Agenda and minutes

Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method.  Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting.  Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Mayor referred to the notices as shown on the summons in relation to filming at meetings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Adje, Brabazon, Carroll, McNamara, Opoku and Reith.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Elliott and Ibrahim.

None.

None.

None.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 21 November 2016 be signed as a true record of the meeting.

The Mayor drew Members’ attention to the note tabled at the meeting that set out some of his engagements since the last meeting. In particular, he gave details of his visits to the meeting of SC. Cause (Sickle Cell Care, Advocacy, Unity, Support with Empathy) and to St Mary’s Priory Catholic Infant and Primary School where he heard from some of the children who had been working with UCL students to investigate how poor housing impacts on children’s learning.

The Mayor also marked the retirement of Steve Russell after 45 years of service to the Borough and thanked Nick Walkley for his tenure as Chief Executive over the last four years, leading Councillors in a round of applause.

Finally, the Mayor drew attention to the recent passing of Peter Tucker, former Chief Executive of the Commission for Racial Equality, who had worked closely with former leader Bernie Grant as Haringey led on the equality agenda.

Zina Etheridge, Deputy Chief Executive, had no matters to report.

Bernie Ryan, Assistant Director for Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer, drew Members’ attention to the report in his name that recommended the Assistant Director for Transformation and Resources be designated the Council’s statutory Scrutiny Officer, pursuant to section 9FB of the Local Government Act 2000. Upon being moved by the Chief Whip for the majority group, it was

RESOLVED

That the Council designate the Assistant Director for Transformation and Resources as the Council’s statutory Scrutiny Officer pursuant to section 9FB of the Local Government Act 2000.

The Mayor set out that he had accepted a deputation request from representatives of Unison, and invited Gerard McGrath and Andrea Holden to introduce their deputation, where they set out their members’ concerns at the reductions in council funding and the outsourcing of services.

Following questions to the deputation from Councillors Carter, Berryman and Ejiofor, Councillor Arthur responded to the points made by the deputation.

The Mayor thanked the deputation for attending the meeting and led the Council in a round of applause.

Councillor Sahota introduced his Committee’s report, and set out some additional information to Members, specifically that Ms Etheridge, if approved as interim Head of Paid Service, would be paid at the lowest point of the Chief Executive scale agreed by Council, that members of the Cabinet had been given opportunity to raise objections to the interim appointment and that no objection had been received, and that he intended to bring a recommendation on the permanent Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service to the next meeting of Full Council on 20 March.

RESOLVED

That Full Council approve the appointment of Zina Etheridge, Deputy Chief

Executive, as Interim Head of Paid Service with effect from 1 March 2017 until a permanent appointment to the Chief Executive post is made and the appointee takes up post.

Councillor Barbara Blake introduced the first of three reports from her Committee, which related to the Council’s external audit arrangements.

RESOLVED

That Full Council resolve that the external auditor for the Council and for the pension fund should be appointed by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA), a subsidiary of the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) which is wholly owned by the Local Government Association.

Councillor Barbara Blake introduced her Committee’s second report, on the Treasury Management Mid Year Report.

RESOLVED

That Full Council note the Treasury Management activity undertaken during the six months to 30^th September 2016 and the performance achieved.

Councillor Barbara Blake introduced her Committee’s third report, on the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2017/18-2019/20.

RESOLVED

1.    That Full Council approve the Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2017/18 to 2019/20 as attached at annex four of the 2017/18 Budget report to Full Council, including the following additional clarifications in the Council’s MRP policy:

2.    That the proposed changes to the MRP policy are applied from 1^st April 2016.

3.    That full Council note and approve that financial agreements relating to capital investments that are reasonably expected to be returned in at maturity will not, at the discretion of the CFO, attract MRP where it is reasonably expected that the investment will be returned to the Council in full at maturity or over a defined period.

4.    That full Council note changes to the capital expenditure tables.

5.    That approvals in point 1, 2 and 3 above take effect from the date of authorisation of the changes to the appended report (16th February 2017).

Clerks note:

Re: Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-18 to 2021-22 and 2017-18 Budget report.

The aggregate of council tax requirements for a Band C household, set out in the formal budget resolution at Annex 5 of the report, should have read “£1354.90”, rather than “£1354.91”. The amount stated was a penny too high due to a rounding error. This note has been approved as a variation to the Council decision of 27 February 2017, by the Council meeting on 20 March 2017.

The Mayor advised the meeting that the Assistant Director for Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer would provide some advice on the voting requirements for budget votes.

It was noted that the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, and the Council’s Standing Orders required the Council to record in the minutes how each Councillor voted, including any abstentions, when determining the Council’s Budget and the level of Council Tax to be levied.

The only requirement was to record in the minutes of the meeting how each member voted, and given that there were 5 amendments and a substantive motion to be voted on, it could be recorded in the minutes of the meeting how each member voted, including any who have abstained, by a show of hands.

Councillor Arthur then MOVED the budget report – 2017/18 Budget and moved the recommendations contained at page 51 to page 52 of the agenda pack, section 3.1, items [a] to[q]. Councillor Kober seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak during the debate.

Councillor Engert MOVED 5 budget amendments as set out in the tabled papers and to be considered as part of the item. Councillor Morris seconded the amendments and reserved her right to speak during the debate.

A debate ensued and Councillors Jennifer Mann,  Newton, Elliott, Connor, McShane, Barbara Blake, Ross, Gallaher, Adamou, Carter, Griffith, Kober, Morris, Wright, Gideon Bull, Hare, and Goldberg contributed to the discussion. Councillor Engert and then Cllr Arthur responded to the proposals.

The five amendments to the Motions were then voted on individually.

Budget Amendment 1

On being put to a vote:

There being 8 in favour of the amendment (Councillors Beacham, Carter, Connor, Engert, Hare, Morris, Newton and Ross) and

43 against (Councillors Adamou, Ahmet, Ayisi, Amin, Arthur, Basu, Bevan, Berryman, Barbara Blake, Mark Blake, Clare Bull, Gideon Bull, Christophides, Demirci, Diakides, Doron, Ejiofor, Elliott, Gallagher, Goldberg, Griffith, Gunes, Hearn, Ibrahim, Jogee, Kober, Mallett, Jennifer Mann, Stephen Mann, McShane, Mitchell, Ozbek, Patterson, Peacock, Rice, Sahota, Stennett, Strickland, Tucker, Vanier, Waters, Weston, and Wright) and 

No abstentions

Amendment 1 was declared LOST.

Budget Amendment 2

On being put to a vote:

There being 8 in favour of the amendment (Councillors Beacham, Carter, Connor, Engert, Hare, Morris, Newton and Ross) and

43 against (Councillors Adamou, Ahmet, Ayisi, Amin, Arthur, Basu, Bevan, Berryman, Barbara Blake, Mark Blake, Clare Bull, Gideon Bull, Christophides, Demirci, Diakides, Doron, Ejiofor, Elliott, Gallagher, Goldberg, Griffith, Gunes, Hearn, Ibrahim, Jogee, Kober, Mallett, Jennifer Mann, Stephen Mann, McShane, Mitchell, Ozbek, Patterson,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.