Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found at:-

http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=2368&Ver=4

The persons undermentioned were admitted into the presence of the Council and passed as Burgesses of Guild in respect of their respective Acts of Admission in the Guild Burgess Book:-

Robin James Adam, Forest Manager, Aberdeen

Charles Bain, Telecommunications Consultant, Aberdeen

Moray W Barber, Tax Adviser, Aberdeen

Professor Ian Diamond, University Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Aberdeen

Gregory Poon MBE, Lead Nurse, Aberdeen

Professor Peter Stollery, Professor of Composition and Electroacoustic    Music, Aberdeen

Margaret Vieira, Voluntary Worker, Aberdeen.

(A)       Councillor McCaig advised that Councillor Townson had cycled from the Scottish Parliament to St Machar Academy in April, raising £1,300 for Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), and congratulated him for his efforts.

The Council resolved:-

to concur with the remarks of Councillor McCaig.

            (B)       The Lord Provost highlighted that Councillor Lawrence had recently had the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch during the relay in Aberdeen, stated that the event had been a fantastic occasion for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and thanked all those who had made it such a success. Councillor Crockett echoed the Lord Provost’s remarks, and thanked the officers who had helped deliver the event and the public for embracing it. Councillor Greig added his thanks to the emergency services and neighbouring local authorities for their excellent partnership working. Councillor Lawrence stated that carrying the Olympic Torch had been a huge honour, and that the people of Aberdeen had done the city proud in supporting the event so well.

The Council resolved:-

to concur with the remarks of the various members.

            (C)       Councillor Boulton advised that her father had raised £15,000 for Sport Relief by swimming a mile in the swimathon, despite having lost both of his legs to diabetes, and paid tribute to all those who had suffered adversity but had overcome it.

The Council resolved:-

to concur with the remarks of Councillor Boulton.

The Council had before it the minute of the special meeting of Aberdeen City Council of 4 April 2012.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the minute.

The Council had before it the minute of meeting of Aberdeen City Council of 4 April 2012.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the minute.

The Council had before it the minute of the statutory meeting of Aberdeen City Council of 16 May 2012.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the minute.

The Council had before it the minute of meeting of the Urgent Business Committee of 19 April 2012.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the minute.

The Council had before it a pamphlet of standing committee minutes from 22 March to 26 April 2012.

The Council resolved:-

to note the minutes.

The Council had before it a statement of Council business which had been prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to transfer item 4 (Non Housing Capital Programme 2012/13 - 2014/15 Budgets) to the Finance and Resources Committee Business Statement; and

(ii)               to otherwise note the statement.

The Council had before it a list of outstanding motions which had been prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Council resolved:-

to note the motions list.

MATTER OF URGENCY

The Lord Provost intimated that he had directed in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, that the following item be considered as a matter of urgency to enable the matter to be resolved without further delay.

With reference to Article 10 of the minute of meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of 7 June 2012, which had been referred to it for consideration by nine members of the Committee, the Council had before it (1) a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which provided an update on moving community centres to leased centre status, outlined the remaining actions to be taken in order to complete the process, and set out proposals for Rosemount Community Centre and the community wings of 3Rs schools, so that they remained the responsibility of the Council; and (2) the decision of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee as follows:-

(i)                 to note that the following centres are being supported to become leased centres within the short term - Old Torry Centre, Mastrick Community Centre, Northfield Community Centre, Loirston Community Centre and Kincorth Community Centre;

(ii)               to note the progress of photographic condition surveys for the community centres that are progressing to leased centre status;

(iii)             to note the approach from the Grampian Police Joint Board to occupy part of the Rosemount Community Centre; formally note that the space is surplus to the requirements of the Education, Culture and Sport Service and instruct the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Head of Asset Management and Operations to negotiate final terms and conclude a 10 year lease/license agreement for the area of Rosemount Community Centre as set out in the report on the basis of the Finance and Resources Committee approving resolution xiii(b) below;

