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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND. View directions

Contact: Deborah Miller  Tel: 07920 084239; E-Mail: deborah.miller@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1/19

Minutes pdf icon PDF 227 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2018 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 December 2018 were approved and signed as an accurate record.

2/19

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Lynda Atkins and Councillor Neville Harris.

3/19

Official Communications

Minutes:

The Chairman reported as follows:

 

Council paid tribute and observed a minute’s silence in memory of former County Councillor Lady Yardley who had served on the County Council 1977 – 1981.

 

The Chairman notified members that there would be an opportunity during the lunch recess to gain information and share any thoughts on the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge which would be taking place between 19th and 22nd March 2019.

4/19

Appointments

To make any changes to the membership of the Cabinet, scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  Council noted the following appointment:

 

Performance Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Judy Roberts in place of Councillor Emily Smith.

5/19

Petitions and Public Address

Minutes:

Council received the following public address:

 

Dr Eric Crouch spoke on behalf of the Socialist Health Association against the removal of Social Workers from the multidisciplinary community mental health teams on the basis that the diverse nature of mental health difficulties required an individualised approach to care planning and that was achieved by social workers who knew the clients well and were able to have close working relationships with the other staff involved in their care; that people with disabling mental health needed assistance with dealing with everyday issues of social life and self; help was needed with housing, access to benefits, money management and employment.  He urged the Council to preserve the integration of social workers in community health teams.

 

Mr John Tanner spoke in support of the Labour and Liberal Democrat amendments.   He urged the Council to make change where they had the ability to by making the small changes outlined in the amendments to support ever increasing social health care needs of the County; end Youth work cuts, end bus cuts and improve Oxfordshire Roads.

 

Ms Liz Peretz spoke in relation to Health and Social Care.  She urged the Council to provide a 3-year clear commitment to bring services back in house to enable efficiencies and effectiveness.  Currently, care providers charged the county council £27 per hour whilst pay carers minimum wage or less.  Training and carer progression would improve enabling a sustainable workforce.   She acknowledged the upfront costs, but  

 

 

6/19

Pay Policy Statement - Report of the Remuneration Committee pdf icon PDF 362 KB

Report by the Strategic Director Resources (CC7)

 

The Remuneration Committee is required to report annually to Council on the Pay Policy Statement. The Remuneration Committee considered this report on 30 January 2019 and now submit it for approval to Council on 12 February 2019.

 

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

 

(a)      receive the report of the Remuneration Committee;

(b)      approve the revised Pay Policy Statement at Annex 2 to this report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In 2012, a stand-alone Remuneration Committee was set up to report each year directly to full Council and to make recommendations regarding the Council’s Pay Policy Statement.  The Council had before them the report of the Remuneration Committee which updated the Council’s Pay Policy Statement and set out future proposals of the Remuneration Committee in relation to this area.

 

The Chairman drew member’s attention to the correction set out in the Addenda.

 

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Hudspeth, seconded by councillor Webber and carried nem con) to:

 

(a)      receive the report of the Remuneration Committee;

(b)      approve the revised Pay Policy Statement at Annex 2 to this report.

 

* Members are asked to note that an incorrect figure appeared in the Addenda.  The 2019 figure for the Pay Multiple between median and highest paid officer in their role as a joint appointment (bottom table of addenda) should have read 1:6.5.

 

** Reference to Assistant Chief Executive in the Addenda corrected to read Assistant Chief Executive Interim.

7/19

Service & Resource Planning 2019/20 - 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Report by Director of Finance (CC8).

 

This report is the culmination of the Service & Resource Planning process for 2019/20 to 2022/23. It sets out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2019/20, medium term financial plan to 2022/23 and capital programme to 2028/29, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council is required to approve for the 2019/20 financial

year.

 

The report is divided into four main sections which are outlined below:

 

Section 1 – Leader of the Council’s overview (To follow)

Section 2 – Corporate Plan

Section 3 – Statutory Report by the Director of Finance (Chief Finance Officer)

Section 4 – Budget Strategy and Capital Programme

 

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

 

(a)          approve the Corporate Plan 2019 – 2021 as set out in section 2;

 

(b)          have regard to the statutory report of the Director of Finance (at Section 3) in approving recommendations c to e below;

 

(c)          (in respect of revenue) approve:

 

(1)          the council tax and precept calculations for 2019/20 set out in section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £369,064,777;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,468.83;

(2)          a budget for 2019/20 as set out in section 4.4;

(3)          a medium term plan for 2019/20 to 2022/23 as set out in section 4.1 (which incorporates changes to the existing medium term financial plan as set out in section 4.2;

