Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillors Lesley Dunbar and Macdonald declared an interest in item 10.1 on the agenda, Caroline Phillips Plaque, due to their membership on the Women’s Alliance.  Both Councillors did not feel that their interest meant that they should leave the meeting.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the declarations of interest from Councillors Lesley Dunbar and Macdonald.

The Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 6 September 2018, for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the committee business planner as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to agree to remove items 4 (North East of Scotland Road Casualty Reduction), 5 (Commemorative Plaque Caroline Phillips), 7 (Fleet and MOT Issues), 8 (Community Learning and Development Strategic Plan), 9 (Waste Policies Review), 10 (Parking and Adjudicators for Scotland), 12 (Risk Register), 13 (Formal Joint Working Partnership of North Scotland Trading Standards Services), 14 (Procedure/Policy for Carrying out Temporary Repairs to Granite Setts/Cobbled Roads) and 16 (Performance Report);

(ii)          to request that item 15 (Roads Infrastructure Current Skills Shortages) be referred to Staff Governance Committee in order for a report to be brought back with details on this matter, and therefore deleted from this planner;

(iii)         to request that item 40 (Review of Broad Street Pedestrianisation) include options for looking at the re-instatement of a pedestrian crossing when the report is brought to this Committee;

(iv)         to note that item 11 (Public Bodies Duties Climate Change 2017/18) had transferred to City Growth and Resources Committee; and

(v)          to otherwise note the information on the Business Planner.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Customer, which provided members with a summary of the key performance measures relating to the Operations Function.  Appended to the report were the performance summary dashboard, the performance analysis of exceptions and the 2017/18 statutory performance indicators.

Councillor Jackie Dunbar, seconded by Councillor Townson, moved as a procedural motion,:-

That information on agency staff including costs, be added back into the data analysis for future performance reports.

On a division, there voted:-

For the procedural motion (6) – Councillors Alphonse, Cooke, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar, Hutchison and Townson

Against the procedural motion (8) – the Convener, the Vice Conveners Councillors Bell and Grant, Lesley Dunbar, Houghton, Macdonald and Jennifer Stewart.

The Committee resolved:-

to reject the procedural motion.

The Committee further resolved:-

(i)            to note that the Chief Operating Officer would email requested information to Councillor Jackie Dunbar in regard to staff costs;

(ii)          to request that the Director of Customer Services investigate issues brought to attention by Councillor Delaney in regard to street lighting and to raise these with IT, and to circulate any feedback to members;

(iii)         to request that a comments section be added to the report for the next cycle in regard to Environmental Services;

(iv)         to request that officers confirm the HMO figures contained within the report;

(v)          to request that officers look at the one hour target in regard to the ASBIT team and to examine whether there was a more valuable way of reporting the information;

(vi)         to request that officers look at having five categories for the traffic light system and to separate out the indicator where no target is identified and one is not appropriate;

(vii)        to request that the Chief Officer – Integrated Children’s and Family Services, email members to provide information on what the Council was doing to help mitigate problems some individuals had in regard to coping with a property after being homeless;

(viii)       to request that officers provide information to members on the equality target set out; and

(ix)         to otherwise note the performance of the 2017/18 Statutory Performance information contained in the report.

The Committee had before it a report by various Chief Officers for the Operations Function, which presented the Cluster Risk Registers in accordance with the Risk Management Framework and Committee Terms of Reference.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the Cluster Risk Registers in accordance with the Risk Management Framework and Committee Terms of Reference

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth, which sought approval for the erection of a plaque to Caroline Phillips, local suffragette and journalist, at 41 ½ Union Street.

Councillors Macdonald and Jennifer Stewart spoke in support of the plaque and highlighted the ongoing effort in celebrating women and their achievements over the decades.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the erection of a plaque to Caroline Phillips (1874-1956), local suffragette and journalist, at 41 ½ Union Street.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, which reported the findings of the Corporate Investigation Team regarding the information that had been received that there were several Council vehicles that had been in operation without a valid MOT certificate.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the findings and recommendations of the internal Corporate Investigation into the use of Council vehicles without an MOT certificate.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, which highlighted the requirements placed on Local Authorities by the Scottish Statutory Instrument and the requirements of Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the Community Learning and Development Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and the process required to enable its implementation in line with the Scottish Statutory Instrument, Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to thank officers for the huge amount of work that was involved with the Strategic Plan; and

(ii)          to otherwise approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, which sought approval for the procedure for carrying out temporary repairs to granite setts/precast blocks and which would enable Aberdeen City Council to fulfil its statutory obligation under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approves the use of bituminous materials in the temporary repair of granite setts and precast block carriageways and that a further report will be brought to the Operational Delivery Committee to outline the permanent repair options and associated costs.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to approve the replacement of lock block with the same or similar materials where it is feasible to do so; and

(ii)          to otherwise approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, which sought approval of revised waste policies dealing with excess waste, contamination, assisted bin uplifts and unadopted roads.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the revised policies for the following:-

(a) Excess Waste Policy

(b) Assisted Collections Policy

(c) Contamination of Recycling Policy

(d) Unadopted Roads Waste and Recycling Policy.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation contained within the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, which sought approval to respond to the consultation in regard to Parking and Bus Lane Adjudicators for Scotland using the proposed consultation draft.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the response to the consultation on Parking and Bus lane Adjudicators for Scotland.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation as contained within the report

-       Councillor John Wheeler, Convener