(iv)              that the lower hall area of Rosemount Community Centre be declared as surplus to the immediate requirements of the Education, Culture and Sport Service and authorise the Head of Asset Management and Operations to market the space for lease on commercial terms for a period of up to 10 years on the basis of the Finance and Resources Committee approving resolution xiii(b) below;

(v)                that the community wings within 3Rs schools, and the community rooms within Torry Youth Centre, will remain within the responsibility of the Council, as set out within section 5.4 of the report, to ensure that the lifelong learning requirements of communities continue to be met, and the Council continues to be able to meet its statutory requirements;

(vi)              to instruct officers to consult with management committees associated with community schools about the proposals to retain community wings in community schools within the responsibility of the Council, and including how this would operate in practice, and report back on the outcome to the next Education, Culture and Sport Committee;

(vii)            to refer the Centre at Hillylands to the Corporate Asset Group as surplus to the requirements of the Education, Culture and Sport Service;

(viii)          to instruct the Head of Educational Development, Policy and Performance to complete an asset management plan for community centres by the end of this year in order that it can be considered as part of the budget setting for 2012/13;

(ix)              to instruct officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The first two pages of the report have been amended, with changes indicated in bold text.

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Executive which provided information on the potential social and economic benefits of a proposed bid for UK City of Culture 2017, and the financial requirements to prepare a bid.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              instruct officers to prepare and submit a bid for UK City of Culture 2017;

(b)              instruct officers to further research the potential social and economic benefits of UK City of Culture status for the city of Aberdeen;

(c)               instruct officers to work with local and national cultural partners on themes to structure the bid;

(d)              approve the financial cost detailed in tables 1 and 2 of the amended version of the report;

(e)              agree that the cost of £150,000 (part year costs for 2012/13 for the bid team as laid out in tables 1 and 2) be met through earmarked reserves, and that it be referred to the budget process for inclusion within the 2013/14 budget;

(f)                 delegate power, as appropriate, to scope and recruit a bid development team;

(g)              instruct officers to update Council regularly on progress;

(h)               instruct officers to commence discussion with potential investors to ascertain financial support;

(i)                 instruct officers to commission, as appropriate, research to support the bid development; and

(j)                 consider identifying an appropriate cultural champion to provide leadership and act as a figurehead.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to Article 10 of the minute of its meeting of 16 May 2012, the Council had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance which sought the appointment of a replacement member on Aberdeen Prison Visiting Committee.

The report recommended:-

that the Council appoint Ms Rae Ingham as the remaining external member to the Aberdeen Prison Visiting Committee.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)               to thank Councillor Kiddie for his excellent service as Convener of the Visiting Committee.

Members are requested to note that the draft annual accounts will be circulated separately

The Council had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance which presented the Council’s draft 2011/12 Statement of Accounts which were subject to audit.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              note the draft Statement of Accounts, and financial performance of the various Council accounts contained therein, which would be submitted to Audit Scotland by 30 June 2012;

(b)              note the overall positive outturn that had been achieved in 2011/12 and the surplus against budget that provided opportunities for the Council to continue to strengthen its balance sheet and financial position;

(c)               agree to set aside the full value of debt owed by the AECC Group to the Council to enable the most appropriate and tax efficient mechanism to be put in place during 2012/13 and thereby remove the debt burden from AECC;

(d)              agree that the Head of Finance and Head of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated power to enter into and carry out the necessary transactions in connection with removal of the debt burden and the transfer of assets, as previously agreed by Council in December 2010;

(e)              note that in accordance with the relevant strategies to maintain revenue balances, the Council’s objective of retaining recommended levels of uncommitted balances had been achieved;

(f)                 approve the various transfers between Council accounts and earmarking of sums against the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account and Common Good as at 31 March 2012 as detailed in paragraphs 5.3.16 and 5.3.20 of the report, including the sum of £557,000 from the 2011/12 budget surplus to support the Council’s City of Culture 2017 bid; and

(g)              note that the audited Statement of Accounts would be presented to the Audit and Risk Committee, along with the external auditor’s report to members in the autumn, and would come back to a Council meeting thereafter.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to approve the recommendations subject to the amendment of (d) above as follows:-   to agree that the Head of Finance and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated powers, and authority to spend, to obtain advice, enter into and carry out the necessary transactions in connection with the removal of the debt burden and transfer of assets, as previously agreed by Council in December 2010, up to a maximum of £50,000; and

(ii)               to pay tribute to officers in Finance for their colossal amount of work in preparing the accounts for the meeting.

