Policy and Resources Committee 20 April 2007
From Nigov
Policy and Resources Committee Friday, 20th April, 2007
Contents |
MEETING OF POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Members present
Councillor A. Maskey (Chairman); and Councillors Attwood, D. Browne, M. Browne, D. Dodds, Hartley, Lavery, Maginness, P. Maskey, McCann, McCausland, Newton, O'Reilly, Rodgers and Rodway.
In attendance
- Mr. P. McNaney (Chief Executive)
- Mr. G. Millar (Director of Improvement)
- Mr. T. Salmon (Director of Corporate Services)
- Mr. S. McCrory (Principal Committee Administrator)
- Mr. J. Hanna (Senior Committee Administrator)
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of 23rd March were taken as read and signed as correct. It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 2nd April, 2007.
Financial Matters
Finance, Administration and Information Systems Sub-Committee
Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance, Administration and Information Systems Sub-Committee held on 22nd March be approved and adopted.
Loan Transactions
The Committee was informed that loan transactions for the quarter ended 31st March, 2007 had been as undernoted:
|Loans Raised | | |
|Mortgages | |- | |Government Loans Fund | |- | |Lending Funds | |- | |Temporary Loans | | ________- | | |Total Loans Raised | - |
|Loans Repaid | | |
|Mortgages | |- | |Government Loans Fund | |125,565 | |Lending Funds | |20,361,807 | |Temporary Loans | | - | | |Total Loans Repaid |£20,487,372 |
|Total amount of Loans outstanding | |48,598,796 | |at 31 March 2007 | | | | | | | |Less Investments and Cash in Bank | |30,164,526 | | |NET DEBT |£18,434,270 |
Made up of:-
|Belfast City Council |% | | |Transferred Services |100.00% |£18,434,270 | | |100.00% |£18,434,270 |
Noted.
Political Processes and Members' Issues
Members Sub-Committee
Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Members Sub-Committee held on 16th April be approved and adopted.
Arrangement for the Appointment of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor
In accordance with Notice on the Agenda, Councillor D. Browne requested that the Committee consider introducing an arrangement for the appointment of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor for the remaining two years of the current Council term. He pointed out that the posts of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor had been held by two of the four largest Parties on the Council, that is, the Democratic Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party, during the first two years of the term and suggested that it might be appropriate for the Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionist Parties to hold the positions for the remaining two, with the Sinn Fein Party taking the Lord Mayor's position in June.
After discussion, Councillor D. Browne indicated that he would meet with the Party Group Leaders to hold further discussions in the matter.
Corporate Strategic Issues
Review of Public Administration
Transfer of Functions Update
The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee's consideration the undernoted report in respect of the Transfer of Functions.
The Chief Executive outlined the main aspects of the report and highlighted those issues which the Committee would have to consider in due course, including the future role of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association and the Council's relationship with that organisation, the return to devolved Government and its likely impact upon the Review of Public Administration and the need to develop relationships with the new Ministers in the Departments which were transferring functions to Local Government.
After discussion, the Committee noted the contents of the report and the actions being taken to build capacity and encourage alignment between the activities of the Council and the Government Departments. The Committee endorsed also the commissioning of the business case for the transfer of functions from Central to Local Government and agreed that letters be forwarded to those Ministers of the Northern Ireland Assembly Departments which were transferring functions in order to seek dialogue on transitional issues and matters of wider concern to the City.
Performance Management and Improvement Agenda
Governance Implementation Update
The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to the implementation of the new governance arrangements.
After discussion, during which the Director of Improvement undertook to submit to the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee scheduled to be held in June a report on the draft Terms of Reference for the Audit Panel, the Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed that those Members appointed to the Audit Panel be required to undertake Audit Panel training.
Good Relations and Equality Issues
(Mrs. H. Francey, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with these items.)
