Issue - meetings

Minutes

Meeting: 12/01/2012 - Cabinet (Item 238)

Minutes

The minutes of the last meeting have been printed and published.  Any matters called in will be reported at the meeting.

 

Three minutes from the 8 December, 2011 meeting were the subject of objections at Council on 12 December, 2011 and the wording of the objections, as approved by Council, is listed below:

 

Minute 210 – Corporate Plan 2012/13 - Update

 

Objection 1:

 

Resolved (35:29) (One abstention) –

 

(1)  That a decision on the Corporate Plan be postponed and deferred to the next Full Council meeting and that, in the meantime, the Corporate Plan is referred to all the Council’s OSCs for scrutiny. In line with Article 6 of the Constitution, OSCs to consider those parts of the Corporate Plan within the remit of each committee, with Council Excellence OSC carrying out its coordinating role in line with Clause 23 of the Constitution relating to Council Excellence, specifically "the overall production of the Corporate Plan." That a report to the next Council be made on the views of the OSCs.

 

(2)  Council notes that the Corporate Plan was not issued with the Council Summons and therefore elected members have not had sufficient time to consider this important document, nor have they been sufficiently engaged in its development, despite the previous assurances of the Leader of the Council to include OSCs in the development of the Budget and Policy Framework.

 

Objection 2:

 

Resolved (35:29) (One abstention) –

 

Council recognises the difference between a wish list (however many good intentions the list espouses) and a plan is the presence of objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound. Council notes that the new corporate plan sent to it by the administration for endorsement has 13 pages of commentary, 75 wishes and a complete lack of specific activities to be undertaken, dates by when they will be completed or how success will be measured.

 

Council believes that the lack of clarity and rigour in the plan, as now presented, will lead to confusion regarding how departmental plans can best be configured to contribute to clear Council objectives and lead to a return of the silo approach to service delivery and problem solving.

 

Council notes the definition of good corporate governance includes reference to inclusive, consultative and transparent decision making and therefore regrets that the development of the new corporate plan, sent to it by the administration for agreement, has not been inclusive, consultative or transparent.  

 

Council therefore refuses to adopt the new Corporate Plan in its current state and recommends, in the absence of a meaningful public consultation exercise this year, that:

 

(1)  The administration seeks the views of all relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees and Council partners.

(2)  Any comments received are transparently evaluated by the Cabinet.

(3)  Following (1) & (2) above, a more robust plan containing SMART objectives is resubmitted to a future Council.

 

Minute 215 – Capital Programme and Financing 2012-15

 

Resolved (64:0) (One abstention) – That the objection be approved.

 

That the Capital Programme as proposed by  ...  view the full agenda text for item 238

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the objections be noted and the Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 8 December 2011 be confirmed as a correct record.