Meeting documents
Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Monday, 22nd October 2007
Present
Chair
DE Roberts
Councillors
A Bridson, JR Cocker, PSC Johnson, DT Knowles, GD Mitchell, SD Moseley
Index to Minutes
Minute 23 - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST/PARTY WHIP
Minute Text :
Members were asked to consider whether they had personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were. No such declarations were made.
Minute 24 - PROPOSED BUDGET SAVINGS
Minute Text :
At its meeting held on 4 October 2007, the Cabinet (minute 268 refers) agreed a number of savings and budgetary measures. The Leader of the Council had requested that the savings be considered by the relevant overview and scrutiny committee prior to the meeting of the Council on 29 October 2007, and the Director of Technical Services reported upon two items within the Technical Services Department proposals that fell within the remit of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee. These were -
(i) a budget reduction of £45,000 from the review of management and associated administration for the new waste, cleansing and recycling contract; and
(ii) a review of the waste contract budgets, including PR, Consultancy &c. bringing them in line with current actual spend and reducing the appropriate budgets by £141,600.
The savings would take effect in 2008/2009 and the Director commented that the new waste, cleansing and recycling contract was managed via an agreed Performance Management Framework and that it would be possible to reduce management and administrative costs historically borne by the Council. He indicated that it was always envisaged to undertake this review once the new contract was performing adequately and it was anticipated that by April 2008 this would be the case. He reported also that at the time of the award of the contract, a number of provisional items included within it were funded based upon estimated levels of activity. The first anniversary review had allowed those estimates to be reduced based upon actual levels of activity or revised estimates, and the Director commented that the proposed budget reductions would have no impact on current levels of service unless demand patterns changed.
He indicated that the review of management and administrative costs would result in two posts being deleted from the current establishments. However, given the relatively large lead in period, he envisaged no need for redundancy and that the reduction would be managed by redeployment/staff turnover.
In response to comments from members, the Director confirmed that the proposed reductions in expenditure in relation to the Rapid Response Activity and Graffiti Removal were based upon reduced demand patterns over the last 12 months.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the Technical Services budget savings of £186,600 be endorsed.
(Minutes Published: 23 October 2007)