Falkirk Council Agenda - 25 September 2013, 09:30 
A meeting to be held at Council Chambers, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk at 09:30 on 25 September 2013.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | SEDERUNT |
| 2 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in any item of business at the meeting, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of the interest. |
| 3 | MINUTES AND INFORMATION BULLETIN |
| (a) | Minute of Meeting of Falkirk Council held on 26 June 2013; View Papers |
| (b) | Volume of Minutes - Volume 2 2013/14, and View Papers |
| (c) | Information Bulletin - Volume 2 2013/2014 View Papers |
| 4 | QUESTIONS Questions submitted in accordance with Standing Orders. View Papers |
| 5 | SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - 12 SEPTEMBER 2013 - SCRUTINY PLAN Report by Chief Governance Officer. View Papers |
| 6 | AUDIT COMMITTEE - 24 SEPTEMBER - ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2012/13 View Papers |
| 7 | WEB CASTING COUNCIL MEETINGS Report by the Chief Executive. View Papers |
| 8 | SINGLE OUTCOME AGREEMENT 2013-2015 Report by the Chief Executive. View Papers |
| 9 | PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS 2014 Report by the Chief Governance Officer. View Papers |
| 10 | APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEES AND OTHER BODIES Report by the Chief Governance Officer. View Papers |
| (a) | APPOINTMENTS TO THE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Report by the Chief Governance Officer. View Papers |
| 11 | EXECUTION OF DEEDS Report by the Chief Governance Officer. View Papers |
| 12 | NOTICES OF MOTION Notices of motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 29 are set out below. Motions that refer to matters within the remit of the Executive, or Education Executive, will stand referred to the appropriate body, without discussion, unless:- (1) special circumstances exist which, in opinion of the Provost (having consulted with the Council Leader and the Leader of the Opposition) requires an exception to be made; (2) two thirds of the members present vote in favour of the matter being discussed; or (3) the motion raises an issue with significant impact on the Council area which the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition, considers suitable for debate at Council. Motions for Council |
| (a) | PVG Scheme Membership In March 2012, Council agreed that the cost of PVG membership for members of the Council's Education and Social Care Committees would be spread across the whole Council. This principle was broadly acceptable to all sides as both committees were selected on a proportional basis. However, the scrapping of proportionality for the Executive Committee is required for, means that the SNP have paid 41% of the cost of the PVG membership but have only 16% of the places on the committee. Council agrees that this is clearly unfair, a subsidy for the Administration and therefore agrees to calculate the PVG membership on the basis of Executive Committee membership and refund the balance to groups overcharged for this session. Proposed by Councillor David Alexander View Papers |
| (b) | Motions which stand referred to the Executive unless otherwise determined by the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition. Zero Hours Contracts It has come out in the media that Falkirk Council operates Zero Hours Contracts, however limited. Motion The Council recognise the iniquitous nature of these types of agreements. The use of such 'contractual' processes is extremely damaging to the social fabric of society and leads to uncertainty, disquiet, grievance and insecurity. Council instruct officers to carry out an exercise to identify the extent of Zero Hours Contracts currently utilised by the Council and identify the service areas where use is made of such contracts and bring back a report to allow members to consider whether use of such contracts is appropriate. Proposed by Councillor Brian McCabe. View Papers |
| (c) | Supply of chicken products to Falkirk Council Schools Schools in the Falkirk Council area are presently supplied with chicken imported almost exclusively from Thailand and Brazil. Council notes that procurement policy is an issue for individual local authorities. The continued importation of minimum standard chicken products has no positive effect to the local and wider national economy. Council therefore resolves to instruct its officers to review current procurement policy in regards to the supply of poultry to schools and further resolves to instruct officers to bring a report back to the next meeting of Council outlining a strategy to reduce reliance upon imports of foreign poultry. Proposed by Councillor Colin Chalmers View Papers |
| (d) | Falkirk Council Tenancy Agreement It is noted that Falkirk Council promotes cohesive relationships between tenants and also promotes a high standard of property and garden maintenance throughout the district. It is also noted that a breach of Falkirk Council's tenancy agreement can lead to sanctions and other enforcement measures. Council agrees that robust action should be taken by neighbourhood managers when the standard and communal maintenance falls below what is expected of tenants. Council further agrees that current policy is proving ineffective in preventing a number of areas of the Council's estate falling into an unacceptable condition. It is therefore agreed that officers review the Falkirk Council tenancy agreement and bring a report back to the next meeting of Council outlining a strategy to improve the policy. Proposed by Councillor Colin Chalmers View Papers |
| (e) | Falkirk Community Trust The Leisure trust was formed as a matter of fiscal expediency and to form a vehicle capable of attracting external funding through its charitable status. The Leisure Trust has failed to deliver on its core rationale. Council instructs officers to bring a report to members by 11th December on the methodology required to bring leisure services back into council ownership and effective democratic control. Proposed by Councillor Tom Coleman View Papers |
| (f) | Transport Given the recent withdrawal of subsidies from some transport routes, Council instructs officers to provide a comprehensive update of the Falkirk wide transport plan for the December meeting of the Council. Proposed by Councillor Tom Coleman. View Papers |
| (g) | Falkirk Gateway Council instructs officers to undertake a feasibility exercise on the stalled Gateway project with a view to securing a development partner and report on progress on the matter to the next full Council. Proposed by Councillor Tom Coleman View Papers |
| (h) | Council Housing Council housing waiting lists have risen dramatically. Council is not remotely on course to meet its own house building target. Council instructs the Director of Corporate and Neighbourhood Services to consider whether the housing service has access to sufficient expertise within this service to enable it to return rapidly to its original target figure and to report back to Council. Proposed by Councillor Steven Carleschi View Papers |
| (i) | Extensions to council houses The Council has decided that the provision of suitable accommodation for larger families would be met in the main through house extensions. Three years on and only a handful of properties have yet been extended. Multiple applications have been refused, supposedly on the basis of cost. Council instructs officers to review the operation of the current policy using private sector pricing as their comparator and report back to the council at the 11th December meeting. Proposed by Councillor Steven Carleschi View Papers |
| 13 | ADDITIONAL ITEM ETHICAL STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE ETC (SCOTLAND) ACT Report by the Chief Governance Officer View Papers |
| 14 | EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC If so resolved in terms of Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, exclude from the meeting the press and public for the following item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the said Act. |
| 15 | ARNOTDALE HOUSE, DOLLAR PARK Report by the Director of Development Services. View Papers |