Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Alexander, Brabazon, Bloch, Canver, Gorrie, and Gibson for lateness from Councillor Adje.

The Assistant Director of Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer also advised that the Acting Deputy Chief Executive – Ms Etheridge, was in  attendance in the absence of the Chief Executive.

NOTED

Nil Items.

There were no declarations of interests.

NOTED

The Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer – Mr Ryan reminded Members of the need to consider whether they needed to make a declaration in accordance with Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 in relation to unpaid community charge or council tax liability which was two months or more outstanding.

No such declarations were made.

NOTED

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 18 November 2013 be signed as a true record.

1.    Congratulations to the Leader

The Mayor on behalf of the Council congratulated Councillor Claire Kober and her husband Mark on the safe delivery of a beautiful baby daughter, Grace.

The Council gave a resounding round of applause.

NOTED

2.    Royal Visit - His Royal Highness Prince Charles

The Mayor announced that she was honoured to welcome His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales back to Tottenham earlier in February, when he visited 639 High Road, Tottenham Green and Tottenham Town Hall. The special occasion was Prince Charles’ fourth visit to Haringey since the 2011 riots, and took the time to meet with local youngsters, residents and entrepreneurs and to learn more about the progress that was being made on Tottenham’s regeneration.

2     Celebrating International Women’s Day

The Mayor announced that on at 7.30pm on Saturday 8^th March in the Council Chamber, she would be celebrating International Women’s Day, and that for the first time 49 women would be  receiving Unsung Women’s Awards,  and to accommodate  the 17 Orthodox Jewish women, who would be receivers in the award ceremony, the event had been moved to the evening. The  Mayor also advised that that Cllrs Mallett and Weber had agreed to join her in hosting the event.

3     Extension to Day Centre at the Haven

The mayor reported that the previous week she had attended the party at the Haven in Waltheof Gardens where she was pleased to open the wonderful new extension to the Day Centre. The mayor advised that she had originally opened the Centre in 1998 when she had been  previously Mayor. Cllr Bull had supplied the music to the delight of the Day Centre residents.

4     Young People’s Sporting Success

The Mayor reported Haringey’s young people’s sporting success continuing with the excellent news that Haringey’s London Youth Games boys’ cricket team had reached the finals of the cricket tournament at Lords on Sunday 2 March after winning all of their matches. The Mayor advised that she had passed on the Council’s congratulations to them and wished them good luck for this weekend.

5    Faith Meeting

The Mayor informed the meeting that she would be hosting on 11th  March at 8am a FAITH MEETING in the newly named Committee Room 8, previously known as the canteen. Members of all faiths had been invited, by the Secretary Father Simon Clark and the Chair Mr Samuel Davidsohn.

6    BLOG

The advised that she had  previously circulated her BLOG to all Councillors so that Members were now all up to date with the many events that have happened in and around the Borough.

7     The Death of Former Councillor Tony Rigby

The Mayor advised that she was saddened to report the death of former Councillor Tony Rigby who passed away in December 2013.

Councillors Bull and Meehan spoke in memory of former Councillor Rigby.

The Mayor asked and Full Council stood for 1 minutes silence in memory of Tony Rigby.

NOTED

(i)            Record of decisions taken under urgency procedures or delegated authority

(ii)          Designation of the Council’s Chief Financial Officer, Monitoring Officer, and Scrutiny Officer

The Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer reported that   there were two matters to report on behalf of the Chief Executive. The report marked (i) reported to Full Council decisions  taken under urgency procedures and delegated authority and was for noting. The report marked (ii) reported to Full Council the designation of the posts set out in the report as the Council’s Chief Financial Officer, Monitoring Officer, and Scrutiny Officer, and sought approval of those designations.

The Chief Whip MOVED that attachment (i) be noted and attachment (ii) be agreed, and it was:

RESOLVED

i.    That the circulated report marked (i) reporting to Full Council decisions  taken under urgency procedures and delegated authority be noted;

ii.   That the circulated report marked (ii)  in respect of the designation of the posts set out in the report as the Council’s Chief Financial Officer, Monitoring Officer and Scrutiny Officer be agreed as follows:

a.            That the post of Assistant Director of Corporate Governance be designated as the Council’s Monitoring Officer as required under Section 5 of the Local Government Act 1972;

b.            That the post of Assistant Director Finance be designated as the Chief Financial Officer as required under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972; and

c.            That the post of Deputy Chief Executive be designated as the Council’s Scrutiny officer as required under Section 9FB of the Localism Act 2011.

