Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence. 

Councillor Jenny Hannaby had sent her apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Executive meeting held on 3 September 2010 (previously published). 

RESOLVED

To approve as a correct record the Executive’s minutes of 3 September 2010 and agree that the Chair signs them. 

To receive any declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

Councillor Tony de Vere declared a personal interest in item 8 ‘Community safety partnership – possible merger with partnership in South Oxfordshire’.  He was the Executive’s appointed representative to the partnership (minute Ex.45 refers). 

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chair.

None

Any statements, petitions and questions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting. 

None

Appended to the agenda is a schedule of requests for virements.  Table 1 sets out virement requests for approval by the Executive.  Table 2 sets out virements approved under delegated authority by the Strategic Director. 

Recommendation

that the virements set out in table 1 of the agenda report be approved. 

The Executive considered an agenda report setting out 15 requests for virements.  Councillors approved the requests and noted details of nine virements approved by the chief finance officer under delegated authority. 

RESOLVED

To approve the virement requests set out in table 1 of the agenda report. 

To consider the report of the head of finance.   

The Executive considered report 66/10 of the head of finance.  This set out the revenue and capital, expenditure and income position at 30 September 2010, being the end of the 2010/11 second quarter. 

The report highlighted budget variances from the profiled original budget set by the Council in February 2010.  Councillors noted that at the end of the second quarter, there was a £674,000 underspend across all service areas.  However, this was offset by a loss of government grants (£190,000) and reduced investment income interest (£250,000), resulting in an underspend of £234,000.  This compared favourably with the overspend of £12,000 at the end of the first quarter.  The Executive was pleased with this news but urged further careful management of budgets for the remainder of the financial year. 

The Executive asked officers to determine the savings the council had made by buying new waste and recycling bins rather than paying for them through the contract.  Councillors noted that purchasing the bins would be significantly cheaper for the council over the anticipated life of the bins.  The head of finance agreed to calculate the savings, taking depreciation costs into account. 

To aid preparation of the draft budget for 2011/12, councillors asked for a summary of the benefits cost to the council over the last three years so this could be used to make a best estimate.  The officers should also consider expected changes to the welfare system when preparing the medium term financial plan. 

RESOLVED

To note the current position and forecast of outturn by the services. 

To consider report 63/10 of the head of corporate strategy. 

Councillor Tony de Vere declared a personal interest in this item.  In accordance with Standing Order 34, he remained in the meeting while it was considered. 

The Executive considered report 63/10 of the head of corporate strategy.  This proposed a pilot to merge the community safety partnerships of the Vale and South Oxfordshire into one partnership. 

The Executive believed that this was one of the most successful partnerships, involving all key partners in fighting crime and disorder.  The Executive supported the pilot as it would be coterminous with the newly formed police area from 1 April 2011 and would reflect the newly formed shared community safety team across the two councils.  The merged partnership would allow shared expertise, knowledge, skills and resources to tackle crime and disorder more effectively and would reduce the number of partnership meetings.  There was a risk that there was not enough resource to keep two partnerships running effectively.  South Oxfordshire’s Cabinet had also agreed to the pilot.  However, councillors asked that when reporting statistics, as far as possible there should be separate figures for the Vale and South Oxfordshire. 

RESOLVED

To pilot a South and Vale community safety partnership with effect from 1 April 2011, with a view to permanently merging the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse partnerships into a single partnership. 

To consider report 64/10 of the head of HR, IT and customer services. 

The Executive considered report 64/10 of the head of HR, IT and customer services regarding a proposal to replace photocopiers, printers, fax machines and scanners in a joint contract for the Vale and South Oxfordshire.  In their place, there would be a smaller number of multi-function devices.  The aim was to provide a more cost effective solution, which minimised officer time, and reduced energy costs and carbon emissions. 

After a comprehensive assessment of the options, the officers had concluded that leasing machines would be more cost-effective and recommended awarding the contract to Danwood Group.  The costs and projected financial and energy savings were set out in the report.  The Executive was pleased with the projected cost and energy savings and agreed to award the contract to the Danwood Group.  South Oxfordshire’s Cabinet had agreed likewise. 

RESOLVED

(a)               To approve the award of a contract for multi-function devices to Danwood as the preferred supplier offering the most economically advantageous tender;

(b)               To authorise the head of HR, IT, and customer services to make detailed changes to optimise the requirement specification for the number of multi-functional devices to be procured following consultation with affected users; and

(c)               To authorise the head of legal and democratic services to complete the legal formalities and enter into a framework agreement with the supplier. 

The Chair to move that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public, including the press, be excluded from the remainder of the meeting to prevent the disclosure to them of exempt information, as defined in Section 100(I) and Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, to the Act when the following item is considered:

Westway, Botley

(Category 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information.)

RESOLVED

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public, including the press, be excluded from the remainder of the meeting to prevent the disclosure to them of exempt information, as defined in Section 100(I) and Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, to the Act when the following item is considered:

Westway, Botley

(Category 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information.)

SUMMARY OF EXEMPT MINUTES

To consider report 65/10 of the head of economy, leisure, and property. 

The Executive agreed that the council entered into negotiations regarding Westway, Botley.