Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mary Jean Devon and James Robb.

There were no declarations of interest intimated at this point.

Minutes of Meeting of Policy and Resources Committee held on 15 December 2016

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 15 December 2017 were approved as  a correct record.

Report by Head of Strategic Finance

Consideration was given to a report providing a summary of the financial monitoring reports as at the end of December 2016.  The report summarised the Revenue Budget Monitoring Report as at 31 December 2016; Monitoring of Service Choices Savings; Monitoring of Financial Risks; Capital Plan Monitoring report as at 31 December 2016; Treasury Monitoring Report as at 31 December 2016; and Reserves and Balances.  The latest budget monitoring for the Integration Joint Board was attached at appendix 3 to the Monitoring of Financial Risks Report.

Decision

The Committee –

1.    Noted the revenue budget monitoring report as at 31 December 2016 and agreed to recommend to Council approval, in principle, that £0.172m of the Customer Services estimated underspend is earmarked and carried forward to be used to develop detailed business cases in respect of 11 digital transformation options and to support the work of the Transformation Board; which would reduce the forecast underspend to £1.460m.

2.    Noted the progress of the service choices policy saving options as at the end of December 2016.

3.    Noted the current assessment of the Council’s financial risks.

4.    Noted the capital plan monitoring report as at 31 December 2016 and note the over project cost changes, the project slippages and accelerations and the updated capital plan reflecting these changes.

5.    Noted the treasury monitoring report as at 31 December 2016.

6.    Noted the overall level of reserves and balances.

(Reference:  Report by Head of Strategic Finance dated 31 January 2017, submitted)

Consideration was given to the full package of papers included in the budget packs in relation to the revenue and capital budgets for 2017/18.

Decision

The Committee agreed to refer this item, without recommendation, for consideration by the Council at their meeting on 23 February 2017.

(Reference:  Report by Head of Strategic Finance dated 6 February 2017, submitted)

Report by Head of Strategic Finance

The Committee gave consideration to a report  which sought approval of the proposed Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy which set out the Council’s Strategy for borrowing and investment for the forthcoming year along with the Council’s Prudential Indicators, which require to be set for a three year period.  The report also set out the policy for the repayment of loans fund advances for 2017-18.

Following discussion the Head of Strategic Finance indicated her intention to raise directly with Capita the tenor and accuracy of some of the references contained within their appendices.

Decision

The Committee agreed to recommend to Council –

1.    Approval of the proposed Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy subject to review by the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee in March 2017.

2.    Approval of the use of Option 1 (statutory method) for the repayment of loan fund advances in respect of existing capital expenditure and new advances up to 31 March 2021 at an interest rate of 4.644%, with the exception of spend to save schemes where Option 4 (funding/income profile method) will be used.

3.    Approval of the ability to use countries with a sovereign rating of AA- and above as recommended by Capita, which would include the use of Abu Dhabi and Qatar, rated as AA.

(Reference: Report by Head of Strategic Finance dated 6 February 2017, submitted; and Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2017/18, submitted)

Councillor Rory Colville declared a non-financial interest in the following item of business due to his role as Director of the South Kintyre Development Trust.  He took no part in the discussion of this item.

Report by Head of Strategic Finance

Consideration was given to a report which set out a summary of cash flow support loans dealt with through delegated powers between 1 July 2016 and 31 December 2016.  The report advised that no loans had been granted within this period and that the outstanding loan of £50,000 to South Kintyre Development Trust was fully repaid on 27 July 2016.

Decision

The Committee noted the content of the report.

(Reference:  Report by Head of Strategic Finance dated 11 January 2017, submitted)

Report by Acting Executive Director – Community Services

Consideration was given to a report which sought agreement of the appointment process for the independent members of the proposed Leisure and Libraries Trust Board following approval by the Council of the full business case for the Trust in November 2016 and agreement which was given to proceed with the establishment of a board which is required as part of the OSCR registration process.

Decision

The Committee agreed to recommend to the Council –

1.    That adverts are placed seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced individuals from across the area to take up voluntary Trust Board membership.

2.    That applications are assessed against the skills and experience criteria in the matrix submitted in the EY Business Case.

3.    That an appointments panel comprising 4 members of the administration and two opposition nominees, plus substitute members, is agreed to appoint board members; and that the administration to make appointments based on geographical spread with Councillor Dick Walsh being appointed for Bute and Cowal with Councillor Alex McNaughton as a substitute; Councillor Ellen Morton for Helensburgh and Lomond with Councillor Aileen Morton as substitute; Councillor Roddy McCuish for Oban, Lorn and the Isles with Councillor Elaine Robertson as substitute; and Councillor Robin Currie for Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands with Councillor Donald MacMillan as substitute.

(Reference: Report by Acting Executive Director – Community Services dated 31 January 2017, submitted)

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Consideration was given to a report advising of proposals to purchase the former gasometer site in Helensburgh for a park and ride facility serving both the town centre and Helensburgh Central using £80k of grant funding from SPT.  The report set out the risks associated with purchasing the gasometer site and the measures  taken to mitigate these.

The Executive Director provided an update to the Committee advising that since the report had been published SPT had allocated £300k towards the project in their 2017/18 budget and that this had reduced the risk to the Council substantially.

Decision

The Committee approved the purchase of the former Gasometer Site in Helensburgh, by Argyll and Bute Council, utilising the £80K capital grant funding from SPT.

(Reference:  Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 13 January 2017, submitted)

Recommendation from Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee held on 19 January 2017 and report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

The Committee gave consideration to a recommendation by the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee for the approval of proposed Road Speed Limit Policy Framework as a Council Policy.

Decision

The Committee agreed to recommend to Council, approval of the proposed Road Speed Limit Policy Framework as a Council Policy.

(Reference:  Recommendation from Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee held on 19 January 2017; report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 6 December 2016; and draft Road Speed Limit Policy Framework, submitted)

Consideration was given to the Policy and Resources Committee Work Plan as at February 2017.

Decision

The Committee noted the work plan as at February 2017.

(Reference:  Policy and Resources Committee Work Plan as at February 2017, submitted)