Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Randall Anderson, Deputy Kevin Everett, Wendy Mead and Philip Woodhouse.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 10 March 2016.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 10 March 2016 be approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which provided details of outstanding actions from previous meetings.

RESOLVED – That the Committee notes the report.

To note the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 10 March 2016.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee held on 10 March 2016 be noted.

To consider a resolution from the meeting of the Finance Committee on 15 March 2016 regarding recruitment.

The Committee considered a resolution from the Finance Committee which set out the Finance Committee’s concerns that there may be a potential “bow wave” risk regarding recruitment and retention due to a lack of pay rises for local government employees.

Members commented that the Establishment Committee did act to ensure that, where specific cases were brought to their attention, Market Forces Supplements were paid to staff whose pay was demonstrably below the market rate for their role. The Committee also noted that the next item for consideration on the agenda was regarding the revising of the Pay and Reward structure of the Corporation to ensure that it was modernised.

RESOLVED – That the Committee notes the resolution from the Finance Committee.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources which provided the Committee with information regarding the proposals to refresh the reward and recognition approach within the Corporation.

The Committee commented that it welcomed this work being undertaken and agreed that it was a vital area for the Committee to address. Members particularly noted the need, in the short term, to reassess the approach to Market Forces Supplements (MFSs) to allow these to be awarded more quickly where necessary, to avoid unnecessary delays to recruitment or the risk of losing key members of staff.

The Committee agreed that a more responsive approach to MFSs would be very beneficial, and agreed that this could be achieved by increasing the threshold for approval of MFSs by the Director of Human Resources, adding a threshold for which approval of MFSs could be delegated to the Town Clerk (in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Establishment Committee) and thereby increasing the threshold at which approval was required to be sought at a meeting of the Establishment Committee.

The Committee indicated that it would be likely to be appropriate for the thresholds to be based on the percentage increase in salary that proposed MFSs constituted, rather than being based on the financial value of the MFS. The Committee indicated that the following threshold may be appropriate:

-       MFS of up to 15% of salary – approval by the Director of Human Resources;

-       MFS of between 15% and 25% of salary – approval by the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Establishment Committee;

-       MFS of over 25% of salary – approval by the Establishment Committee.

The Committee requested that the Director of Human Resources provide the Committee with a report setting out the

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which set out the Town Clerk’s Departmental Business Plan 2016/17.

Members commented that the report only provided those risks which were on the Corporate Risk Register, and did not provide the full Departmental Risk Register. The Committee agreed that the Departmental Risk Register should be provided to the Committee following the meeting.

A Member commented that the Key Performance Indicators within the Business Plan indicated a relatively narrow focus upon specific targets, rather than using more strategic measures and metrics (such as employee satisfaction). The Town Clerk advised that it was hoped that the Member survey could assist in providing some such metrics. The Town Clerk also advised that he was intending to host a briefing for Members in early June 2016 to discuss improving the strategic framework of the organisation around people, place and prosperity, and ensuring that Business Plans were linked to these priorities.

Members commented that the format of the Business Plan could be improved to be focused upon the issues which would be of concern to Members. The Town Clerk explained that the format would be reviewed to ensure that the Business Plans were useful for both Members and Officers, as that was not currently the case. The Town Clerk advised that Members would be consulted as part of this process.

The Town Clerk also updated Members on the work to improve the IT Service Provision for the Corporation and the Police.

RESOLVED – That the Committee approves the Town Clerk’s Departmental Business Plan 2016/17.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor which set out his Departmental Business Plan for 2016/17.

A Member commented that it would have been beneficial for the Risk Register to be presented in the full format, rather than in the summary format presented within the report.

RESOLVED – that the Committee approves the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Departmental Business Plan 2016-2019.

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED – That under Section 100(A) 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 I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item                                        Paragraph

13, 16, 22                               3

14, 20                                     1, 3

15                                            4

17                                            1, 2

21                                            1

23                                            1, 2, 4

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2016.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2016 were approved.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which provided details of non-public outstanding actions from previous meetings.

RESOLVED – That the Committee notes the report.

To note the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2016.

The non-public minutes of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee held on 10 March 2016 were noted.

To consider a resolution from the meeting of the Corporate Asset Sub-Committee on 11 March 2016 regarding recruitment.

The Sub-Committee considered a resolution from the meeting of the Corporate Asset Sub-Committee on 11 March 2016, regarding recruitment.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee noted a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor which advised Members of additional resources being sought within the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department in the area of contracts and procurement.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

To agree the Confidential minutes of the last meeting held on 10 March 2016.

The confidential minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2016 were approved.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment. This report will also be considered by the Planning and Transportation Committee on 26 April 2016.

The Town Clerk advised that this report had been withdrawn.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Chamberlain which requested approval for a Market Forces Supplement for a post within the Chamberlain’s Department.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee noted a report of the Town Clerk which provided the Committee with information regarding a potential restructure of a Division within the Town Clerk’s Department.