Agenda and minutes

                                                                                                            (Attached)

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2008 were confirmed as a correct record.

No declarations of interest were made.

Report number CHFCS03 by the Corporate Head, Finance & Customer Services.                                   (Attached)

DECISION: To approve the recording of the amounts shown below as the council tax bases for 2009/10, in accordance with the Local authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended): 

Considerations/Reasons for decision:

(1)            Report number CHFCS03 by the Corporate Head of Finance and Customer Services explaining the legislative provisions that enable a local authority to make its own arrangements for adopting the council tax base;

(2)            The council tax base is used to calculate how much each property will be charged to cover the net costs of the district council and the precepting authorities.  The total net expenditure is divided by the council tax base to give the amount paid by individual households.

Report number CHFCS04 by the Corporate Head, Finance & Customer Services.                                   (Attached)

DECISION: 

(1) Subject to the additions listed below, to approve the proposed set of fees and charges as attached to report number CHFCS04 for appropriate consultation before their inclusion into the proposed budget for 2009/10 to be submitted to Council for approval on 2 March 2009:

• To introduce a short stay tariff structure on the lower levels of the Welham Street, Grantham multi-storey car park;
• To reduce the Grantham cemetery surcharge to 50% for those residents living outside the Grantham area;

(2)  That delegated authority be granted to the Assets and Resources portfolio holder in consultation with the Corporate Head, Resources and Organisational Development to finalise the cost of the car park season ticket discount offer.

Considerations/Reasons for decision:

(1)            Recommendations arising from the Resources PDG fees and charges working group set up to consider the fees and charges proposals for the forthcoming year;

(2)            Noting the effect of the current economic climate on some service areas, the need to ensure cost recovery, and fixed statutory charges;

(3)            Noting that the forecast for car park income is forecast to be 21% less than budget (approximately £327,000);

(4)            Noting advice from the Monitoring Officer with regard to ensuring affected stakeholders are appropriately consulted and that feedback is taken into account before finalising the proposals to be submitted to Council.

Report number CHFCS06 by the Assets & Resources Portfolio Holder.                                                  (Attached)

DECISION:To note the summary position of the Council’s anticipated outturn figures for 2008/09 as at September 2008 against the original budget for the

• General Fund Revenue budget
• Housing Revenue Account Revenue budget
• General Fund Capital Programme
• Housing Capital Programme

and the relevant explanations given in report CHFCS06.

Considerations/Reasons for decision:

(1)            Report number CHFCS06 by the assets and resources portfolio holder detailing the reasons behind the council’s projected underspend of £0.893m for 2008/09, the main components of which relate to reduced income on car parking charges and development control application fees;

(2)            Noting savings on salaries are on target to deliver the authority’s workforce efficiency target of 2%;

(3)            Given the current economic climate, the forecast underspends will be transferred to a central provision in order to protect them but only where there is clear evidence that service delivery will not be affected.  This measure will also ensure that the council could meet any change in the outturn position over the last half of the financial year;

(4)            Noting that due to the current, rapidly changing economic climate, these figures will require updating at the next quarterly report.

Report number EDTC0069 by the Economic Development Portfolio Holder.                                                   (Attached)

DECISION:

(1)           Having regard to the current, rapidly changing economic climate, to grant delegated authority to the Economic Development portfolio holder, in consultation with the Corporate Head of Sustainable Communities, to update the first draft of the South Kesteven Economic Development Strategy 2009-2014 before it is released for  consultation with stakeholders;

(2)           Following the consultation process, the Cabinet to take into account feedback received before finalising and endorsing the strategy;

(3)           Once finalised, the strategy to be accompanied by an annual action plan which co-ordinates with the Council’s capital programme and takes account of priorities and the external environment.

Considerations/Reasons for decision:

(1)            Report number EDTC0069 by the Economic Development portfolio holder with the appended draft economic development strategy;

(2)            Noting that since the strategy had been written, there has been significant changes to the external environment which means the information contained in the document needs to be updated before being released for consultation;

(3)            Noting the input of the Communities PDG’s economic development working group in helping to develop the draft strategy;

(4)            Noting that the document aligns with the Local Area Agreements, the Community Strategy, the Local Development Framework, the Sub National Review, and the Lincolnshire Economic Strategy;

(5)            Advice from the Section 151 Officer about the significant capital and revenue implications for the authority: careful consideration will need to be given to scoring each capital scheme and the timing of proposals having regard to funding and capacity issues alongside other demands on the council’s finances;

(6)            Noting that the consultation period will run from six to ten weeks in order to ensure maximum response from key stakeholders.

DATE DECISIONS ARE EFFECTIVE:

Decisions at minute number CO46 and CO47, CO48, and CO49  can be implemented on 10 December 2008 unless subject to call-in by the Scrutiny Committee Chairman or any five members of the Council from any political groups.