Funding Applications
The Committee was advised that six applications for Good Relations Grant-Aid had been received from five organisations. The applications had been assessed using pre-agreed criteria and a schedule of the requests, together with the recommendations thereon, is set out hereunder:
|Organisation |Project |Recommendation | | | | | | | |£ | |Belfast Interface Project |Networking Support | 6,760 | |Belfast Interface Project |Strategic Planning Support | 8,250 | |Ballynafeigh Community Development Association |Cultural Awareness Through Art | 4,150 | |Women's Information Group |Women's Information Days | 2,019 | |Indian Community Centre |Anti-Racism and Equality Training for the Indian | 500 | | |Community and Locals in | | | |North Belfast | | |Egyptian Society of Northern Ireland |Egyptian Day in Northern Ireland | 4,250 |
After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed that a six-monthly progress report in relation to the application submitted by the Belfast Interface Project for the support of new and existing mobile phone networks and their ongoing development be submitted to the Committee in due course. It was agreed also that a report on mobile phone network projects, appropriate evaluations and other measures of funding provided for such schemes be submitted to a future meeting.
Six-Monthly Progress Report - Implementation of the Council's Good Relations Strategy.
The Committee noted a report (This should be requested under Freedom of Information) in relation to the implementation of the Council's Good Relations Strategy during the period from October, 2006 till March, 2007.
Human Resources Issues
Personnel Sub-Committee
The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Personnel Sub-Committee held on 12th April.
Project Management Unit - Resources Review
The Committee was informed that the Development Committee, at its meeting on 15th February, 2006, had agreed that the Business Improvement Section undertake a structural review of the Development Department's Project Management Unit in consultation with the Core Improvement Team. The intention had been to establish an appropriate level of staffing resource for all projects delivered by the Unit on behalf of the Council. The Director of Improvement pointed out that from 1st April he had assumed responsibility for the new Project Management Unit and, accordingly, he submitted for the Committee's consideration the report of the Business Improvement Section, a copy of the Executive Summary of which is set out hereunder.
After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations of the Business Improvement Section in relation to the staffing of the Project Management Unit.
Permanent Appointment of Web Editors
The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to the permanent appointment of Web Editors.
The Committee adopted the recommendation.
Accommodation and Hospitality
City Hall - Use of Accommodation and Provision of Civic Hospitality
The Committee was advised that the undernoted requests for the use of accommodation in the City Hall and the provision of civic hospitality had been received. An indication as to whether they fell within the criteria approved by the Committee and the recommendations thereon of the Head of Committee and Members' Services is set out hereunder:
|Organisation/ Body |Event/Date - |Request |Comments |Recommendation | | |Number of Delegates/Guests | | | | |The Royal College of|Royal College of Midwives |Use of City Hall and the|It is estimated that 20 |Use of City Hall and the | |Midwives |Conference and Anniversary |provision of hospitality|delegates will be staying |provision of a drinks | | |Celebrations |in the form of a drinks |in accommodation in |reception in the form of | | | |reception |Belfast. |wines and soft drinks | | |11th June, 2007 (evening) | | | | | | | | |Approximate cost £100 | | |Approximately | | | | | |60 Attending | | |Approximate budget | | | | | |remaining | | | | | |£199,900 | |Public Record Office|60th Anniversary Conference |Provision of hospitality|It is estimated that 400 |A drinks reception in the | |of Northern Ireland |of Archivists |in the form of a drinks |delegates will be staying |form of wines and soft | | | |reception |in accommodation in |drinks | | |30th August, 2007 (evening) | |Belfast. | | | | | | |Approximate cost £500 | | |Approximately | | | | | |400 Attending | | |Approximate budget | | | | | |remaining | | | | | |£199,400 | |UNICEF - United |UNICEF United Kingdom Baby |Provision of hospitality|It is estimated that 650 |Provision of a drinks | |Nations Children's |Friendly Initiative Annual |in the form of a drinks |delegates will be staying |reception in the form of | |Fund |Conference 2007 |reception |in accommodation in |wines and soft drinks | | | | |Belfast. | | | |11th October, 2007 (evening)| | |Approximate cost £500 | | | | | | | | | | | |Approximate budget | | |Approximately | | |remaining | | |800 Attending | | |£198,900 |
The Committee adopted the recommendations as set out in the foregoing schedule.
