Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber

Contact: Email: committees@midsussex.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

To note Substitutes in Accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4 - Substitutes at Meetings of Committees etc.

Minutes:

Councillor Coe-Gunnell White substituted for Councillor Whittaker.

2.

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Whittaker.

3.

To receive Declarations of Interests from Members in respect of any matter on the Agenda.

Minutes:

In relation to discussion under Item 6, Councillor Andrew Lea and Councillor Brunsdon declared that they are both West Sussex County Councillors.

4.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee for Leader, Resources and Economic Growth held on 12 March 2019. pdf icon PDF 69 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

5.

To consider any items that the Chairman agrees to take as urgent business.

Minutes:

None.

6.

Performance Outturn 2018/19. pdf icon PDF 186 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Neal Barton, Policy and Performance Manager introduced the report, noting the positive performance over the year with 80% of indicators green compared to 67% at the same point last year, and no red performance indicators. He highlighted the improvements in customer service, staff sickness rates and the speed of processing planning applications as well as improvements the Revenues and Benefits service and success with the Council’s own temporary accommodation project.

 

The positive achievement of 80% green indicators was commended by a number of Members and discussion was held on whether the subject focus and metrics to monitor performance going forward was appropriate. It was noted that no significant change is anticipated to affect how performance is monitored, and that the decision to amend targets falls within the remit of the committee later in the year. In terms of the flagship activities for 2019/20 they pro-actively address a number of current topical issues including sustainability and environmental impact.

 

Performance at 98% of undisputed invoices paid within 10 days was commended by a Member who noted this was an excellent way to support local businesses. Discussion was also held on the amount of Council Tax collected. It was noted that whist the report provides a snapshot of amounts collected in the past year, the Council also actively promotes the Council Tax Support Scheme to assist residents facing difficulties in this area

 

It was agreed that a written response would be provided to Members on why there is a downward trend on the return on the tenanted non-residential property portfolio.

 

The subject of staff turnover was discussed, and it was confirmed that exit interviews take place to establish reasons why staff leave. A written response will be provided on how the Council measures the percentage of full time equivalents that are unoccupied, and any impact this may have. Clarity will also be provided on whether it is appropriate to include Fixed Term Contract numbers in the turnover figures. A Member also suggested that it would be useful to provide in future reports a breakdown of the longevity of legal cases that remain open. The Solicitor to the Council confirmed that most of the open cases relate to SANG and SAMM contributions to the Ashdown Forest.

 

The topic of recycling and food waste was discussed and the Policy and Performance Manager confirmed that the figures provided for recycling take in to account levels of contamination that results in recycling going to landfill. A Member expressed a wish for the Council to consider the overall environmental impact of waste disposal, including mileage if items are recycled abroad.  The Leader provided an update on discussions with West Sussex County Council regarding domestic food waste collection, noting that Mid Sussex District Council has the decision to make as the collection authority once implications on cost and methods of collection have been considered. A business case will be presented for scrutiny later in the year.

 

The Committee discussed the figures presented on the Early Intervention Family Project with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Scrutiny Committee for Leader, Finance and Performance - Work Programme 2019/20. pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Minutes:

Tom Clark, Solicitor to the Council introduced the report, and noted the significance of the January meeting for discussing the draft Corporate Plan and Budget for 2020/21.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Committee agreed the work programme as set out in paragraph 5 of the report.

8.

Questions pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 10, due notice of which has been given.

Minutes:

None.