Agenda item

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Kevin Stewart declared an interest in relation to the discussion that took place regarding item 8 of the Business Statement (Shared Services Agenda – Trading Standards) by virtue of his membership on the Shared Services Board, but did not feel it was necessary to withdraw from the meeting during discussion of this item.

The Committee had before it a statement of pending and outstanding Committee business, which had been prepared by the Director of Corporate Governance.

In relation to item 8 of the list (Shared Services Agenda – Trading Standards), the Committee were provided with an update by the Trading Services Manager who advised that (1) the Aberdeen City and Shire Shared Services Board had approved the implementation of closer shared working between the two Councils' Trading Standards Services by means of a series of agreed protocols; (2) the Board acknowledged that both services had already provided large relative savings in management costs in the last two of years, and recognised that there was no realistic likelihood of further significant savings in terms of an integrated shared service if that service was to be adequately resourced; (3) the salary differentials between the services was proving problematic; (4) the necessary governance arrangements would be complex and hard to justify for such a small service (around 50 staff in total); (5) IT issues, in particular the need (if possible) for a shared database were complex, and the solutions expensive; and (6) partnership working offered all of the advantages of an integrated shared service with minimal increase in set up and on costs, but with less risk.  The Trading Standards Manager indicated that a report would be submitted to this Committee after the summer recess requesting formal ratification of the Board’s recommendation and approval of the action plan which would set out a list of protocols to be agreed between officers of both services.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         in relation to item 8 of the list (Shared Services Agenda – Trading Standards), to note the update provided by the Trading Standards Manager and to instruct that officers engage in discussions with Aberdeenshire Council with a view to presenting an action plan and draft protocols to its meeting of 24 August, 2010; and to note that this paper would then be referred to the Shared Services Board;

(ii)        to note that reports would be submitted after the summer recess for items 6 (Modernising Public Space CCTV), 10 (Housing for Varying Needs), 14 (Lift Refurbishment), 17 (Countryside Ranger Service Plan) 18 (Garden Maintenance Scheme), 19 (Modernisation of Housing Service), 21 (SURF Conference), 23 (Furnishings Contract), 24 (Incentive to Encourage Tenants to Downsize), 25 (Housing Access Centre), and 36 (Grounds Maintenance Service);

 (iii)      to remove items 9 (Public Analyst Service), 16 (Tree for Every Citizen), 20 (CIH Conference), 26 (Contractual Arrangements with Cyrenians), 30 (Auchmill Golf Course), 33 (Properties Removed From Charge) (resolution (i) only), 38 (Air Quality Action Plan), 40 (Phase 3 New Build), 41 (Beattie Avenue), and 42 (Financial and Performance Monitoring and Reporting to Committee), from the list; and

(iv)       to otherwise note the updates as contained within the list.