Chief Executive's Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
November 2016 /1 of 14 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT THIS MONTH: HAP Shared Services in Limerick now serves 28 Local Authorities Awards abound in Excellence in Local Government and Pride of Place Plans launched for Great Southern Trail Improvements Strategic purchases in Regeneration areas CONTENTS: Empowering Economic Organisational Financial the Citizen Development Development Matters 1. Community and Planning 1. Training 1. Home Improvement Support Services 1. Planning 2. Innovate Limerick Schemes 2. Community and Applications 3. Water Services 2. Rent Collection Leisure 2. Taking in Charge of 4. Schedule of 3. Commercial Rates 3. HAP Shared Estates Meetings and Loans Services Centre 3. Communications 4. General Municipal 4. Civic Reception and Marketing Allocation 2016 5. Customer Services 4. Housing Capital and 6. Library Services Regeneration 7. Digital Strategy 5. Water Services 8. Limerick Arts Office 6. Investment 9. Limerick City 7. Capital Limerick Gallery of Art (LCGA) 10. Limerick 2020 11. Planning and Environment 12. Fire and Emergency Services 13. Access to Information 1 of 14 November 2016 /2 of 14 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT Empowering the Citizen 1. Community Support Services Waiting List Housing Waiting List 3698 Allocations Metropolitan Newcastle West Adare – Cappamore – Total District Rathkeale Kilmallock No of Units 27 3 3 3 36 November 2016 Year to Date 170 25 29 34 258 Cemeteries:- 2. Community and Leisure Total No of Burials in the City Graveyards Pride of Place Achievements • Kilmurry: 5 Limerick is celebrating on the double following two • Castlemungret: 6 awards at the IPB Pride of Place Awards for 2016. • Mount St. Oliver: 17 Broadford and Liskennett were the Limerick winners at • Mount St. Lawrence: 21 the gala ceremony in Waterfront Hall, Belfast on 26th November, 2016. Domestic Waste Refuse Waiver Scheme Broadford scooped overall winner in the 0-300 Total Waiver processed for Limerick City & County population category at the Pride of Place Awards. The Council for November 2016 is 15 waivers. great work the local development association and 2016 Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme various groups are doing have highlighted various projects being undertaken in the fight back against Limerick City & County Council have received 68 rural depopulation. applications to date. These projects include the re-development of the national school for use as a community centre; Team Limerick Clean-Up development of sheltered housing with day care Team Limerick Clean-Up won an Excellence in Local facilities; development of a community crèche, Government Award in the best community initiative an arboretum and a millennium garden as well category. The Excellence in Local Government Award as upgrading of community facilities including a is run by Chambers Ireland to showcase best practice playground, Enterprise Centre and local walking in Local Government. The awards recognise the skills, routes. hard work, innovation and enthusiasm within the Liskennett Farm received one of the Special sector that can often go unrecognised. The award Awards on the night. was accepted by Limerick City and County Council on behalf of the 13,500 volunteers involved in Team Liskennett Farm run by St Joseph’s Foundation in Limerick Clean-Up. Granagh, is a new development for children and adults with autism, which officially opened in September 2015. It incorporated an Equestrian Centre/ Open Farm, a day-centre and residential service and is committed to improving and enriching the lives and opportunities of more than 900 children and adults with autism/ learning disabilities, while working with the local community to provide a multi-purpose facility for their needs. 2 of 14 November 2016 /3 of 14 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT A total of four Limerick groups and communities were shortlisted for the awards. In addition to the two winners, there were entries from Murroe Community Community in Limerick City and County. The closing date for submissions is the 15th December, 2016. Council in the 1,000 to 2,000 population category and Limerick Youth Theatre in the Community Arts Healthy Limerick Initiative section. Mo Foley Walsh has started work as coordinator of Learning Limerick Healthy Limerick which aims to promote health and wellbeing and tackle health inequalities for people A delegation from Limerick attended a Conference in Limerick with all stakeholders. This is a new joint of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities initiative through the LCDC with the HSE as a funding which took place in Hangzhou, China on 15th and partner and Limerick City and County Council as 16th November, 2016. The delegation comprised of employer. Mayor Kieran O’Hanlon, Director of Service, Josephine Cotter Coughlan and Eimear Brophy, Limerick Clare Limerick Sports Partnership (LSP) Education Training Board. Both Josephine and • LSP secured Rowing Ergometers for 9 Post Primary Eimear gave presentations on the work being carried Schools so as to deliver 1st year Rowing