of care, including - but by no means limited to - 

(1) meaningful consultations over decisions being made, 

(2) a loss of focus on the responsibility of Council leadership as Public Servants and 

(3) what criteria does the Council use in assessing its performance in these areas. 

The Governance Manager undertook to feed this question back to relevant officers and provide the response to Ms MacPherson and Members by email. 

Ian Mitchell

What arrangements are in place within Argyll & Bute for members of the public to review consultation responses? I am thinking of the Burnside Square consultation which Jim Smith, Head of Roads, told me yesterday would not be made public as the responses were sent by email, not ordinary mail, and that raised data protection issues.

I would not accept that without further information on the precise legal situation. From whom in the Council can I obtain a definitive statement of the legal position in this regard?

In the past, in the course of my research on other matters, I have used the Scottish Executive library at Broomhouse Drive in Saughton, Edinburgh, where responses to consultations are kept and made available to the public on request. I cannot believe that Argyll & Bute Council does not strive to match the standards of openness and transparency practiced by the Scottish government. Therefore I also ask: with whom in the Argyll & Bute Council structure should I make arrangements to research the responses received by the Council to its consultation on the Burnside Square development?

The Governance Manager agreed to feed these questions back to the appropriate officers and provide the responses received to Mr Mitchell and Members by email. 

David Moncrieff (Present)

Why has Argyll and Bute Council Executives lied, thwarted an investigation of a whistle blower of failings of health and safety regulations upheld by the HSE by retaliation and victimisation of the whistle blower and dismissing me to stop the Council’s own complaints procedure against Executive Director Douglas Hendry and the Head of Legal and Regulatory Support, David Logan.  The advice that they asked for and received from Brodies LLP Solicitors was to sack the whistle blower and the complaint falls as the complainant is no longer an employee.  I have the very documents and emails that show Douglas Hendry advising to dismiss me to save his own skin.  Why is that acceptable?

The Governance Manager undertook to feed back the question to the relevant officers. 

Mr Moncrieff indicated that he had a second question in relation to Councillor expenses, however having established that the answer to this question had already been provided, the Chair declined to accept this question.