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Minutes:
Matter for
Decision
The Officer’s
report presented a summary of the 2014/15 outturn position (actual income and
expenditure) for services within the Environment and Waste portfolio, compared
to the final budget for the year. The position for
revenue and capital was reported and variances from budgets were highlighted,
together with explanations. Requests to carry forward funding arising from
certain budget underspends into 2015/16 were identified.
Decision
of Executive Councillor for Environment and Waste
i.
Agreed the carry forward requests
totalling £96,400 as detailed in Appendix C of the Officer’s report, to be recommended
to Council for approval.
ii.
Agreed to seek approval from Council to
carry forward capital resources to fund rephrased net capital spending of
£537,000 from 2014/15 into 2015/16, as detailed in Appendix D of the Officer’s
report.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The Committee received a report from the Head of Finance which noted that the outturn reports
presented to the Committee cycle reflected the reporting structures in place
prior to the recent changes in Executive portfolios.
In light of these changes (together with the requirement to
report outturn on the basis of portfolios in place during 2014/15) members of
this committee were asked to consider the proposals to carry forward budgets
and make their views known to the Executive Councillor for Finance and
Resources, for consideration at Strategy & Resources Scrutiny Committee
prior to the recommendations to Council.
In response to the Committee’s comments Officers and the Director of
Environment and the Executive Councillor for Environment and Waste made the
following statements:
i.
Following a change in the process the previous year
the recharges were now allocated slightly differently.
ii.
Although it appeared there were differences line by
line between original budgets and final budgets, the total budget had not
changed, only the way in which the overhead costs had been allocated across
budget lines. The restructuring of overhead costs was deemed to be a technical
adjustment.
iii.
The carry forward request of £50,000 for the new
post of Contracts Manager was for a fixed twelve month contract pending further
review. The recruitment process had been followed but the Director of Environment
would confirm to the Committee the basis on which the decision had been made.
iv.
Confirmed that few adjustments had gone through the
Mid year Financial Review
v.
Although the overall capital for streets and open spaces
had not changed significantly compared to previous years, there had been an
increase in monies spent which had focused on public priorities, such as the
recruitment of a dog warden, additional money on posters, bins and enforcement.
vi.
Officers were working to improve the accounting
reporting process for scrutiny.
vii.
The bulk of the underspend related to the purchase
of new vehicles which had been ordered in the second half of the previous year
but the monies had been spent in the first quarter of this financial year.
The Committee resolved (6
votes to 0) to endorse the recommendations.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.