Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Val Gibson, Roger Lawrence, Sandra Samuels and Paul Sweet.

There were no declarations of interest.

[To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.]

Resolved:

            That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2015 be approved as a correct record.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes.]

There were no matters arising.

[To approve funding for offices rationalisation, investment works and car park repairs and to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Resources in consultation with the Director of Finance in regard to the procurement route and award of contract]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which outlined the issues and sought approval to effectively and efficiently tackle the risks faced by the Council and at the same time maximise the benefits from the investment in this proposed programme of work.

Resolved:

a)    That the proposal to undertake the ‘do minimum’ and least costly option for Civic Centre repairs and replacement works be approved.

b)    That the management and delivery of offices rationalisation and investment works (including the UTC relocation to the Civic Centre and Civic Centre car park repairs) be efficiently managed with a single overarching governance structure.

c)    That approval be sought from Council for an additional capital allocation of £390,197 for asset rationalisation and investment and an additional allocation of £716,382 for car park repairs.

d)    That funding in the sum of £266,000 be allocated from the efficiency reserve to meet the revenue programme management costs over the delivery period of the scheme.

e)    That funding in the sum of £612,000 be allocated from the regeneration reserve to fund the relocation of the UTC.

f)     That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Finance, in respect of the procurement route to be followed and award of contract within the approved budget.

g)    That continuation of preparatory work within the existing budget be approved.

[To review and approve the internal communication and engagement strategy]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which outlined plans for improved internal communication and engagement as part of the council’s wider Organisational and Development Strategy.

Resolved:

            That the internal communication and engagement strategy and plan-on-a-page be approved.

[To review and approve the city council’s new media protocol]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which detailed the proposed protocol including the roles and responsibilities of councillors and employees in dealing with the media, a brief overview of how media relations are managed within the council and the professional support available from the corporate communications team and contact details.

Resolved:

            That the city council’s new media protocol be approved.

[To approve new templates, guidance notes and refreshed policy]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which sought approval of the new appraisal documentation that supports the council in achieving the new corporate plan objectives and the organisational development strategy.

Resolved:

            That the new individual employee and team appraisal templates, guidance notes for managers and the refreshed appraisal policy be approved.

[To approve penalty charge]

Councillor Steve Evans presented the report, which sought approval of proposals to set the fee for a Fixed Penalty Notice in line with other neighbouring local authorities.

Resolved:

            That the fee for Fixed Penalty Notices issued for breach of a Community Protection Notice and a Public Protection Order, under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, be set at £80 in line with other neighbouring local authorities.

[To enter into a twelve month trial of a new environmental enforcement arrangement, to approve the proposed service specification and to delegate authority to award the contract in regard to ongoing provision]

Councillor Steve Evans presented the report, which outlined proposals to enter into a twelve month trial of a new environmental enforcement arrangement, in partnership with Kingdom Security Ltd.

Resolved:

a)    That the proposal for a twelve month trial of a new environmental enforcement arrangement, in partnership with Kingdom Security Limited and commencing 1 August 2015, be approved.

b)    That the waiving of the contract procedure rules to allow the trial arrangement to commence be endorsed.

c)    That the proposed service specification detailed in section 4 of the report be approved.

d)    That approval be given to an increase in the penalty charge in respect of the offences of dropping litter and smoking in a workplace from £50 to £75 and the removal of the early payment option for the smoking offence.

e)    That a change to the existing policy concerning the issuing of fixed penalties to young persons to allow the enforcement personnel to exercise discretion in the case of 16/17 year olds be endorsed.

f)     That authority be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to determine prosecution cases in respect of non-paid fixed penalties in line with existing agreed policy.

g)    That direct access to Council Tax data be approved, to assist Council enforcement staff in the tracing of offenders.

h)   That approval be given to a review of the implementation of the above arrangements after three months by the Service Director, City Environment, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for City Environment and, if the review supports the on-going provision of the service, the commencement of a tendering process be undertaken in accordance with the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) rules.

i)     That authority be delegated to the Service Director for City Environment to award the contract to the successful tenderer.

[To note the summary of decisions approved by the appropriate Cabinet Member in consultation with the relevant employee]

Resolved:

            That the summary of open and exempt individual executive decisions, approved by the appropriate Cabinet Members following consultation with the relevant employees, be noted.

[To pass the following resolution:

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information on the grounds shown below.]

Resolved:

            That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under paragraphs 1 and 3 relating to information in respect of any individual/information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

[To award contracts and delegate authority to execute the contracts in respect of the recommendations as required]

The recommendations for the award of contracts for works, goods and services were introduced by the relevant Cabinet portfolio holders.

Resolved:

a)    That contracts for site investigation be awarded to Ground Investigation and Piling Limited of Devonshire House, Ettingshall Road, Wolverhampton and to Johnson Poole and Bloomer Brettell Lane, Brierley Hill for a duration of four years from 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2019 for an estimated total contract value of £500,000.

b)    That contracts for ground stabilisation be awarded to Forkers Limited, West Bromwich and to M & J Drilling Services Limited of for a duration of four years from 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2019 for an estimated total contract value of £400,000.

c)    That the contract for head teacher training be awarded to Edge Hill University, Lancashire for a duration of one year from 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2016 for a total contract value of £124,440.

d)    That approval be given to the use of the Birmingham City Council Landscape Construction contract for a period of four years from 2015 to 2019.

e)    That the contract for Connect 2 software for Children’s Centres be awarded to Tribal Education Limited, Bristol for a duration of two years from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2017 for a total contract value of £118,538.

f)     That authority be delegated to the Director of Governance to execute the contracts in respect of the above as required.

[To approve contract to re-construct the road]

Councillor Bilson presented the report, which sought approval of the project to reconstruct the Compton Park access road, which is in the ownership of the Council, so that it may be adopted as a highway maintained at public expense in order to secure its management and maintenance going forward.

Resolved:

a)    That the scheme to reconstruct the Compton Park access road, including a new footway/cycleway, be approved at an estimated cost of £460,000 based on option 3 as set out in the report.

b)    That construction work be undertaken by contractors available to the council under existing framework arrangements.

c)    That authorisation be given to the appropriation of land occupied by the access road, including the new footway/cycleway, from Education to Highways.

d)    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets, through an Individual Executive Decision Notice, to approve the finally agreed terms for a Funding and/or Highways Agreement, together with any ancillary legal agreements that may be required to facilitate the reconstruction and adoption of the Compton Park access road.

[To approve funding for work being undertaken by the Learning and Achievement Service]

Councillor Darke presented the report, which detailed the work being undertaken by the Learning and Achievement Service area, in partnership with the LEP Board, to transform the leadership and management of schools within the City.  The Panel were advised that the word ‘vulnerable’ should be replaced by the word ‘supported’ in terms of the Head Teachers Support Programme.

Resolved:

            That approval be given to the use of funding in the sum of £299,600 in 2015/16, from the Local Education Partnership, to tackle the issues outlined in the report.

[To approve schedule of works and related expenditure]

Councillor Bilson presented the report, which sought approval for the schedule of works to refurbish the kitchen and bathroom units at the Showell Road gypsy and traveller caravan site and approval for the investment.

Resolved:

a)    That the schedule of works for the refurbishment of the kitchen and bathroom blocks at the Showell Road caravan site be approved.

b)    That approval be given to expenditure of up to £330,000 from the Showell Road Reserve Fund to finance the refurbishment works.