Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Highland and Western Isles Valuation Joint Board will be held in the Committee Room 1, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Thursday, 18 January, 2018, at 10.30 a.m. 

Your attendance at the meeting is invited and I append a note of the business to be transacted.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser

Clerk to the Board

Business

1. Apologies/  Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest/ Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest.  Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Minutes of Meeting of 24 November, 2017/ Geàrr-chunntas Coinneamh 24 Samhain 2017

There are circulated, for approval, Minutes of Meeting of 24 November, 2017.  

4. Matters Arising from the Minutes/ Gnothaichean Ag Èirigh on Gheàrr-chunntas

5. Membership/ Ballrachd

• Mr D Mackay has been appointed as a Substitute Member, replacing Mrs C Caddick

6. Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement 2017/18/ Aithris Sgrùdaidh Buidseit Teachd-a-Steach 2017/18

There is circulated Report No VAL/1/18 by the Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Board is invited to comment and otherwise note the contents of the report. 

7. Revenue Budget 2018/19/ Buidseat Teachd-a-Steach 2018/19

There is circulated Report No VAL/2/18 by the Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Board is invited to approve the budget for 2018/19.

8. Annual Audit Plan 2017/18/  Plana Sgrùdaidh Bliadhnail 2017/18

There is circulated Report No VAL/3/18 by External Auditor, Grant Thornton setting out the 2017/18 Annual Audit Plan for the Highland and Western Isles Valuation Joint Board. The report sets out the planned work to be carried out in connection with the 2017/18 audit. 

The Board is asked to comment and otherwise note the contents of the report.

9. Departmental Report/ Aithisg Roinneil

There is circulated Report No VAL/4/18 by the Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Board is invited to comment and otherwise note the recent activities of the Department as set out in the report.

10.Review of Fees for the Secretariat of the Valuation Appeals Panel/  Ath-sgrùdadh Chìsean airson Rùnaireachd Chomataidh nan Ath-thagraidhean Luachaidh

There is circulated Report No. VAL/5/18 by the Clerk to the Board.

Members are asked to:

i agree the proposed increase in both the annual retainers and hourly rate;

ii advise the Sheriff Principal of the Board’s agreement to the revised rates; and

iii agree that the Clerk will liaise with the Assessor and Secretary to the Valuation Appeal Panel to agree a revised approach to submission and payment of fees.

11. Long Service Award/  Duais Seirbheis Fhada

There is circulated Report No. VAL/6/18 by the Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Board is invited to approve the Long Service Award Policy.

12.Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure/ Poileasaidh Innseireachd

There is circulated Report No. VAL/7/18 by the Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Board is invited to approve the updated Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure.

13.Corporate Governance – Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation/ Riaghladh Corporra – Gnàth-riaghailtean agus Sgeama Tiomnaidh

Standing Order 5 of the Board’s Standing Orders relating to the Conduct of Meetings provides that the Board will review its Standing Orders at the end of each year.  These were accordingly reviewed at the end of 2017, together with the Board’s Scheme of Delegation.  In this regard, it is recommended that no further changes are necessary at this time to Standing Orders and minor amendments to the Scheme of delegation to reflect changes in post titles as follows:-

Matters delegated to the Assessor:- Item 3 -  “Daily administration of property, including maintenance of property and contracts, subject to the Board’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.  In these matters, the Assessor will be guided by the advice of the Director of Development and Infrastructure, the Highland Council.” (formerly Director of Housing and Property).

Monitoring Officer - Last paragraph “ The monitoring Officer for the Board is the Democratic Services Manager, the Highland Council” (formerly the Head of Corporate Governance)

Personnel Adviser - change in title of the Board’s Personnel Adviser from Head of People and Transformation to Head of People and Information & Communications Technology.

Both documents can be found at:-  

http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/download/596/highland_and_western_isles_joint_valuation_board_-_corporate_governance_policies