Service updates

SPECIAL MEETING OF STIRLING COUNCIL - THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2020

Last updated

23 Mar 2023

STIRLING COUNCIL‌‌

 

MINUTES of SPECIAL MEETING of STIRLING COUNCIL held as a VIRTUAL MEETING by

MICROSOFT TEAMS on THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2020 at 10.00 AM

 

Present:

Provost Christine SIMPSON (in the Chair)

 

Councillor Maureen BENNISON
Councillor Neil BENNY
Councillor Alistair BERRILL
Councillor Margaret BRISLEY
Councillor Robert DAVIES
Councillor Douglas DODDS
Councillor Martin EARL
Councillor Scott FARMER
Councillor Bryan FLANNAGAN
Councillor Danny GIBSON
Councillor Graham HOUSTON

Councillor Chris KANE
Councillor Graham LAMBIE
Councillor Alison LAURIE
Councillor Alastair MAJURY
Councillor Jeremy MCDONALD
Councillor Susan MCGILL
Councillor Ross OXBURGH

Councillor Alasdair TOLLEMACHE
Councillor Jim THOMSON
Councillor Evelyn TWEED

 

In Attendance

 

Carol Beattie, Chief Executive
Jim Boyle, Chief Officer – Finance

Stephen Clark, Chief Officer – Housing

Colette George, Digital Portfolio Delivery Manager, Strategic Commissioning & Customer Development

Mark Henderson, Senior Media Officer

Kevin Kelman, Chief Operating Officer – People
Drew Leslie, Senior Manager – Infrastructure

Bruce McClure, Service Manager – Delivery of CRD

Isabel McKnight, Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance
Sean Moffat, Assistant Analyst

Ewan Murray, Chief Finance Officer - Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership

Stuart Oliver, Senior Manager – Economic Development & Communities
Bruce Reekie, Senior Manager – Environment & Place

Brian Roberts, Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure & Environment
Marie Valente, Senior Manager (Chief Social Work Officer)

Dave Whyte, ICT Support Manager, Strategic, Commissioning & Customer Development
Julia McAfee, Chief Officer – Governance (Clerk)

Louise McDonald, Committee Officer (Minute Taker)
Emma Cameron, Support Officer

 

Also in Attendance

 

Mark Ferris, External Audit
Andrew Wallace, External Audit

Recording of Meeting started

 

Prior to the commencement of business, the Provost welcomed and thanked everyone for attending the meeting via MS Teams. A statement was read to the meeting providing detail on the procedures related to MS Teams and the protocols that both Members and Officers should adhere to throughout the meeting. Members were advised that Standing Order 61 would apply in relation to time allocations for Members contributions and Members would be
limited to two questions per item at this meeting.‌

 

The Provost asked the Clerk to carry out a roll call of all Members participating in the meeting. The Clerk confirmed all Members were in attendance except for Councillor Alasdair MacPherson and Councillor Graham Lambie. It was noted that Councillor Lambie was experiencing technical problems and was attempting to join the meeting.

 

At 10.06am the Council agreed to adjourn to allow Councillor Lambie to join the meeting

 

Recording of Meeting stopped

 

The Meeting reconvened at 10.07am with all Elected Members, except for Councillor Alasdair MacPherson present.

 

Recording of Meeting started

 

SC325 APOLOGIES

 

There were no apologies.

 

SC326 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

Information/Advice from officers on Budget Proposals had been issued prior to the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 47, and this is attached as Appendix A to these minutes.

 

SC327 BUDGET STRATEGY 2020/21 – ADDRESSING THE COVID-19 FINANCIAL
IMPACT

 

The Chief Officer – Finance presented the report and advised that the purpose of the report was to provide the Council with a further update on the current financial challenges the Council was facing in relation to the current pandemic situation and the potential impact this would have on the 2020/21 budget. The report also set out proposed means of addressing the financial impact in the current financial year, 2020/21. The information presented was based on best available information at this time, and the financial impact would be subject to future change, and this would be reported accordingly to the Council.

 

Motion

 

“The Council agrees:

  1. to note huge financial pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the Council’s finances;

     

  2. to acknowledge the strain that dealing with the pandemic has placed on
    staffing resources since March and that it is likely to continue for the
    foreseeable future, and to recognise the need to bolster the resource in areas where there is greatest pressure, as described in the officer report;

     

  3. to agree the officer recommendations in the report, as representing a
    measured response to meeting the in-year financial pressure, and avoiding the need to implement reductions to services at a time when our citizens and communities are under strain due to the pandemic;

     

  4. to note that the circumstances caused by the pandemic are fluid and that officers will constantly monitor the financial impact and advise the Council if the financial pressures change;

     

  5. to acknowledge that, should the Council response to the pandemic require to be increased, that the Council may have to reconvene to consider further responses to dealing with any additional financial pressures.”

 

Proposed by Councillor Margaret Brisley and Seconded by Councillor Alison Laurie

 

There were no amendments received and the Committee unanimously agreed the Motion.

 

The Committee gave thanks and commended the Chief Officer – Finance and the finance team for first class financial stewardship.

 

Decision

 

Council agreed to:

 

  1. note huge financial pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic had placed on the Council’s finances;

     

  2. acknowledge the strain that dealing with the pandemic had placed on staffing resources since March and that it was likely to continue for the foreseeable future, and to recognise the need to bolster the resource in areas where there was greatest pressure, as described in the officer report;

     

  3. the officer recommendations in the report, as representing a measured
    response to meeting the in-year financial pressure, and avoiding the need to implement reductions to services at a time when our citizens and communities are under strain due to the pandemic;

     

  4. note that the circumstances caused by the pandemic were fluid and that
    officers would constantly monitor the financial impact and advise the Council if the financial pressures change; and

     

  5. acknowledge that, should the Council response to the pandemic require to be increased, that the Council may have to reconvene to consider further responses to dealing with any additional financial pressures.

