Agenda item

With reference to Article 7 of the minute of its meeting of 24^th June 2009, the Council had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance which reviewed the operation of the new committee structures.

The report discussed the length of the committee cycle, which had been changed from an eight week cycle to a six week cycle in June 2007. This change had presented a number of challenges, for example particular cycles had been reduced even further to avoid clashes with holiday periods and cyclical reports (such as performance reports and budget monitoring reports) and update reports had to be prepared before the previous report had been considered by committee, which meant that the opportunity to provide the most up-to-date information was limited.

The report emphasised the benefits of reverting to an eight week cycle in relation to budget monitoring, freeing up both officer and elected member time, freeing up accommodation and efficiency savings vis-à-vis reduced printing, paper and associated costs.

The report appended three options for a revised calendar of meetings for the remainder of 2010. The first two options proposed an immediate change to the committee cycle, however the third option, which had been submitted by the Liberal Democrat Group during consultation on the report, envisaged the change taking place after the summer recess.

The report made reference to the operation of the Finance and Resources and Corporate Policy and Performance Committees since August 2009, commenting that the Finance and Resources Committee was the largest committee and that the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee had been progressing a number of significant policy matters.

Lastly, in relation to Standing Orders, the report suggested that the Chief Executive be authorised to approve the changes that needed to be made following the implementation of the new Head of Service structure without the need for Standing Orders to be referred back to Council for approval. At the Council meeting of 10^th February 2010, the Lord Provost requested that advice be provided on what constituted a Point of Order - the report suggested that Standing Order 18(3) be expanded to clarify that a Point of Order was only a query as to whether procedures were being followed properly.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              agree that the committee cycle revert to being one of eight weeks rather than six, and that one of the revised calendars of meetings appended to the report be approved for the remainder of 2010, which included changing the order of committees within the cycle;

(b)              determine if the present committee structure be continued, particularly in relation to the Finance and Resources and Corporate Policy and Performance Committees, if the Budget Monitoring Board should be disbanded and if any changes needed to be made to the Orders of Reference; and

(c)               determine if it wanted to make any further changes to Standing Orders, beyond those which would be necessitated by the introduction of the new Head of Service structure and the clarification of what constitutes a Point of Order (which would require the suspension of Standing Order 22(1) as the revised Standing Orders were approved within the last six months).

Councillor John Stewart moved, seconded by Councillor Kevin Stewart:-

That the present committee structure be continued and that the Council agree that Standing Order 22(1) be suspended in delegating authority to the Chief Executive to make the changes to Standing Orders necessitated by the introduction of the new Head of Service structure.

Councillor Graham moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Crockett:-

That the Council agree (1) that the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee was no longer required and approve revised remits for an Audit, Risk and Performance Committee and a Corporate Policy and Resources Committee which would incorporate and encompass the work of the present Corporate Policy and Performance Committee; and (2) status quo regarding Standing Orders.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion (32)  -  Lord Provost Peter Stephen; Depute Provost Dunbar; and Councillors Boulton, Clark, Corall, Cormack, Cormie, Dean, Donnelly, Farquharson, Fletcher, Greig, Jaffrey, Kiddie, Leslie, McCaig, McDonald, Malone, May, Milne, Noble, Penny, Reynolds, Robertson, Jennifer Stewart, John Stewart, Kevin Stewart, Wendy Stuart, John West, Kirsty West, Wisely and Yuill.

For the amendment (11) - Councillors Adam, Allan, Cassie, Collie, Cooney, Crockett, Graham, Hunter, Ironside, Laing and Young.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to adopt the motion;

(ii)               to agree that the committee cycle revert to being one of eight weeks rather than six weeks, and to approve the third calendar appended to the report subject to the dates of the Licensing Committee meetings being moved back one week and to the dates of the Appeals Committee being clarified, which meant that the change would not be effective until after the summer recess;

(iii)             to disband the Budget Monitoring Board; and

(iv)             that Council meetings continue to start at 10.30am up to and including the meeting on 6^th October 2010, and that officers monitor the length of the meetings, reporting to the October meeting, with a view to returning to a 2.00pm start should business appear to be conducted within reasonable timescales.