ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL
Town House,
ABERDEEN, 13th November 2007
COUNCIL MEETING
The Members of ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL are requested to meet here in the Town House on WEDNESDAY, 21st November 2007 at 2.00pm.
HAZEL SPALDING
HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
B U S I N E S S
MINUTES OF COUNCIL
1. (a) Minute of Meeting of Aberdeen City Council of 1st October 2007 (circulated separately)
MINUTES OF STANDING COMMITTEES
2. Pamphlet of Minutes (circulated separately) - for information
OTHER MINUTES
* 3. (a) Minute of Meeting of the Aberdeen City Alliance of 16th August 2007 - for information
* (b) Minute of Meeting of Guildry and Mortification Funds Board of 8th October 2007 - for approval
GENERAL BUSINESS
4. (a) Chief Executive’s Progress Report
Would Members please note that this report has been circulated separately.
* (b) Amended Procedure for Submission of Notices of Motion-Report by Head of Democratic Services-Decision of Continuous Improvement Committee of 7th November,2007
Would Members please note that the Continuous Improvement Committee at its meeting on 7th November, 2007 referred this report to Council simpliciter.
(c) (i) Progress on the Establishment of Short-term Halting Sites for Gypsies/Travellers – Report by Corporate Directors for Neighbourhood Services (North and South) and Strategic Leadership (to follow)
(ii) Minute Extracts from Meetings of Area Committee North and Area Committee South of 2nd and 4th October, 2007 (to follow)
* (d) Freedom of the City - Report by Head of Service, Office of Chief Executiveand Minutes of Meetings of Special Freedom of the City Committee of 21st August, 2007 and 2nd November, 2007
(e) Appointments:
The Aberdeen City Alliance - 1 Member
The Aberdeen City Alliance Executive Group - 1 Member from the Membership of The Aberdeen City Alliance
QUESTIONS
5. (a) Councillor Kiddie
Would the Chief Executive confirm that a review of the lettings policy for all community facilities will be conducted early in 2008? Would he further indicate when this review will be completed in view of the current anomalous nature of the existing policy?
(b) Councillor Farquharson
To Convener of Resources Management Committee
(1) Given the proposed changes in Equal Pay legislation, including a three year moratorium on individual claims, is it reasonable for the Aberdeen City Council to implement its own proposals on single status and modernisation at a minimum additional gross cost of £10m per year to the Aberdeen Council tax payers?
(2) What benefit is the Aberdeen Council tax payer going to get from the proposed single status and modernisation agreement currently under discussion between Council officers and the various staff unions. Are these changes worth an additional £10m per year?
(3) Has full consideration of local labour market pay rates been taken account of when making large increases to particular groups of staff making claims under equal pay legislation to the Council and are these increases excessive?
(4) Given the current proposals outlined by officials in respect of implied gross inequity of pay scales within the Council, is the Council willing to carry out an all party investigation and report into how this inequity was created in the first place?
(5) In terms of modernisation and accountability, can the Convener explain to members why there is no financial benefit or disincentive to staff who over perform or under perform against expected levels of work performance within the Council? The modernisation process is a perfect opportunity to bring accountability to staff at all levels of the organisations.
(c) Councillor Young
To Convener of Grampian Joint Police Board
(1) To ask the Convener of the Grampian Joint Police Board to confirm or otherwise if during any of his meeting with the Justice Minister on Wednesday if the justice Minister confirmed how many of the 1000 new police officers his party promised to provide Scotland during the Election campaign would be coming to Grampian Police?
To Convener of Policy and Strategy Committee
(2) To ask the Leader of the Council why on the 5th October 07 within a letter to the Evening Express she said “It would be irresponsible to keep schools open when the city's changing population pattern is leaving some half empty.” Yet she said in this Chamber on the 1st of October “We work differently from the Labour Group as we don’t go into a review knowing the outcome.” If she knew the outcome on the 5th of October what changed between the 1st of October and the 5th of October to allow her to tell the readers of the Evening Express the outcome of her party’s review of School closures?
(3) To ask the appropriate Convener what talks both informally and formally have taken place with Maureen Watt MSP current minister for Schools and Skills within the Scottish Executive regarding School closures in Aberdeen.
(4) To ask the Leader of the Council whether she would agree with me that when it comes to equal pay there should be no place for discriminating on the grounds of sex and that should this be the case Aberdeen City Council will rectify the situation immediately?