The Assistant Director of Corporate Governance and  Monitoring Officer advised that the report before the meeting advised of the outcome of the  Standards  Hearing Sub-Committee of 22 January  2014 in respect of a Standards Complaint against an elected Member of this Council.

The Chief Whip MOVED and it was:

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

The Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer reported that there had been one petition submitted with approx 1750 signatures in respect of a request for ’30 Minutes free parking’ on Haringey’s High Streets’. The petition organiser was Cara Jenkinson. The petition would be received and duly noted in accordance with procedures for receiving petitions. 

The Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer  further advised that the detail of the petition formed the basis of a budget amendment which had been  tabled for consideration under Agenda Item 1, and that  the Cabinet Member may respond to the petition as part of the response to the budget amendment.

RESOLVED

that the petition submitted with approx 1750 signatures in respect of a request for ’30 Minutes free parking’ on Haringey’s High Streets’ be received and duly noted in accordance with procedures for receiving petitions.

a)    Corporate Committee – Report No.3  - 2013/14

A. Corporate Committee – Report Nos. 03/2013 -14

     Councillor Meehan MOVED the recommendation contained in Corporate Committee Report Nos. 03/2013 -14.

RESOLVED

That the Corporate Committee – Report Nos. 03 /2013 -14 be received in respect of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS) for 2014/15, and that the recommendation concerning the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2014/15 to 2016/17 (at Appendix 4 of the Financial Planning report to Council) be approved.

(N.B. Cabinet concur with this recommendation. The version of the TMSS at Appendix 6 of the Medium Term Financial Planning report (item 11 on the agenda refers) incorporates the updated version.)

To consider the report in respect of Medium Term Financial Planning for 2014/15 - 2016/17 and to agree the Council Tax for 2014/15

The Mayor advised the meeting that the Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer – Mr Ryan would give the meeting some advice in respect of changes in regulations requiring local authorities to change their Standing Orders, as soon as practicable after these Regulations come into force, so that it must 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 Assistant Director Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer – Mr Ryan advised the meeting that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government recently published new Regulations, entitled the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, and these Regulations came into force on 25^th February 2014.

Mr Ryan advised that the regulations required local authorities to change their Standing Orders, as soon as practicable after the Regulations come into force, so that it must 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 Government’s interpretation of these Regulations was that it included having a recorded vote on amendments proposed at the meeting. Mr Ryan commented that whilst it was not reasonably practicable to change the Council Standing Orders before this evening’s  meeting the Council could comply with these requirements by having a recorded vote on each amendment and the substantive motion.

Mr Ryan concluded that as the only requirement was to record in the minutes of the meeting how each member voted, and given that there were 4 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 had abstained, by a show of hands.

The Mayor then MOVED and it was agreed  that  the advice given be  noted and acted on when it come to the voting on this item – and that this did not preclude 8 Members from requesting a recorded vote under the current Council Procedure Rules.

Councillor Goldberg moved the budget report – Medium Term Financial Planning 2014/15 to 2016/17, and moved the recommendations contained therein. Councillor Kober seconded the MOTION and reserved her right to speak during the debate.

Councillor Strang MOVED 4 budget amendments as set out in the appendix (attached to the minutes marked ‘A’). Councillor Wilson seconded the amendments to the MOTION and reserved his right to speak during the debate.

A debate ensued and Members contributed to the discussion. 

Councillor Strang, and then Councillor Goldberg, responded to the proposals.

The amendments to the Motions were then voted on individually.

Budget amendment 1, on being put to the vote there were 18  in favour of the amendment (Councillors Beacham, Butcher, Davies, Engert, Erskine, Hare, Jenks, Newton, Reece, Reid, Schmitz, Scott, Solomon, Strang, Whyte, Williams, Wilson, and Winskill)

and 31 against (Councillors Adamou, Adje, Amin, Basu, Bevan, Browne, Bull, Christophides, Cooke, Demirci, Diakides, Dogus, Egan, Ejiofor, Goldberg, Griffith, Rahman-Khan, Kober,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.