+ EDI N BVRG H THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL Com m ittee Minutes The City of Edinburgh Council Year 2009/2010 Meeting 6 - Thursday 17 September 2009 Edinburgh, 17 September 2009 - At a meeting of The City of Edinburgh Council Present:- LORD PROVOST The Right Honourable George Grubb COUNCILLORS Elaine Aitken Alison Johnstone Ewan Aitken Colin Keir Robert C Aldridge Louise Lang Jeremy R Balfour Jim Lowrie Eric Barry Gordon Mackenzie David Beckett Kate MacKenzie Angela Blacklock Marilyne A MacLaren Mike Bridgman Mark Mclnnes Deidre Brock Stuart Roy Mclvor Gordon Buchan Tim McKay Tom Buchanan Eric Milligan Steve Burgess Elaine Morris Andrew Burns Joanna Mowat Ronald Cairns Rob Munn Steve Cardownie Gordon J Munro Maggie Chapman Ian Murray Maureen M Child Alastair Paisley Joanna Coleman Gary Peacock Jennifer A Dawe Ian Perry Charles Dundas Cameron Rose Cammy Day Jason G Rust Paul G Edie Conor Snowden Nick Elliott-Cannon Marjorie Thomas Paul Godzik Stefan Tymkewycz Norma Hart Phil Wheeler Stephen Hawkins lain Whyte Ricky Henderson Donald Wilson Lesley Hinds Norrie Work Allan G Jackson 2 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 1 Urban Design Sir Terry Farrell addressed the Council on the final day of his tenure as Edinburgh’s Design Champion, a post he had held since 2004. Edinburgh was a truly extraordinary place and during his time as Design Champion he had concentrated on place making activities and pro-active planning. He asked the Council not to be complacent about Edinburgh’s assets but to learn from other similar cities. He referred to the successful Urban Design Conference held in Edinburgh in May which had attracted leaders from four major British cities. He suggested that the Council should not just maintain the city’s assets but consider where they could go in the future and make something of them. In order to do this he asked the Council to establish an urban design unit and to develop a City Making Forum which included both public and private sector representatives. He highlighted the 12 challenges for Edinburgh which he had presented to the Council in 2008 and particularly mentioned two major challenges -the Waterfront and Princes Street. Finally he thanked those Council officers who had worked with him, wished the city well and indicated that he would be willing to help the city in another capacity in the future. 2 Questions Questions put by members to this meeting, written answers and supplementary questions and answers are contained in the Appendix to this minute. 3 Minutes Decision To approve the minutes of the Special and Ordinary meetings of the Council of 20 August 2008 as correct records. 4 Edinburgh Prison Visiting Committee - Appointment The Council was invited make an appointment to the Edinburgh Prison Visiting Committee following the resignation of Councillor Tymkewycz. 3 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 Decision To fill the vacancy from the specified reserve candidates. (References - Act of Council No 29 of 28 June 2007; report no CEC/49/09- 1O/CS by the Director of Corporate Services, submitted.) 5 Leader’s Report The Leader presented her report to the Council. The Leader commented on: The Edinburgh Inspiring Capital entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Signing of the second Single Outcome Agreement The following issues were raised on the report: Councillor Burns - Brian Harris and Mary McGookin - appreciation - Death of Ernest Levy - Refuse collection dispute - update on progress - meetings with Trade Union Councillor Child - Single Outcome Agreement - air quality targets Councillor Ewan Aitken - Arts and Learning Manager - filling of post Councillor Whyte - Refuse collection dispute - resolution - tendering of service Councillor Buchan - Tram project - use of greenways by private hire cars during construction Councillor Balfour - Consultation on school estate rationalisation - timescale for response to questions from Parent Councils Councillor Burgess - Redesign of Community Learning and Development Service - consultation with Community Centre Management Committees 4 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 Councillor Munro - Single Outcome Agreement - affordable housing target Councillor Day - Role of Community Learning and Developmen t workers Co unci Ilor Mc Ivor - Barony Place community garden (Reference - report no CEC/61/09-1O/L by the Leader, submitted.) 6 Revenue Monitoring 2008/09 - Outturn The Finance and Resources Committee had referred to the Council recommendations arising from the outturn position of the Council’s 2008/09 revenue budget Decision 1) To approve the recommendations in paragraph 3.22 of the report by the Director of Finance, returning 50% of qualifying underspends to departments that returned an underspend in 2008/09, setting the remaining 50% aside in earmarked balances and writing off the overspends in the Departments of Children and Families and City Development. 2) To transfer f0.418m from the unallocated General Fund balance to the Devolved School Management earmarked balance. (References - Finance and Resources Committee 25 August 2009 (item 2); report no CEC/50/09-1O/FARC by the Finance and Resources Committee, submitted) . 