Agendas, reports and minutes

In relation to the agenda and papers circulated for the above Meeting of the Highland Council, please find attached the undernoted:-

AGENDA ITEM 7

Question Time 

There are circulated the following Questions and Responses which it was indicated would follow. 

One supplementary question will be allowed in each case which will be answered by the recipient of the original question.

Public Questions

(1)    Ms C Nichols

To the Chair of the Education Committee

The voluntary youth sector has a rich and diverse range of organisations that work with a variety of young people and offering services ranging from community based universal youth work to specialist issue based support services. The Voluntary Youth Network was launched in January 2017 and has developed an effective improvement plan underpinned by professional ethics, values and principles and delivering to local, regional and National priorities. 

The plan has enabled the sector to attract support from National funders and stakeholders and the sector is worth between £7 million and £10 million pounds per year to the local economy.

Would the Highland Council agree to meet with young people, youth workers and volunteers from the voluntary youth sector to agree action to improve representation of voluntary youth sector at relevant committees and decision making forums? 

Member Questions

(1)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council

Which member of Council Staff will be tasked with answering this question on your behalf?

(2)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

As Leader of the Council, following my question at a previous Council meeting, can you assure me there is no coalition agreement with the SNP Group?

(3)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council

As Leader of the Council, how does your personal view of a Council proposal contradict your view as Leader of the Council?

(4)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

How many Highland residents (as individuals, not organisations) have emailed or made representations to you in support of the Spaces for People in the City Centre, as Leader of the Council?

(5)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

How many Highland residents (as individuals, not organisations) have emailed or made representations to you in opposition to the Spaces for People in the City Centre, as Leader of the Council?

(6)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

As Leader of the Council, what discussion have you had with other Council Leaders of larger cities who have either significantly scaled back or entirely removed their Spaces for People interventions?

(7)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Chair of Economy and Infrastructure,

Do you remain confident that the whole budget allocation for road repairs and maintenance will be spent in this financial year?

(8)    Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

Why do the public continue to remain in the dark about the details of how this Council spent their money on the Inverness City Arts Programme?

(9)    Mr A Jarvie    

To the Leader of the Council,

When will the public find out how much was paid to ‘artists’ to design a concrete slab?

(10) Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council,

As Leader of the Council, do you find it acceptable that an artwork which cost the public purse nearly £400,000 is not fully accessible to disabled people as was promised?

(11) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

With six months left of your tenure, as Leader of the Council, what is your proudest achievement you initiated, led on and pursued to completion?

(12) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council 

As Leader of the Council, can you list any examples where the Council has suffered the often touted “reputational damage” as a result of Councillors undertaking their elected role in scrutinising the Council and what the material impact was?

(13) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

As Leader of the Council do you believe the £360,000 spent on the Gathering Place in Inverness represents good use of public funds?

(14) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

When did you last visit Lochaber in your capacity as Leader of the Council, and which community groups did you meet during this visit?

(15) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

What is the total FTE headcount for non-education staff employed by the Highland Council as of 30th November 2021?

(16) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

What was the total FTE headcount for non-education staff employed by the Highland Council in each of the last 10 financial years? What was the total employment costs for those posts in each financial year?

(17) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

What was the Statutory Performance Indicator for the condition of roads in the Highland Council area when you took over as Leader of the Council?

(18) Mr K Gowans

To the Leader of the Council

Further to my successful motion in December 2020 when Members agreed to support “The Highland Council undertakes to achieve “Living Wage” designation status for the Highland Council Area to provide benefit and support for lower paid employees”, an update was provided to the Council in May. Since then, there have been no further updates on this very important initiative. What tangible evidence is there that any further progress has been made to date?

(19) Mr R MacWilliam

To the Leader of the Council 

Which Highland Council budget will meet the additional costs arising as a result of unauthorised spending beyond the agreed Inverness City Arts budget?

(20) Mr R MacWilliam

To the Leader of the Council 

When will a detailed breakdown of the ICArts programme expenditure become available for public scrutiny?

(21) Mr R MacWilliam

To the Leader of the Council  

What measures are Highland Council taking to support the community food growing strategy?

(22) Mr R MacWilliam

To the Leader of the Council

What measures are in place to consult communities on the sale of ‘common good’ assets? 

(23) Mr A Jarvie

To the Leader of the Council

Do you have absolute assurance that HR has sufficient staffing and procedures to address the concerns highlighted by members of staff in the press regarding the culture in the Council?

(24) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

Following the admission of liability by Borders Council and their subsequent failure to investigate the actions of teacher Linda McCall, what action as Leader of the Council have you taken to prevent such a cover up ever happening at Highland Council?

(25) Mr D Macpherson

To the Chair of the Housing & Property Committee

How many people are currently waiting patiently on the Highland Council’s Housing List for an available council house or housing association house, and how does Highland Council correspond with these people to update them on their status and place in the housing queue?

AGENDA ITEM 9 

Medium Term Financial Plan – Capital Strategy and Capital Programme to 2036/37

There is circulated Report No. HC/33/21 dated 26 November 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance which it was indicated would follow. 

The Council is invited to:- 

(i)    approve the strategic approach to capital investment as outlined in the report;
(ii)    approve the 15-year capital investment programme to the value of £658.132m as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report; 
(iii)    note that this is in addition to the current approved programme of projects which totals £281.762m, giving a combined programme value of £938.894m;
(iv)    note the projects that currently sit outside the affordability envelope, as set out in Appendix 5 and endorse the ambition to seek ways in which these can be taken forward via alternative funding sources, including the development of a Capital Asset Partnering Plan; 
(v)    agree an allocation of £0.450m from the Transformation Fund to commission external finance and asset advisors as well as enhance core staffing to augment the existing finance and Treasury work with the aim of maximising funds management, identifying income generating opportunities, driving through asset rationalisation and chasing funds and grants to support the Council’s strategic capital plan ambitions; and
(vi)    note that a report will come to the next meeting of the full Council which will set out enhanced governance arrangements for the Capital Programme, including the role of Council and its strategic committees and this will be reflected in the annual review of the Scheme of Delegation which will be brought to the same meeting.

AGENDA ITEM 20 

Timetable – Additional Meeting of the Housing & Property Committee in 2022

The Council is asked to agree the following – an additional meeting of the Housing & Property Committee to be held on 20 January 2022. 

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser
Head of Corporate Governance