| 199 | RECORD OF THE MEETING |
| | | The record of the meetings held on 4 and 13 June 2007 were signed by the Chairman as correct. |
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| 200 | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
| | | Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Harriott, Juby and Stamp. |
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| 201 | URGENT MATTERS |
| | | The Chairman announced that there were no urgent items but that he would vary the order of the agenda and take agenda item 5(B) Critical Success Factors first. |
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| 202 | CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Committee was informed of the progress made against the Council's main priorities during the first quarter of this financial year. The areas within the Business Support Directorate that were not performing well were identified as:
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| | • | Staff sickness - a tough target of seven days per employee per year had been set and early indications showed that this would be a similar figure to last year at slightly higher than eight days for this directorate
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| | • | Speed of processing new housing and council tax benefit claims
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| | • | Speed of processing changes of circumstances to housing and council tax benefits - although officers were confident that this would be back on track by the year end
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| | • | Speed of processing new claims - the introduction of a new scheme for benefits in the form of a Local Housing Allowance had resulted in some delays for the first quarter. The new scheme will come into effect on 1 April 2008 but rent officers presently need to agree values for non Registered Social Landlord rents. This has involved a lot of preparatory work and meant a lengthening of the time taken to process these claims. |
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| | > Critical success factors (pdf file 121.4kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee agreed to:
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| | (i) | note the critical success factors and proposed action for the Business Support Directorate;
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| | (ii) | request that a briefing note is sent to Members of the Business Support and Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees clarifying the new arrangements for the Local Housing Allowance.
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| 203 | MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Committee was informed that the report reviewed the major financial issues facing the Council in the next three years. The Chief Finance Officer gave details of the three types of funding streams:
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| | • | funding from central government through a Dedicated Schools Grant
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| | • | funding from central government by way of Formula Grant
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| | • | funding raised locally by council tax
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| Officers had to forecast the potential resources for 2008-2011and these were set out in table one of paragraph 6.2 of the report. It was anticipated that the Formula Grant would effectively be frozen for the next three years as government offset any potential increase by a cash reduction for efficiency savings. Council tax was assumed to be acceptable at 5% as it was anticipated that the government would continue to cap the Council if it went over this figure.
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| Various budget pressures had been set out in paragraph 6.4 of the report in addition to the current financial year forecast of an overspend of £6 million. The resource deficiency by the end of 2011 was forecast at £28 million. Previous financial plans had set a control total for each directorate but a more strategic approach was now required given the scale of the forecast funding gap.
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| Members commented on the report and asked questions of the Chief Finance Officer that included issues around consultation, invest to save schemes and the pension fund. |
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| | > Medium Term Financial Plan cover report (pdf file 8.8kb) |
| | > Appendix A (pdf file 39.2kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee noted the Medium Term Financial Plan as presented. |
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| 204 | WORK PROGRAMME |
| | Discussion: |
| | | Members discussed the current work programme and agreed additions and changes to it. |
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| | > Work programme - appendix (pdf file 15.3kb) |
| | > Work programme (pdf file 9.7kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee agreed:
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| | (i) | that the Building Repair and Maintenance Fund report is submitted to the meeting on 16 October 2007;
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| | (ii) | to ask for a report on the financing of the Tour de France, setting out who had authority to spend the extra monies that were spent over and above those set in the budget and where they had been spent. Members also requested to know the roads that were repaired in Medway, together with the economic and other benefits of the race for residents. This report was to be added to the work programme for the 29 November 2007.
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| 205 | EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC |
| | | The Committee agreed the press and public to leave the meeting because the following item contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings under paragraphs 3 and 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. |
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| | > Exclusion of the press and public (pdf file 8.8kb) |
| 206 | STROOD RIVERSIDE |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Assistant Director, Corporate Services introduced the report and gave Members the background in relation to the negotiations in respect of the compulsory purchase order at Strood Riverside, together with details of the current situation. |
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| | > Strood Riverside - CPO Plan (pdf file 293.4kb) |
| | > Strood Riverside (pdf file 14.9kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | That the Committee is provided with an exempt briefing note giving full details of the matter to be settled shown in exempt paragraph 6.1 of the report. |
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