(4)          virement arrangements to operate within the approved budget for 2019/20 as set out in section 4.5;

(5)          the Financial Strategy for 2019/20 at section 4.6

(6)          the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2019/20 at section 4.7 including

(i)           the Chief Finance Officer’s recommended level of balances for 2019/20 (section 4.7 Appendix 1), and

(ii)          the planned level of reserves for 2019/20 to 2022/23 (section 4.7.1)

(7)          the use of Dedicated Schools Grant (provisional allocation) for 2019/20 as set out in section 4.8; and

 

(d)          (in respect of treasury management) approve:

 

(1)          the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2019/20 incorporated in the Capital & Investment Strategy in section 4.9;

(2)          the continued delegation of authority to withdraw or advance additional funds to/from external fund managers to the Treasury Management Strategy Team;

(3)          that any further changes required to the 2019/20 strategy be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance;

(4)          the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators; and

(5)          the Specified Investment and Non Specified Investment Instruments as set out in Appendix A and B of section 4.9.

 

(e)          (in respect of capital) approve:

 

(1)          the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2019/20 – 2028/29 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 4.9; and

(2)          a Capital Programme for 2019/20 to 2028/29 as set out in section 4.9.1 which includes the Highways Structural Maintenance Programme 2019/20 and 2020/21 in section 4.9.3.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a report (CC8) which outlined the service & resource planning process for 2019/20 to 2022/23 and set out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2019/20, together with the Corporate Plan, the medium-term financial plan to 2022/23 and capital programme to 2028/29, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council was required to approve for the 2019/20 financial year.

 

The report was divided into four sections; the Leader of the Council’s Overview (section 1); the Corporate Plan (section 2); the Director of Finance’s Statutory Report (section 3) and Capital Programme (section 4).

 

The Council also had before it budget proposals in the form of: (Additional papers pack 1) Leader of the Council’s Overview, Schedule of Business and Addenda in relation to the Pay Policy Statement; and (Additional papers pack 2) Amendments from the Labour Group (CC8 Labour) and Amendments from the Liberal Democrat Group) (CC8 Lib Dem).

 

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Bartholomew seconded the Cabinet’s recommendation on Service & Resource Planning 2019/20 – 2022/23.  In moving the motion, Councillors Hudspeth and Bartholomew paid tribute to Katie Jurczyszyn and team for their work on preparing the Budget.

 

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Phillips seconded an amendment to the Cabinet’s budget as set out in the Additional Papers Pack 1 (CC8 Labour).

 

Following debate, the Labour amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 34 votes to 18, with 9 abstentions.

 

Councillor Webber moved and Councillor Leffman seconded an amendment to the Cabinet’s budget as set out in the Additional Papers Pack 1 (CC8 Lib Dem). In moving his motion, Councillor Webber thanked officers and his colleagues for their help and support.

 

Following debate, the amendment by the Liberal Democrat Group was put to the vote and was lost by 35 votes to 19, with 6 abstentions.

 

Following a lengthy debate, the Substantive motion was then put to the vote and was carried by 33 votes to 26.

 

Voting was as follows:

 

Councillors voting for the motion (33)

 

Atkins, Bartholomew, Bartington, Billington, Bulmer, Carter, Clarke, Constance, Corkin, Fatemian, Fenton, Field-Johnson, Fitzgerald O’Connor, Fox-Davies, Gray, Griffiths, Handley, Harrod, Heathcoat, Hibbert-Biles, Hudspeth, Ilot, Lindsay-Gale, Mallon, Matelot, Mathew, Reeves, Reynolds, Sibley, Stratford, Thompson, Waine, Walker.

 

Councillors voting against the motion (26)

 

Afridi, Azad, Banfield, Brighouse, Buckley, Cherry, Fawcett, Hanna, Hannaby, Hayward, Howson, Johnston, Leffman, Lygo, McILveen, Phillips, Pressel, Price, Roberts, Rooke, G Sanders, J Sanders, E Smith, R Smith, Turnbull and Webber.

 

It was accordingly:”

 

RESOLVED: (33 votes to 26)to:

 

(a)         approve the Corporate Plan 2019 – 2021 as set out in section 2;

 

(b)         have regard to the statutory report of the Director of Finance (at Section 3) in approving recommendations c to e below;

 

(c)          (in respect of revenue) approve:

 

(1)          the council tax and precept calculations for 2019/20 set out in section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £369,064,777;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,468.83;

(2)          a budget for 2019/20 as set out  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7/19