Members are requested to note that the draft accounts (Appendix A) will be circulated separately

The Council had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance which presented the Pension Fund’s draft 2011/12 Statement of Accounts.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              note the draft Statement of Accounts, and financial performance of the North East Scotland Pension Fund and Transport Fund contained therein, which would be submitted to Audit Scotland by 30 June 2012; and

(b)              note that the audited Financial Statements would be presented to the Pensions Panel by the External Auditor in the autumn.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to approve the recommendations; and

(ii)               to pay tribute to Laura Goodchild for her work in preparing the accounts for the meeting.

MATTER OF URGENCY

The Lord Provost intimated that he had directed in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, that the following item be considered as a matter of urgency to enable appointments to be made without further delay.

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Executive which presented various elected member appointments for approval to trusts, boards and outside bodies as agreed by Group Leaders.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              agree the elected members appointments to trusts, boards and outside bodies as agreed by Group Leaders, and as appended to the report;

(b)              agree that the requirement for Council representation on the Boards of Alcohol Support Limited, Garthdee Alpine Sports and Oakbank School be reviewed with a report on the matter being brought back to Council in August 2012;

(c)               agree that the filling of the remaining vacancies be reported to Council in August 2012; and

(d)              agree that should a group wish to change the individual nominated to a place allocated to that group on a committee, sub-committee, trust, board or outside body, the change should be notified to the Senior Democratic Services Manager.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to agree the elected member appointments to trusts, boards and outside bodies as listed in the table below; and

(ii)               otherwise to approve the recommendations.

“Council agrees to develop a youth employment strategy for Aberdeen in consultation with relevant public and private organisations.”

Councillor Townson, pursuant to notice, moved:-

“Council agrees to develop a youth employment strategy for Aberdeen in consultation with relevant public and private organisations.”

The Council resolved:-

to refer the motion to the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee.

“Council notes with concern the decision by the UK Government to close the Remploy site in Aberdeen, given the work being done to establish a social enterprise hub at the site, and instructs the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to enter into discussions with Remploy UK and the UK Government over the possibility of purchasing the Remploy building on St Machar Road using the Common Good Account which would allow the work to establish a social enterprise hub to continue.”

Councillor McCaig, pursuant to notice, moved:-

“Council notes with concern the decision by the UK Government to close the Remploy site in Aberdeen, given the work being done to establish a social enterprise hub at the site, and instructs the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to enter into discussions with Remploy UK and the UK Government over the possibility of purchasing the Remploy building on St Machar Road using the Common Good Account which would allow the work to establish a social enterprise hub to continue.”

The Council resolved:-

to approve the motion as reworded below:-

“Council instructs the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to enter into discussions with Remploy Aberdeen over what assistance the Council may be able to offer, including purchase and lease back of their building on St Machar Road, to ensure that the business can continue to operate.”

“That this Council produces a report with recommendations for identifying any possible financial sources and fundraising opportunities in order to create a permanent commemoration in the city of the Diamond Jubilee and of the Queen’s reign.”

Councillor Greig, pursuant to notice, moved:-

“That this Council produces a report with recommendations for identifying any possible financial sources and fundraising opportunities in order to create a permanent commemoration in the city of the Diamond Jubilee and of the Queen’s reign.”

The Council resolved:-

to refer the motion to the Finance and Resources Committee.

“To instruct the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to support the request by the International School of Aberdeen and install a safe pedestrian crossing similar to other crossings on North Deeside Road at the entrance of the School. At present there is no safe crossing and pupils and community members must negotiate a very busy road.”