7 Work Style Transformation The Finance and Resources Committee had recommended that the Council allocate money from the Spend to Save Fund to progress Phase 1 of a strategic Workstyle Programme within the context of Achieving Excellence 2. 5 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 Decision To allocate €170,000 from the Spend to Save Fund to take forward Phase 1 of the Workstyle Programme. (References - Finance and Resources Committee 25 August 2009 (item 20); report no CEC/51/09-1 O/FARC by the Finance and Resources Committee, submitted.) 8 Information Security Update The Finance and Resources Committee had recommended that the Council allocate BT Efficiency Fund resources to progress the Council’s Information Security Strategy. Decision To release €458,000 from the BT Efficiency Fund to take forward the Information Security Strategy. (References - Finance and Resources Committee 25 August 2009 (item ..); report no CEC/52/09-1 O/FARC by the Finance and Resources Committee, submitted.) 9 Chief Executive’s Annual Report 2008/09 The Chief Executive’s Annual Report for 2008/09 was presented. The Council’s achievements over the year were listed together with challenges for 2009/10. Decision To note the Chief Executive’s Annual Report for 2008/09. (Reference - report no CEC/53/09-1 O/CE by the Chief Executive, submitted.) 10 Council Single Outcome Agreement 2008-1 1 - Annual Report on Progress An annual update was provided on progress towards the delivery of the Council’s Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) for subsequent submission to the Scottish Government. 6 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 Motion 1) To note the progress made towards the delivery of the Council’s Local Outcomes as outlined in the report by the Director of Corporate Services. 2) To submit the progress report to the Scottish Government. 3) To note that (a) in future, the Council would consider an annual SOA monitoring report in August each year covering the progress made in the previous financial year; and (b) a six-month progress report would be available for consideration in January/February 2010 on the new Edinburgh Partnership SOA 2009- 12. - moved by Councillor Dawe, seconded by Councillor Cardownie (on behalf of the Administ ration). Amendment 1) To note that on 26 June 2008 the Single Outcome Agreement for 2008-1 1 was approved at full Council on the ‘casting vote’ of the Lord Provost. 2) To note further that the opposition amendment, moved by Councillor Burns and seconded by Councillor Whyte, on 26 June 2008 indicated: that the concordat, signed by COSLA, did not have the confidence or assent of this Council and that this Council had not been consulted on its content before it had been signed; that the SOA framework fundamentally shifted the balance of local authority accountability towards central government and away from local electorates; that the Administration had the right to negotiate its own SOA but that this would only ever reflect the wishes of half of the elected members on the Council and that, as such, the requirements of opposition parties had not been met; that the SOA, as constituted, undermined the fundamental independence of this local authority; that the SOA, as constituted, committed this local authority to a significant number of unfunded proposals and should thus be rejected as unacceptable. 3) To agree that these serious democratic concerns remained entirely valid. 7 The City of Edinburgh Council 17 September 2009 4) To note further: the huge bureaucracy involved in completing this Annual Report and in the ongoing monitoring of this authority’s 68 local outcomes; the fact that only 33 of these 68 outcomes (less than 49%) were ‘on schedule or completed’; the fact that NO1 1-LO51 indicates local communities now feel LESS able to influence decisions that affect their neighbourhood; the fact that NO15-LO67 indicates that people’s perceptions of the quality and responsiveness of public services in Edinburgh were WORSEN ING ; that the SLD/SNP Administration had failed to set out adequately a vision for the future of public services in the city or a strategy to implement any such vision or, indeed, the outcomes in the SOA. 5) Thus to submit only Appendices 1 and 2 of this report to the Scottish Government along with this Opposition Amendment. - moved by Councillor Burns, seconded by Councillor Henderson (on behalf of the Labour Group). Voting The voting was as follows: For the motion 29 votes For the amendment - 29 votes There being an equal number of votes for the motion and the amendment, the Lord Provost used his casting vote in favour of the motion. Decision To approve the motion by Councillor Dawe. (References - Act of Council No 20 of 26 June 2008; report no CEC/54/09- 1O/CS by the Director of Corporate Services, submitted.) 11 Design Activity An outline of the future of the City Design Champion role and a review of the progress of the Design Initiative were provided together with proposals to take forward design activities within the Council.