Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Philippa Sewell
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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, Roger Gifford, Deputy Robin Eve and Wendy Mead.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Members' Declarations under the Code of Conduct in respect of items on the agenda

Minutes:

Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli declared a non-pecuniary interest due to being a former Professor on Gresham College Council, the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Deputy Anthony Eskenzi declared a non-pecuniary interest by virtue of being Members of the Council of Gresham College, and Deputy John Owen-Ward declared a non-pecuniary interest due to being a Member of Planning and Transportation Committee.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 183 KB

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 31 May 2013 (copy attached).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 31 May 2013 were considered and approved as a correct record.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Revenue Outturn 2012/13 pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services (copy attached).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Minutes:

The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services detailing the Revenue Outturn for 2012/13.

 

The Chamberlain highlighted that the Revenue Outturn detailed a ‘better than budget’ position of £244,000. Members were informed that this was because of net income on the City Moiety being £112,000 higher than expected, largely due to the City receiving £99,000 as its 50% share of additional rent from lettings at the Royal Exchange over the 5 year period ending September 2011, and a technical accounting adjustment relating to an accrual for the City’s grant payment to the college. The Chamberlain advised that in previous years, the grant paid to the College was fully charged to the City’s financial year ending on 31 March but from 2012/13 an adjustment had been made to reflect the 4 months effectively paid in advance, leaving an underspend in the first year the adjustment is made (i.e. 2012/13). Actual grant payments to the College remained unchanged by this.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Revenue Budget 2013/14 and 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 176 KB

Report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services (copy attached).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services submitting the revenue budgets overseen by the Committee and seeking approval to the provisional revenue budget for 2014/15, for subsequent submission to the Finance Committee.

 

The Chamberlain reported that, overall, the 2014/15 provisional revenue budget totalled £119,000, an increase of £6,000 compared with the final budget for 2013/14. He reported that this was due to an increase of £16,000 in the City Grant to Gresham College in accordance with the agreed funding arrangements between the City of London Corporation, the Mercers’ Company and Gresham College. This was partly offset by a reduction of £8,000 in the repairs and maintenance of the Almshouses reflecting the latest review of anticipated works.

 

In response to a Member’s query concerning the maintenance of the Almshouses, the Chamberlain reported that the details of a number of small variances relating to this reduction were appended to this report, and that a long term maintenance and repairs programme was regularly received at Community and Children’s Services Committee meetings.

 

RESOLVED – That the provisional 2014/15 revenue budget be submitted to the Finance Committee.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Biography of Sir Thomas Gresham

For Discussion.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Minutes:

The Chairman advised Members that the Provost had identified a particular academic to write the biography of Thomas Gresham, and the estimated cost had increased from £150,000 to £200,000. The Deputy Chairman highlighted that the positive budget variance reported earlier in the meeting could be used for this project, but proposed that the City support up to £75,000 with a similar figure from the Mercers. Any additional funding would be met by the College itself.

 

The Chamberlain advised that Finance Committee and Policy and Resources Committee would query value for money and whether there were alternate sources of funding, but Members agreed that this was a worthy and important project and should be of special consideration and take account of the uniqueness of the project. The matter would be discussed further between the City Side and the Mercers at the Joint Grand Gresham Committee that same day.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

The Provost and Chairmanship of Gresham College pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Joint note of the Vice Chairman of Gresham College Council and Chairman of the City Side (copy attached).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Minutes:

The Chairman advised the Committee that Sir Roderick Floud was planning to retire once his current term as Provost expired in August 2014. Sir Roderick was also the Chairman of the Council of the College and the Committee were being asked to consider the process for appointing a new Provost, and whether the Chairmanship should be separate from the Provostship. A proposal had been put forward for Sir Roderick to continue as Chairman, but Members felt that this might impede the work of the incoming Provost and that there were other ways of paying respect to Sir Roderick and retaining his expertise.

 

It was agreed that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman be nominated to represent the City Side on the Nominations Committee. Members also agreed that the decision whether to retain the joint post or to split it should be made after the incoming Provost had been selected. Deputy Anthony Eskenzi advised that in previous years the Chairmen from the Mercers and City side had alternated in taking the Chairmanship for one year terms.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

QUESTIONS

Any questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

ANY BUSINESS THAT THE CHAIRMAN CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT

Any urgent items of other business that the Chairman may decide are urgent.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Minutes:

Members were reminded by the Town Clerk that the Gresham Committee dinner was being held on Tuesday 30 September 2014 at Mansion House.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Exclusion of the Public

MOTION - That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 

Item Nos.                                                                                Exempt Paragraph(s)

11 - 14                                                                                                 3

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Non-Public Minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 31 May 2013 (copy attached).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

Minutes:

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 31 May 2013 were considered and approved as a correct record.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

JOINT GRAND GRESHAM COMMITTEE MATTERS - CITY SIDE CONSIDERATION

Minutes:

The Committee considered that various items on the agenda for the meeting of the Joint Grand Gresham Committee that day.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

NON-PUBLIC QUESTIONS ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE

Minutes:

A question was raised in respect of the Gresham Committee Service Overview, which was attached as Annex B1 to the Revenue Budget 2013/14 and 2014/15.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT THE CHAIRMAN CONSIDERS URGENT AND WHICH THE COMMITTEE AGREES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHILST THE PUBLIC ARE EXCLUDED

Minutes:

There was one additional urgent item of business for consideration in non-public session.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.