POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

 

WEDNESDAY, 1 JULY 1998 - 2.00 pm

 

Present:-  Provost Allan, Councillors Calvert, Clocherty, Morrison (M), Jackson, McGhee, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Sir Simpson Stevenson and Finnie, Councillor  Mulholland, Convener, in the Chair.

 

In Attendance:-  The Chief Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration), the Assistant Chief Executive (Contract Services), the Director of Central Services, the Director of Finance, Miss J Monteith (for the Director of Education Services), the Director of Property and Technical Services, the Director of Leisure and Recreation, the Director of Social Work, the Director of Personnel Services, the Director of Information Technology, the Director of Transportation and Roads and the Chief Consumer Protection & Trading Standards Officer.

 

An apology for absence was intimated on behalf of Councillor Mitchell.

 

   687      COUNCIL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE                                                                                          687

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 24 June 1998 by the Chief Executive setting out (i) the background to the current Council management structure including the Council's previous decision to examine proposals for its review in June 1997 and (ii) a description of new proposals leading to a new structure with a Corporate Management Team together with a proposed transfer of specific responsibilities and their associated staff to the Chief Executive's Office.

Councillor Mulholland moved (a) that the Committee agree that the recommendations in Appendix 4 of the report approved by the Committee on 10 June 1997 be not progressed; (b) that the proposals detailed in Section 5 of the report be agreed with the amendments that the members of the new Corporate Management Team be designated as Directors with executive powers and that the Committee entitled "Protective and Development Services " be titled "Economic Development and Protective Services ", (c) that, subject to consultation with staff and trade unions as appropriate, the appointment process for the Directors with executive powers and Depute Chief Executive be undertaken as speedily as possible with an interview panel to recommend the appointments to the Council and the Chief Executive be authorised to take all appropriate action in connection therewith in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Depute Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition; and (d) the interview panel comprise the Leader and Depute Leader of the Council and Councillor Mrs Morrison (M) and 2 Members of the Minority Groups to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition with provision for substitute Members in the event of unavailability.

As an amendment, Councillor Finnie moved the following adjustments to the proposals set out in the report, namely that in respect of Appendix 4, Community Services and Protective Services be combined into Community and Protective Services, that the Inverclyde Regeneration Partnership be transferred from the Chief Executive's responsibility to that of Economic Development and consequently there be 5 Committees comprising Corporate Resources, Community and Protective Services, Economic Development, Education Services and Social Work and Housing Services and in respect of Appendix 5 that the areas of

Protective Services and Community Services be combined, that the Council recognise with regret a material change to 2 Assistant Chief Executive posts and remit it to the Chief Executive to deal with the circumstances in accordance with best practice to resolve the position with 1 post being made redundant.

On a vote being taken, 2 Members voted for the amendment and 8 for the motion which was declared carried.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the Committee agree that the recommendations in Appendix 4 of the report considered approved by the Committee on 10 June 1997 be not progressed;

(b)  That the proposals detailed in Section 5 of the report be agreed with the amendments that the members of the new Corporate Management Team be designated as Directors with executive powers and that the Committee entitled "Protective and Development Services " be titled "Economic Development and Protective Services ",

(c)  That, subject to consultation with staff and trade unions as appropriate, the appointment process for the Directors with executive powers and Depute Chief Executive be undertaken as speedily as possible with an interview panel to recommend the appointments to the Council and the Chief Executive be authorised to take all appropriate action in connection therewith in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Depute Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition; and

(d)  That the interview panel comprise the Leader and Depute Leader of the Council and Councillor Mrs Morrison (M) and 2 Members of the Minority Groups to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition with provision for substitute Members in the event of unavailability.