Issue - items at meetings - Recommendations from the Executive Cabinet

Issue - meetings

Recommendations from the Executive Cabinet

 

 

Meeting: 21/09/2016 - Council (Item 47)

47 Recommendations from the Cabinet pdf icon PDF 67 KB

To consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 7th September 2016:

 

·         ICT  Infrastructure Resource      

·         Bromsgrove Energy Efficiency Fund and Scheme

·         Efficiency Plan

 

(The associated Cabinet reports are included at the back of the Council Book)

Minutes:

ICT Infrastructure Resource

 

Councillor G. N. Denaro proposed and Councillor P. L. Thomas seconded the recommendations from Cabinet in relation to the proposal to address issues  in the recruitment and retention of staff with certain specialised technical skills relating to the ICT infrastructure.

 

The recommendations included a proposal that the functions provided by the  ICT infrastructure roles be outsourced to an external provider. Councillor Denaro emphasised that this proposal related solely to this small area of the ICT department.

 

As an amendment it was proposed by Councillor L. C. R. Mallett and seconded by Councillor C. J. Bloore that consideration of the proposal be deferred to enable other options to address the issue to be fully explored.

 

During debate on the amendment some Members expressed the view that the proposal to outsource the infrastructure function may not be the most appropriate solution to the problem and may result in a higher cost for the function  to the Authority than that referred to within the report. It was also suggested that it would prove to be difficult to separate this small section from the remainder of the ICT department and to enter into a contract with a private company  which could provide a good quality service. There was a need to ensure that the Authority could achieve value for money.

 

The Leader indicated that on this occasion he was happy to support the spirit of the amendment and to support withdrawal of the recommendation at this stage  in order to ensure all options had been considered.

 

The recommendation was therefore withdrawn.

 

Bromsgrove Energy Efficiency Fund and Scheme

 

The recommendation from Cabinet was proposed by Councillor C. B. Taylor and seconded by Councillor  R. D. Smith.

 

In proposing the recommendation Councillor Taylor referred to the benefits of the proposed scheme which would assist local owner occupiers to heat their homes more efficiently and at a lower cost. This would have the effect of improving the health of residents through enabling the provision of warmer homes.

 

During the debate Members were in support of the proposals but queried whether the funding of £100,000 from the Disabled Facilities Grant Capital Budget would impact on the ability to undertake this work.

 

Councillor Taylor confirmed that additional funding had been  received from central government in relation to DFG’s and this meant  funding could be released for the Energy Efficiency Scheme. The remaining funding of £109,000 would be rolled forward and consideration would be given at a later date to its utilisation for other projects falling within the criteria of the Better Care Fund. 

 

RESOLVED that the capital budget of £100,000 previously allocated to

Disabled Facilities Grants be transferred to a capital budget for funding the installation of energy efficiency measures and that this be split over 3 years as follows:

 

2016/2017 - £34,000

2017/2018 - £33,000

2018/2019 - £33,000

 

  

Efficiency Plan 2016/2017 – 2019/2020

 

The recommendation from Cabinet in relation to the proposed Efficiency Plan 2016/2017 – 2019/2020 was proposed by Councillor G. N. Denaro and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47