Minutes:
The Committee had before it the following emergency motion by Councillor Adam, which the Convener had accepted onto the agenda as a matter of urgency:-
"This Council condemns the total disregard the SNP/Liberal Democrat Administration has for the people of Aberdeen by making excuses rather than clearing the ice from City pavements. Seeks clarification on why people have been trapped in their homes. Seeks information on how many claims for injuries sustained by residents and tourists of the City are expected and the likely outcome of any claim following the Administration's inability to act in accordance with its statutory obligation. Seeks information why so many grit bins across the City were either empty or full of rubbish and to seek assurance from the Political Leadership of this Council that they provide Council with a full operating plan as to how they intend to ensure that this will not happen again and that the plan is published for public reassurance".
At the outset, Councillor Adam asked why no action had been taken on his original request that all members of the Council be invited to attend today. The Convener replied that this request had not formed part of the motion, which she had accepted on the understanding that it was the Committee, not the Council, which had been intended to consider the matter. However, the attention of all members had been drawn to the motion, and any member not on the Committee was now able to request that he or she be heard as local member.
The Convener also asked Councillor Adam if he wished to have his motion remitted to Council instead, to which he replied that he did not, and that he wished the Committee to consider the motion forthwith.
The Vice-Convener then expressed concern that the part of the motion referring to claims for injuries appeared to raise the question of how the Council would handle the financial burden of claims not yet known, a matter falling within the remit of the Finance and Resources Committee. The Convener concurred and asked Councillor Adam if he would be prepared to excise this element from his motion, which he confirmed he was prepared to do. Councillor Adam also confirmed that he would not wish to seek to include within the motion a proposal that the excised part be remitted to the Finance and Resources Committee.
Its terms having been adjusted accordingly, Councillor Adam, seconded by Councillor Allan, moved his motion, and also that the current background report be noted but that a full report on the entire winter maintenance operation be brought to the next meeting of the Council.
As an amendment, the Convener, seconded by the Vice-Convener, moved that the Council:-
(1) thank all those staff from a wide variety of services who had been involved in snow clearing and gritting during this exceptional period of bad weather, particularly those who had given up holidays, and those who had undertaken roles over and above their usual ones;
(2) praise the citizens, businesses and community groups who had cleared paths and pavements in their own area; and
(3) instruct officers to bring back a full report in due course, detailing any suggested alterations to the winter maintenance plan and benchmarking this Council against other local authorities.
On a division, there voted:- for the motion (3) – Councillors Adam, Allan and Graham; for the amendment (12) – the Convener; the Vice-Convener; and Councillors Boulton, Clark, Corall, Cormie, Greig, Jaffrey, Milne, Penny, Robertson and Kevin Stewart.
The Committee resolved:-
to adopt the amendment and to request the officials to include within the eventual report proposals to encourage and support volunteer groups as part of the overall winter maintenance effort.