Agenda and minutes

The Board had before it the minutes of its previous meetings held on 31^st July, 2009 and 13^th August, 2009. 

The Board resolved:-

to approve the minutes of the meetings held on 31^st July and 13^th August, 2009.

The Board had before it a report by John Tomlinson, Corporate Director with Lead for Education, Culture and Sport advising that transfer arrangements must be put in place for pupils to be decanted from Kaimhill Primary School to Braeside Primary School from September, 2009, to allow the construction of the new Kaimhill School on the Kaimhill site in Garthdee.  The relocation is for a 12 month period covering financial years 2009/10 and 2010/11.  The provision of a safe walking route can be accommodated within existing budgets however the provision of transportation, considered necessary due to the exceptional nature of the arrangements, would require to be funded from additional savings from other parts of the Education Service.  The report identified that the transfer arrangements could be funded from the recovery of monies the City Council received for providing loans to ensure the 3R’s project continued while alternative funding arrangements were being put in place following the collapse of the principal funder in 2008.

The Budget Monitoring Board was advised that this matter was considered at a meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on 27^th August, 2009.  The Committee agreed, in view of the exceptional circumstances, to provide transportation for all primary 1 to primary 7 pupils and nursery pupils and noted that a  sum of up to £202,000 could be available to support the Kaimhill decant in the current financial year, this being a one-off sum arising from the recovery of interest on loans made as part of the refinancing of the 3R’s project.  The Committee agreed to request that the Board approve the use of a maximum of £38,520 from contingencies to meet costs in the current financial year.

The report recommended:-

that the Board approve that the sum of up to £202,000 be made available for the Kaimhill decant arrangements to be funded from the recovery of monies the City Council received from providing loans to ensure the continuation of the 3R’s project. 

The Convener moved, seconded by Councillor Greig:-

            That the recommendation be approved and that, as requested by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee, the use of a maximum of £38,520 from contingencies is approved to meet costs in the current financial year.

Councillor Young moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-

            That the Budget Monitoring Board record its disappointment at the decision of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of 27^th August, 2009 in respect of the transport arrangements for pupils who are to be decanted from Kaimhill Primary School to Braehead Primary School, agree that it was inappropriate to ask the Board to sanction the expenditure and to request the Education, Culture and Sport Committee to use the Education Service’s own budget or rethink this proposal, and decline to approve the expenditure.

On a division, there voted:- 

For the motion (5) – Councillors Farquharson, Greig, Leslie, McDonald and Kevin Stewart. 

For the amendment (2) – Councillors Boulton and Young.

The Board resolved:-

to adopt the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

The Board had before it a report by the Head of Human Resources submitting a number of vacancies to be considered by the Board. 

The report recommended:-

that the Board approve the recommendations of the relevant Directors who had considered a number of vacancies in conjunction with the Redeployment Team in the Human Resources Service. 

The Board resolved:-

(i)         to approve the external advertisement of the undernoted vacancies –

            (1)       Team Leader (Regional Communications Centre)

            (2)       Solicitor

            (3)       Senior Social Worker (Training Team)

            (4)       Family Information Service Development Assistant (part time)

            (5)       Family Centre Worker (Early Years) – two posts

            (6)       Homeless Accommodation and Support Worker

            (7)       Customer Services Assistant

            (8)       Pupil Support Assistant (9 part time posts)

            (9)       Word Processor Operator (Audio) (fixed term to 31/3/10)

            (10)     Clerical Assistant/Word Processor Operator (Court) (fixed term to 31/3/10)

            (11)     Work Experience Organiser (part time fixed term to 31/3/10)

            (12)     Senior Support Assistant (Community Centre) (fixed term to 31/3/10)

            (13)     Technician (School) (part time fixed term to 31/3/10);

(ii)        to approve the filling of the undernoted vacancies from a previous advertisement only –

            (1)       Supervisor (Leisure Centre)

            (2)       Occupational Therapist (three fixed term posts to 31/3/10)

            (3)       Support Assistant (Social Work) (part time fixed term to 31/3/10), and

(iii)       to approve the extension of a post of Bus Driver – Reading Bus (part time) until 31/3/10 subject to the agreement of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee at its meeting on 8^th October, 2009 and the extension of three posts of Support Assistant (Waste Collection/Disposal) to 31/3/10 subject to confirmation from the Head of Human Resources that there are no employment entitlements arising in respect of this extension.

-   KEVIN STEWART, Convener.