Agenda and minutes

The Board had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure providing a summary of applications made to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund for Retail Rocks Aberdeen and Safer Places Improved Spaces.  

The report recommended:-

that the Board note the details of the applications and approve the allocation (if the bids are successful) of £55,000 towards the Safer Places Improved Spaces bid from an underspending in the Corporate Revenue Investment Fund budget.

The Board resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

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)       Assistant Accountant

(2)       Estates Surveyor (one full time and one part time post)

(3)       Family Information Service Manager

(4)       Care Assistants (6 part time posts)

(5)       Personal Carers (12 part time posts)

(6)       Quantity Surveying Technician

(7)       Technical Officer (Quantity Surveying)

(8)       Practice Teacher (Social Care) (part time)

(9)       Technician (School, Science)

(10)     Assistant Cook (Care Centre) (part time)

(11)     Senior Social Worker (Adoption and Fostering)

(12)     Senior Support Worker (Children’s Home)

(13)     Outreach Support Worker (Family Centre)

(14)     Activities Co-ordinator (Care Home) (part time)

(15)     Casual Customer Service Adviser (Access Point) (4 part time posts as and when required)

(16)     Shift Leader (Care Out-of-Hours) (2 part time posts)

(17)     Social Worker (Out-of-Hours) (part time)

(18)     Clerical Assistant/Typist (Care Home) (fixed term)

(19)     Depute Head Teacher (3 posts)

(20)     Head Teacher (3 posts)

(21)     Teacher (ASN Science/IT) (part time)

(22)     Teacher of Design and Technology

(23)     Teacher of Drama

(24)     Teacher of Music (part time)

(25)     Teacher of Physics

(26)     Teacher of Additional Support Needs

(27)     Teacher of Geography (part time on a fixed term basis)

(28)     Teacher (Primary) (3 fixed term posts)

(29)     Teacher of Design and Technology (part time on a fixed term basis)

(30)     Teacher of Modern Languages (part time on a fixed term basis)

(31)     Teacher of Physical Education (fixed term)

(ii)       to note the withdrawal, at the request of the service concerned, of vacancies of School Support Assistant (fixed term), Teacher of Support for Learning (one part time and one full time post) and a part time post of Teacher of Additional Support for Learning;

(iii)      to approve as an urgent request the external advertising of a post of Library Assistant for the Support Service to Schools in order to maintain access to the Resource Centre by Teachers;

(iv)       to approve the internal advertising only of the undernoted vacancies –

            (1)        Team Leader (Document Processing)

            (2)        System Trainer (CareFirst)

(3)       Support Assistant (Non-Housing Repairs) (part time on a fixed term basis);  and

(v)        to request the Head of Human Resources to report to a future meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on implications for the City Council of a recent change in legislation and of a court case involving another Scottish local authority on the current requirements in relation to the recruitment process for Head Teachers.

MATTER OF URGENCY

            The Convener intimated that he had directed in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the following report be considered as a matter of urgency to enable the Board to consider whether the City Council should participate in a Project for which there was a time limit to submit a request for a place.

The Board had before it a report by the Chief Executive advising the Board of the opportunity for the City Council to participate in the Economic Analysis and Forecasting Pathfinder Project designed to provide information to support future budgetary planning, pointing out that participation would enable the City Council to work with nine other local authorities across the UK in analytical and forecasting work.  

The report recommended:-

that the Board –

(a)       revoke the provisions of Standing Order 69(3)(i) to enable the City Council to exempt this piece of work from the competitive procurement requirements of the Standing Orders to enable immediate participation in the Economic Analysis and Forecasting Pathfinder Project which is being led by PriceWaterhouseCooper;

(b)       agree that the subscription of £35,000 be funded through revenue savings accrued in the management structure in the 2009/10 financial year;  and

(c)       agree that the findings arising from the Economic Analysis and Forecasting Pathfinder Project be reported to a future meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee.

The Board resolved:-

(i)        to approve the recommendations;  and

(ii)       to request the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure to issue a briefing note to members of the Board explaining the forecasting methodology adopted by the City Council on which major economic and related strategies have been based, for example, the current Structure Plan.

MATTER OF URGENCY

            The Convener intimated that he had directed in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the following report be considered as a matter of urgency to enable the Board to consider whether the City Council should sign the Memorandum of Undertaking in respect of the Hub Initiative by the deadline of 14 September, 2009.

The Board had before it a report by the Chief Executive advising (i) of the creation of the Hub Initiative by the Scottish Government to assist in the procurement of public sector capital projects, (ii) that Aberdeen has been included in the North Territory initiative which comprises the geographical areas of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Argyll & Bute, Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland Island Councils, and (iii) that on the basis of detailed work undertaken by officers to date it is recommended that the City Council participates in the next stage of the development of the North Territory Hub Company.  

The report recommended:-

that the Board –

(a)       agree that the City Council should sign the appropriate documentation to participate in the next stage of the development of the North Territory Hub Company;  and

(b)       that reports be made on a regular basis to relevant City Council Committees on the progress of this initiative with a detailed report being submitted in due course on the outcome of the procurement of a private partner and on the consequences for the City Council of participating in a North Territory Hub Company.

The Board resolved:-

to approve the recommendations having noted there are no immediate financial implications for the City Council and that Moray Council has recently agreed not to proceed to the next stage of the Hub Initiative.

-   KEVIN STEWART, Convener.