(This notice of motion was submitted within the timescales prescribed in Standing Order 21(1), however was omitted in error from the principal agenda)

Councillor Malone, pursuant to notice, moved:-

“To instruct the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to support the request by the International School of Aberdeen and install a safe pedestrian crossing similar to other crossings on North Deeside Road at the entrance of the School. At present there is no safe crossing and pupils and community members must negotiate a very busy road.”

The Council resolved:-

to refer the motion to the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee.

(1)               Does the Convener of Finance and Resources agree with his party colleague Councillor Ramsay Milne who was quoted in the Evening Express on Tuesday 15 May saying, ‘If we are to apply a TIF a better use would be the AWPR’? If so can he give an indication of how Tax Increment Finance would be used to fund such a project, and given that the economic benefit of the AWPR is set to be felt across the whole of the North East, where would the ‘red line’ be drawn for the purposes of collecting the incremental Non-Domestic Rates?

(2)               Does the Convener of Finance and Resources wish to see the AWPR funded through TIF?

(3)               To the Convener of Finance and Resources - is the administration obliged by statute to pay Conveners £28,410 per annum or is this the maximum amount payable?

(4)               Can the Convener of Finance and Resources confirm that the salary paid to administration Conveners is £28,410 and that that is a greater amount than was paid to administration Conveners last year, which I believe to have been £26,990. If this is correct would he consider this increase in pay to be a pay rise?

(5)               Given that the pay cut that was taken by all Conveners (5%) and Vice-Conveners (reduction to £21,000) with the exception of the former Convener of Audit and Risk, is the Council Leader aware that this saved the Council £12,079, and would he like to reconsider his statement that the pay cut was an ‘empty populist gesture’ as he was quoted in the press saying?

(6)               Can the Council Leader confirm what the lowest salary paid by this Council to a full time employee was last financial year, and this financial year following the introduction of the living wage?

The Council had before it the following questions, of which due notice had been given in terms of Standing Order 10(2), which had been placed on the agenda as Councillor McCaig had indicated that he was unhappy with the responses.

Councillor McCaig

To the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee

(1)              Does the Convener of Finance and Resources agree with his party colleague Councillor Ramsay Milne who was quoted in the Evening Express on Tuesday 15 May saying, ‘If we are to apply a TIF a better use would be the AWPR’? If so can he give an indication of how Tax Increment Finance would be used to fund such a project, and given that the economic benefit of the AWPR is set to be felt across the whole of the North East, where would the ‘red line’ be drawn for the purposes of collecting the incremental Non-Domestic Rates?

(2)              Does the Convener of Finance and Resources wish to see the AWPR funded through TIF?

(3)              Is the administration obliged by statute to pay Conveners £28,410 per annum or is this the maximum amount payable?

(4)              Can the Convener of Finance and Resources confirm that the salary paid to administration Conveners is £28,410 and that that is a greater amount than was paid to administration Conveners last year, which I believe to have been £26,990? If this is correct would he consider this increase in pay to be a pay rise?

ANSWERS (by Councillor Young) -

(1)       I can confirm that my colleague Councillor Ramsay Milne and I agree on most things and his knowledge on matters relating to Tax Incremental Finance is exemplary.  It is disappointing to note that the former Council Leader is so out of touch with his own Scottish Government’s position on Tax Incremental Finance and, in order to assist, I have reproduced the following information from the Scottish Government’s own website to help him and his colleagues better understand this matter.  “When a public project such as a new road system is constructed within a specific area, increases in the value of the land as well as new property and business investment can occur.  Resultant increased site value and investment generates increased tax revenues. These increased tax revenues (whether domestic or business property) are the 'tax increment'. In Scotland, extra public revenues would come from Non Domestic Rates (NDR) raised.” It is my clear understanding that the AWPR is a new road system. 

It would in all probability be better for the former Council Leader to ask the Scottish Executive the second part of his question as he may find that their response mirrors that of Councillor Milne’s.  Again, for the former Council Leader’s knowledge and understanding, I have taken the liberty of reproducing the following from the Scottish Government’s website.  “Local authorities are encouraged to propose their own TIF schemes, but these will need to be supported through the development of a Business Case which should detail the justification for utilising  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.