(Reference: Report by Chief Officer - Finance, dated 28 September 2020,
submitted).‌‌‌

 

SC328 GENERAL SERVICES CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2020/21 UPDATE AND OF COVID-19

 

The Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure & Environment presented the
report and advised that the purpose of the report was to provide Council with
an update on the Capital Programme for 2020/21, and the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of the programme.

 

The report provided Council with a proposed revised capital programme, taking account of the impact of COVID-19. The report also included additional
investments that were required for recovery in digital technology and
adaptations to council buildings which were necessary as a result of the
pandemic to enable the delivery of council services in a different format.

 

Councillor Earl left the meeting

 

Motion

“The Council agrees:

 

  1. to note the significant impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the delivery of the previously agreed capital programme, resulting in the projected financial outruns as contained in the officer report;

     

  2. to recognise the pressures and risks that will remain for the delivery of the programme throughout the remainder of this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and acknowledge the work that officers continue to do to deliver as much of the programme as is possible

     

  3. to agree the officer recommendations to allocate further critical investment in technology and alterations to facilities to support the delivery of Council Services, from available core capital resources within the current year;

     

  4. to agree the officer recommendations that the projects which have been
    deferred from this year due to the impact of Covid-19 will be prioritised for funding from the available capital resources in the 2021/22 programme.”

 

Proposed by Councillor Margaret Brisley and Seconded by Councillor Alison Laurie

 

There were no amendments received and the Committee unanimously agreed the Motion.

 

The Committee gave thanks and commended the Senior Management Team and the staff across all services.

 

Decision

 

Council agreed to:

  1. note the significant impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the delivery of the previously agreed capital programme, resulting in the projected financial outruns as contained in the officer report;

     

  2. recognise the pressures and risks that would remain for the delivery of the programme throughout the remainder of the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and acknowledge the work that officers continued to do to deliver as much of the programme as was possible;

     

  3. the officer recommendations to allocate further critical investment in
    technology and alterations to facilities to support the delivery of Council
    Services, from available core capital resources within the current year; and

     

  4. the officer recommendations that the projects which had been deferred from this year due to the impact of Covid-19 would be prioritised for funding from the available capital resources in the 2021/22 programme.

 

(Reference: Report by Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure & Environment,
dated 30 September 2020, submitted).

 

SC329 SCHEME FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY COUNCIL – OF TEMPORARY AMENDMENTS

 

The Chief Officer – Governance presented the report and noted that on 5 May
2020, temporary amendments to the Scheme for the Establishment of
Community Councils were agreed under the urgent business delegated
decision making process set up during the early lockdown period due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Council was now being asked to review the temporary amendments to enable
Community Councils to hold Annual General Meetings (AGMs).

 

Members gave thanks to all Community Councils’ across the district for the
fantastic work they were doing within their communities.

 

Councillor Chris Kane proposed the recommendations, seconded by Councillor
Scott Farmer.

 

The Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations.

 

Decision

 

Council agreed to the following revision to the temporary amendments to
Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils:-

 

10 Meetings

 

The second and third paragraphs be amended to read as follows:-

 

“The frequency of meetings will be determined by each Community
Council, subject to a minimum of one annual general meeting and up to
six ordinary meetings being held each year. Community Councils may,
but are not obliged to, hold an AGM, at which meeting office bearers are
elected and independently audited accounts are approved, provided that this is held as a virtual meeting conducted within the rules for such meetings as set out in the temporary amendments to the Scheme dated 1 May 2020.”

 

(Reference: Report by Chief Officer - Governance, dated 28 September 2020,
submitted).

 

The Provost declared the Meeting closed at 11.15am

Appendix A

 

SPECIAL MEETING of the STIRLING COUNCIL to be held as a VIRTUAL MEETING via

MICROSOFT TEAMS on THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2020

 

Budget Proposals and Amendments in terms of Standing Orders 44 to 49

 

Information/Advice from Officers

 

1. Budget Proposals Submitted by the Administration

 

  1. Budget Strategy 2020/21 – Addressing the Covid-19 Financial Impact

    (proposed Councillor Margaret Brisley, seconded Councillor Alison Laurie)

     

    Detailed Officer advice and information on the COVID-19 impact on the
    Revenue Budget is set out in the report submitted with the agenda.

    If adopted, this Motion would allow the Council to set a strategy for dealing with the substantial financial impact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Officer advice has already been provided in the preparation of this Motion and officers are satisfied that the Motion takes due account of the information as set out in the report submitted with the agenda.

     

  2. General Services Capital Programme 2020/21 Update and Impact of
    Covid-19 (proposed Councillor Margaret Brisley, seconded Councillor Alison
    Laurie)

 

Detailed Officer advice and information on the COVID-19 impact on the
Capital Programme is set out in the report submitted with the agenda.

If adopted, this Motion would allow the Council to set a strategy for managing
the substantial financial impact on the capital programme caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic. It recognises the practical difficulties in spending the
capital programme that was approved in March in a much restricted time
period, and it also proposes alternative investment plans that are now
necessary and urgent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officer advice has already been provided in the preparation of this Motion and
officers are satisfied that the Motion takes due account of the information as
set out in the report submitted with the agenda.