Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Cllr T Napper.

Details of Cabinet Member interests in District, Town and Parish Councils will be displayed in the meeting room. The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via the Democratic Services team.

Council is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

Presentation: Chair to formally award the title of Honorary Alderman to ex County Councillors Dr G Court, Ralph Clark, John Edney, and Alan Gloak. 

To acknowledge the death of Autism Somerset founder Campbell Main.

To receive the Chair’s information sheet detailing events attended in December 2017 and January and February 2018.

(see explanatory notes attached to agenda)

This item includes the presentation of petitions. Details of any public questions / petitions submitted will be included in the Chair’s Schedule which will be made available to the members and to the public at the meeting.

To consider a report with recommendations from the Section 151 Officer

The Council RESOLVED to note that the estimates used

in the production of the budget proposal for 2018/19 are

adequately robust.

The Council further noted the following statement from the

S151 Officer, made on the basis of the assessments

contained in the report:

Based on the assessment of the reserves, contingencies and balances, the key financial risks identified, and the thorough process used for developing the Medium Term Financial Plan, I have determined that the level of reserves,

contingencies and balances for the 2018/19 financial year is adequate.

To consider a report with recommendations from the Leader of the Council, arising from the Cabinet meetings held on 13^th December 2017, 17^th January 2018 and 12^th February 2018.

The recommendations relate to:

-         2018/19 Capital Investment Programme

-         Medium Term Financial Plan 2018/19 

-         Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2018-19

The Council RESOLVED:

1)    2018/19 Capital Investment Programme

To agree:

1.         A Capital Investment Programme for 2018/19 of £91.973m shown in Appendix A. Full details of individual schemes are available online as background papers;

2.         That the Chief Executive and relevant Senior Leadership Team Officer(s) following appropriate consultation and after giving due regard to the information contained within any associated impact assessments, are given delegated authority to decide on the specific individual projects to be delivered within generic approvals for their area of control and to secure any necessary decisions in order to implement the projects;

3.         The Prudential Code Indicators as shown in Section 5 & Appendix C.

4.         The statement on the Minimum Revenue Provision be endorsed for the 2018/19 financial year (section 4)

2)    2018/19 Revenue Budget and the Medium Term Financial Plan 2018/19-2021/22

To agree:

1.         The 2018/19 Revenue Budget which sets:

a.         Net Revenue Budget of £316,881,900;

b.         Council Tax Requirement of £230,250,000;

c.         A Council Tax increase of 5.99% (including a 3% precept for Adult   Social Care) giving a Band D value of £1,192.16;

d.         Specific savings targets as shown in Appendix A after having due regards to the potential impacts identified in this report and its appendices.

2.         To continue the Council Tax precept of £12.84 within the base budget for the shadow Somerset Rivers Authority (representing no increase). This results in a Council Tax Requirement of £2,506,900.

3)    Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2018-19

To agree:

1.         Adopt the Treasury Management Strategy (as shown in Section 2 of the report).

2.         Approve the Annual Investment Strategy (as shown in Section 3 of the report) and proposed Lending Counterparty Criteria (attached at Appendix B to the report).

To consider a report from the Chair of the HR Policy Committee.

The recommendations relate to the Pay Policy Statement 2018-19.

The Council RESOLVED

•           To approve the Pay Policy Statement (PPS) for the Council for 2018-19 (attached as Appendix A to the report).

To consider a report setting out any requisitioned items submitted for the Council’s consideration.

The Council RESOLVED:

To ask the Cabinet Member for Resources to:

1.         Work with partners, suppliers and customers to develop a strategy and timetable to make Somerset County Council (SCC) a ‘single-use-plastic-free’ authority, specifically the phasing out of sales and use of Single Use Plastic (SUP) bottles and other SUP products across all premises and events.

2.         Present the strategy and timetable to the Scrutiny Committee for Policies and Place before consideration at Full Council in November 2018.

3.         Actively encourage the institutions, businesses and residents of Somerset to adopt similar measures.

4.         Lobby the Somerset MP’s for national legislation on reducing the use of SUP’s.

5.         To actively encourage additional plastic recycling facilities through the Somerset Waste Partnership.

To consider a report from the Chief Executive.

The recommendations relate to the appointments of Monitoring Officer and a Data Protection Officer and to agree a councillor’s leave of absence.

The Council RESOLVED:

To agree:

(a)          The post of Service Manager (Executive) – currently held by Scott Wooldridge - as the Council’s Monitoring Officer initially for a two year period and to be reviewed in advance of the February 2020 Council meeting;

(b)          The post of Service Manager – Information Governance – currently held by Peter Grogan – as the Council’s Data Protection Officer with effect from 25th May 2018 – a new statutory post as defined by the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (Articles 37-39).

And to note:

(c) The action taken by the Chief Executive in agreeing a six month leave of absence from Council duties for Cllr Linda Oliver.

To receive reports by the Leader of Council summarising key decisions taken by him and the Cabinet, including at the Cabinet meetings held on 13^th December 2017, 17^th January 2018 and 12^th February 2018.

(Note: Member Questions to the Leader and Cabinet Members will be taken under this item)

To receive a report by the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee for Policies, Adults and Health.

To receive a report by the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee for Policies, Children and Families.

To receive a report by the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee for Policies and Place.

To receive the Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

To receive the Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Children and Families