(5) To ask the Leader of the Council if she agrees with the North East Lib Dem MSP Alison McInnes who said Councils should be left to decide whether tenants have a right to buy their home?
(6) To ask the Leader of the Council has the administration included budgeting to reverse those cuts in its negotiations with the Scottish Government GAE awards for potential Council Tax freeze?
(7) To ask the Leader of the Council if the budget Settlement from the Scottish Executive will allow this Council to carry out the SNP manifesto commitments of Free School Meals for all P1-P3, Increase free nursery places by 50%, reduce class sizes in P1-P3 to 18, Improve Sport facilities in Schools, create additional support for Children with additional support needs, increase Police Numbers, Increase funding for free personal care and provide extra support for carers as well as provide a freeze on the Council Tax?
To Convener of Resources Management Committee
(8) To ask the Resource Management Convener what talks both informally and formally have taken place with Brian Adam MSP regarding the proposed budget settlement for Local Government?
(9) To ask the relevant Convener why after the decision of full Council on the 1st of October did the Council go ahead with the proposed changes to the swimming pool programmes without fully consulting the Staff and Trade Unions?
(10) To ask the Education spokesperson if this Council has a statutory duty to permit parental choice in the placing of pupils in primary Schools?
(11) To ask the relevant Convener the actual cost to the Council of hiring agency staff for the following three years to March 2007, 2006 and 2005.
(12) To ask the Resource Management Convener what exactly did he mean when on the 18th of July at the special Council meeting he said “the University of Aberdeen be requested within a period of two months to implement their obligations under the acquisition contract and provide the expected/contracted for title and that a further report on the matter be submitted to the Resource Management Committee”? Can he confirm or otherwise if this Council has received a clean title from the University?
(13) To ask the Resource Management Convener what steps he has taken since taking office to call on the Scottish Executive to help fund single status?
(14) To ask the Resource Management Convener how much this Council has paid out in order to settle employment claims either at or before tribunals for the year-end periods 2004, 2005 and 2006?
(15) To ask the relevant Convener what steps this Council are taking to protect Council workers who are being caught up in violence?
(16) To ask the relevant Convener how much will it cost to reverse the cuts in school budgets?
(17) To ask the relevant Convener if the administration have included budgeting to reverse cuts in School budgets in its negotiations with the Scottish Executive in future GAE awards to the Council of a perceived Council Tax freeze?
(18) To ask the relevant Convener how much it will cost to reverse the increase in charges for home help services?
(19) To ask the relevant Convener has the administration included budgeting to reverse the increase in charges for home help services ?
(20) To ask the relevant Convener what is the cost to this Council of increasing by 50% free nursery education to all children aged 3 and 4?
(21) To ask the relevant Convener how this Council intends to establish a sports volunteer programme with Schools and after Schools clubs?
(22) To ask the relevant Convener if should this Council provide free year round access to Council swimming pools will there continue to be lifeguards in place?
MOTIONS
6. (a) Councillor Donnelly
"Calls on this Council's Administration to install a portrait of Her Majesty The Queen in a prominent position in the Council Chamber in recognition of her being the longest serving Head of State in the free world and her continuous leadership in a dangerous world full of international terrorism.”
(b) Councillor Young
"This Council supports the Convener of the Joint Police Board in his attempt to obtain more Police Officers for Grampian Police by pointing out the disparity between Grampian Police and the rest of Scotland's Police forces and calls on the First Minister to fully fund Grampian Police. This Council points out that Grampian Police are currently under funded and that in order for Grampian Police to work for the betterment of Aberdeen's Communities this Council calls on the Scottish Executive to provide Grampian Police with the extra £20 million it deserves in order that its funding matches Strathclyde Police Authority."
REPORTS NOT FOR PUBLICATION
REFERRALS TO COUNCIL
* 7. (a) Resources Management Committee of 9th October, 2007-Premises at Granitehill Road-Ex-Richards of Aberdeen Ltd – Report by Head of Resources Development and Delivery.
GENERAL BUSINESS
* 8. (a) Guildry Funds Awards 2007 – Report by Head of Service, Office of Chief Executive
(b) Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre – Variation of Lease – Report by Corporate Director for Resources Management (to follow)
* circulated herewith
Should you require any further information about this agenda, please contact Martin Allan (Telephone 523057).