Initiative. out by Learning Limerick and specifically on the theme of Distributing Learning Resources evenly • LSP trained 32 Transition Year students to become between Urban Communities and Rural Areas. Rowing Instructors to deliver the programme. Among other issues discussed at the conference • 10 Community Coaches completed the 10 week included better use of ICT to develop Learning Cities, Fit for Work and Life Education Programme in monitoring the progress being made in the building association with Irish Cancer Society and Paul of a Learning City and how lifelong learning can be a Partnership. major catalyst in the development of sustainable cities. • LSP delivered community health programmes for The Hangzhou Statement of the Members of the - Move and Lose – Physical Activity and Nutrition UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities prepared - Sports Hall Athletics at 3 Hubs and agreed by the Mayors of the Learning Cities will - Men on the Move at 4 locations be placed as an item on agenda for the next Council - Women on Wheels Turbo programme Meeting. - Older Adult Go for Life Games Hubs x 6 Local Community Development Committee • The LSP was shortlisted for the National Sports (LCDC) Industry Awards for its Positive Ageing Week and The LCDC operational sub-group met weekly in Physical Activity Programmes. November to focus on the implementation of the new LEADER funding and grants under the Rural Development Strategy. The timing of funding calls has 3. HAP Shared Services Centre now been agreed to start from early January 2017. • Limerick City & County Council operates the The evaluation sub-group attended a Pobal regional financial transactional shared service centre for all seminar on evaluation of Social Inclusion and local authorities operating HAP. The HAP Shared Community Activation Programme (SICAP). Services Centre (SSC) is based in the Granary in Michael Street Limerick. Home and Social Development Strategic Policy Committee • Overall a total 17,460 HAP tenancies have been set-up since project commencement. There are The Home and Social Development SPC held a currently 15,831 active HAP tenancies. workshop to consider the drafting of a new allocation scheme and propose an amendment to the national • For 2016 a total 11,305 HAP tenancies have been set-up to date. Tenants Purchase Scheme. • A weekly average of 236 HAP tenancies has been Traveller Accommodation set-up during 2016. Limerick City & County Council is currently carrying • 253 HAP tenancies have been signed-up to start out a review of the Traveller Accommodation week commencing 28th November, 2016 and a Programme for County Limerick which relates to the accommodation needs of members of the Traveller 3 of 14 November 2016 /4 of 14 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT further 424 have already been signed up for week commencing 5th December, 2016. • Nine new local authorities have joined HAP and their HAP financial transactions are now being • Customer Services continued to survey customers managed by the HAP Shared Services Centre. during the month of November and monitor their These local authorities are; Cavan, Kerry, Laois, responses. Their responses are very valuable as Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, they empower the citizen to recommend changes Wexford and Wicklow County Councils. This brings and give their opinions on services the Council to 28, number of local authorities being handled by provides. The following are some survey responses the HAP Shared Services Centre, in addition to the received from our customers during the month: Dublin Regional Homeless Executive. “First call logged but not assigned to anyone. No call • The HAP SSC will handle circa €230m in 2017, rising back after a week. Second call worked”. to over €600m in 2021, involving at that stage, 84,000 tenancies. “I was renewing my parking permit and the service • There are currently 33 people employed in the was quick and easy and very friendly.” HAP SSC with further vacancies to be filled in the “I reported a fly-tip and it was cleared. However it did coming months. take about a week before it was cleared.” 4. Civic Reception A civic reception was accorded to Mary Immaculate 6. Library Services College Senior Hurling Team on Thursday, 10th • Dooradoyle Library hosted “Freeman’s Choice” November, 2016 in recognition of their achievement an exhibition of paintings by Dr. Thomas Ryan, in winning the Fitzgibbon Cup. This event was held in R.H.A. and Freeman of Limerick, for the month the Council Chamber, Dooradoyle. of November This event was officially opened by Mayor, Kieran O’Hanlon on Wednesday 2nd November, 2016. City & County Librarian 5. Customer Services Damien Brady welcomed Dr. Ryan, his family and • The Customer Services Department continues guests to his native city. Mayor Kieran O’Hanlon to support the Council in delivering services emphasised Dr. Ryan’s contribution to the arts both and supporting citizens, customers, councillors, in Limerick, through his long association with the communities and businesses who lodged 2,694 Limerick Art Society, and nationally through The requests for service (cases) in November.