Request for the Use of the City Hall Grounds - 'Taste of Northern Ireland' Event
The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Community Safety Branch, to hold a multi-cultural event in the grounds of the City Hall on Saturday, 23rd June. The event, which was entitled "A Taste of Northern Ireland", was intended to help raise awareness of other cultures and to promote community relations with a number of ethnic groups.
The event would focus on areas of common interest, such as food, people and music. Each represented community would operate a stall offering food traditional to that culture. They would also be able to display national football items and demonstrate examples of popular music from their native countries. A large projection screen would deliver information on a range of associated matters. In addition to the Police Service
and the Policing Board for Northern Ireland, other significant organising partners would include the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, the Indian Community Centre, the Chinese Welfare Association, the Irish Football Association and the Polish magazine Glosik. The Community Safety Branch and the Policing Board would co-ordinate the event and meet all the financial costs.
The Committee approved the application by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to host "A Taste of Northern Ireland" in the Grounds of the City Hall on 23rd June, 2007.
Request to Re-locate the Royal Ulster Rifles Korean Memorial in the Grounds of the City Hall
The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the President of the Royal Ulster Rifles Association requesting the Council to consider allowing a granite memorial, which was located currently at its depot in Ballymena, to be re-located to a new permanent site in the Grounds of the City Hall.
The Head of Facilities Management explained that the Memorial, which originally had been erected close to the City of Seoul in Korea was dedicated to the 208 officers and men who had been killed or wounded on 3rd January, 1951 at the Battle of Chaegunghyon. However, due to the expansion of Seoul, it had been brought to Northern Ireland on the HMS Belfast in 1962 and located at the Regiment's barracks in Ballymena. The Ballymena depot was due to close in June and the Regiment wished to re-locate the Korean Memorial in the Grounds of the City Hall, close to its Royal Ulster Rifles South African Memorial at the east side of the building. He pointed out that the Royal Ulster Rifles already had an affinity with the City of Belfast, which was best illustrated by the fact that when the Regiment had returned from the Korean War it had been awarded the Freedom of the City on 1st October, 1953.
He stated that the Korean Memorial was made from granite, set on a marble base and was approximately five feet six inches in height. The Royal Ulster Rifles had requested, if possible, that the Memorial be located alongside the existing memorial. However this option, while technically feasible, was not regarded as desirable in that it would have an adverse impact upon the aesthetics of the overall area. Accordingly, two alternative locations, which provided symmetry and balance with the existing memorials, had been identified in the East entrance area. He indicated that the Royal Ulster Rifles Association would defray all costs associated with the installation and make all necessary arrangements, in liaison with Council staff, for its re-location.
After discussion in the matter, the Committee agreed, before taking any decision on whether or not to grant the application, that officers explore with representatives of the Royal Ulster Rifles Association whether it would be acceptable to locate the Memorial in the proximity of the Cenotaph on the west side of the City Hall.
Miscellaneous
Cycle to Work Schemes
In accordance with Notice on the Agenda, Councillor Hartley advised the Members that, in order to promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution, the 1999 Finance Act had introduced an annual tax exemption, which allowed employers to loan cycles and cyclists' safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. He requested that a report on the viability of introducing such a scheme to the Council be submitted to a future meeting.when?
The Committee agreed to this course of action.
Council Photograph
Councillor D. Browne stated that he felt that it would be appropriate for Members to participate in having a Council photograph taken. He suggested that this might be arranged during the Annual Meeting of the Council, since it was likely that a high attendance could be expected of Members on such an occasion.
The Committee agreed that appropriate arrangements be made for an official Council photograph to be taken on the evening of the Annual Meeting of the Council on 4th June and that the Party Group Leaders be notified of the arrangements prior to the meeting.
Chairman
