CORPORATE BUSINESS COMMITTEE

 

TUESDAY 16 MARCH 1999 - 3.00 pm

 

Present:-  Provost Allan, Councillors Clocherty, O’Rourke, Jackson, Nimmo, Mulholland, Rebecchi and Hunter, Councillor Clocherty, Vice-Convener, in the Chair.

 

In attendance:-  The Depute Chief Executive, Mr H McNeilly (for the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services), Miss J Monteith (for the Executive Director Education Services), the Executive Director Resource Services, Mr D Robin (for the Executive Director Social Work & Housing Services), Mr A S Grant (for the Director of Central Services), the Director of Information Technology Services, the Director of Personnel Services and the Head of Property Services.

 

An apology for absence was intimated on behalf of Councillor Sir Simpson Stevenson.

 

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

 

   302      GREENOCK MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS:  SOUTH WING SECOND & THIRD FLOOR                   302

OFFICES (DATA AND COMMUNICATIONS DISTRIBUTION)

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 March 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services requesting the Committee to homologate action taken to invite tenders for the data and communications networking at Greenock Municipal Buildings, South Wing, Second & Third Floor Offices to enable the continued progress of the networking of the Municipal Buildings.

NOTED

 

   303      SINGLE STATUS EMPLOYMENT                                                                                                       303

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 1 March 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising the Committee of the current position in respect of the negotiations taking place with a view to establishing a Single Status Agreement covering pay and conditions of service of both APT&C and Manual Worker employees together with a copy of the Draft Agreement.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the Committee note the content of the draft Single Status Agreement;  and

(b)  That the Committee note that further reports will be submitted advising of the action required to implement the final Agreement.

 

   304      COSLA - SCOTTISH OFFICE JOINT STAFFING WATCH (DECEMBER 1998)                              304

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 22 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising the Committee of the workforce profile of Inverclyde Council as at 31 December 1998.

NOTED

305       EDUCATION SERVICES (LIBRARIES) GRADING OF POSTS OF ASSISTANTS IN                          305

CHARGE

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 24 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services recommending a revised grade for posts of Assistant in Charge within branch libraries.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the Committee agree that the grade for posts of Assistants in Charge within branch libraries be set at GS1/3 (£8,376-£12,009);  and

(b)  That the existing Assistants in Charge retain their current grade of GS1/2 (£8,376-£11,313) together with 7.5% responsibility allowance on a personal basis.

 

   306      SOCIAL WORK AND HOUSING SERVICES:  ESTABLISHMENT OF POST OF                            306

ASSISTANT FRAUD OFFICER

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 19 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services seeking the Committee's approval to the establishment of a post of Assistant Fraud Officer graded AP1/2 (£12,009-£14,337) within the Housing Benefits and Rent Accounting Section of Social Work and Housing Services, the cost of establishing the post to be met from the Housing Services Employee Budget.

DECIDED:  That a post of Assistant Fraud Officer graded AP1/2 (£12,009-£14,337) be established within the Housing Benefits and Rent Accounting Section of Social Work and Housing Services.

 

   307      ST MICHAEL'S PRIMARY SCHOOL, CONCRETE REPAIRS                                                           307

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 26 February 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising the Committee of action taken by the appropriate Officers in order to avoid danger to staff and pupils at St Michael's Primary School by removing dangerous concrete window surrounds and requesting that this action be homologated.

DECIDED:  That the Committee homologate the action taken for the removal and subsequent repair of dangerous concrete window surrounds at St Michael's Primary School.

 

   308      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                          308

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 19 February 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

 

   309      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION                                                            309

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 24 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

   310      REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99                                                                                                                310

 

SUBMITTED;  Report dated 1 March 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the current position of the Revenue Budget 1998/99 as at 6 January 1999.

NOTED

 

   311      ACCOMMODATION WORKS 1998/99 - GREENOCK MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS - DATA           311

COMMUNICATIONS - REPRIORITISATION - USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS

PROCEDURE

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 9 March 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66(a) to approve the reprioritisation of resources by transferring a sum of £11,100 originally provided for the networking of the Grand Corridor area together with £20,000 allocated for computer cabling works, currently uncommitted, to enable the provision of a data and communications network within the South Wing, Second & Third Floor Offices, Municipal Buildings, Greenock.  It was noted that the total estimated cost of the project amounted to £39,000, and that any balance would be funded from the Information Technology Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

 

   312      PLANNED WINDOW CLEANING CONTRACT                                                                                312

 

It was agreed that this item be withdrawn from the agenda.

 

   313      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                    313

 

On the motion of the Convener it was agreed unanimously that, in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted items of business on the grounds that consideration of the items involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act as are set opposite each item:-

 

Item                                                                                                                           Paragraph(s)

 

Janitors' Projected Overspend 1998/99                                                                      1 & 8

Asset Utilisation                                                                                                         8 & 9

 

   314      JANITORS PROJECTED OVERSPEND 1998/99                                                                                 314

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 12 March 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive (i) advising of an overspend which had occurred in the projected expenditure for Janitors in 1998/99 and (ii) explaining the reasons for the overspend which had resulted in an under-provision in the current year's budget and the budget for 1999/2000 and that, consequently, provision of a sum of £26,430 would be required in the 1999/2000 budget.

DECIDED:

(a)  That it be remitted to the Policy and Strategy Committee to approve a budget increase of £26,430 in respect of an under-provision for employee costs in the 1999/2000 budget;

(b)  That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services in consultation with the Director of Personnel Services to examine and submit a report to Committee to confirm the management structure for Janitorial Staff and to examine the benefits of the introduction of Facilities Management;

(c)  That it be remitted to the Executive Director Resource Services in consultation with the Director of Personnel Services and the Head of Property Services to complete the examination of overpayment and to recover such sums as appropriate;

(d)  That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services to retain the current management arrangements subject to (b) above and maintain the improved close control of costs against budget to further introduce improved recording and categorisation measures;  and

(e)  That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services to determine economies through close customer liaison.

 

   315      ASSET UTILISATION                                                                                                                           315

 

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive on the progress of the site assembly and intended sale of a site in Greenock and the Committee agreed to note the progress, all as detailed in the Appendix.