Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Sarah Claridge, Committee and Member Services Officer 

Items
No. Item

111.

Apologies for Absence

Apologies received from Cllr Simm and the Chief Executive.

112.

Declarations of Interest

None

 

113.

Addresses and Questions by Members of the Public

Minutes:

None received

 

114.

Councillors Addresses on any item for decision on the Board's agenda

Minutes:

None

 

115.

Councillor Addresses on Neighbourhood Issues

Minutes:

None

 

116.

Items raised by Board Members

Minutes:

None

 

117.

Commissioned Advice Strategy 2018-2021 pdf icon PDF 123 KB

The Executive Director for Organisational Development & Corporate Services has submitted a report which proposes that a new model for funding advice services in Oxford is investigated in time to replace the current programme which ends on 31 March 2018.

 

Recommendations: That the City Executive Board resolves to:

 

1.    Agree that work is undertaken early in 2017 to evaluate the current provision of advice services in Oxford, and to compare this with different models of provision in other parts of the country.

 

2.    Agree to commission an independent evaluation of services which proposes a new funding model which ensures that the outcomes of the Council’s Financial Inclusion Strategy are delivered.

 

3.    Agree that all funding models should be considered in investigating the new approach, including competitive tendering, and retaining the current model.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Director for Organisational Development & Corporate Services submitted a report which proposed that a new model for funding advice services in Oxford is investigated in time to replace the current programme which ends on 31 March 2018.

 

Cllr Brown, Board Member for Customer and Corporate Services presented the report. She explained that the report had been rewritten after advice from the Scrutiny Committee.

 

The Council highly values the work of the advice agencies in the city and pays them a combined grant of £500k each year. However the government’s austerity programme and cuts to local government have put pressure on our community grants. 

 

Council proposes moving to a commissioned advice system that fits with the objectives of our Financial Inclusion Strategy.  We value the work of the advice centres but need to provide services fit for the future and are geographically equitable across the city.  The review will consider how we could change services to make them more efficient. This does not necessarily mean having new advice providers.

 

A progress report will go to CEB in September.

 

Cllr Price asked what kind of bodies/cost will be involved in the review. The Benefits Manager said he didn’t have a fixed idea of who the reviewer would be but they would have advice services expertise and local knowledge about the sector. The review should cost less that £10k.

 

Cllr Tanner said that a review would be useful for determining value for money of advice centres.  Centres often provide service cheaper than if the Council provided it in-house as they rely on volunteers.

 

Cllr Rowley said that advice centres needed to be accessible to everyone in Oxford but they also needed to retail hubs in areas of deprivation.

 

The County Council’s approach provides an example of how not to do it. Their single provider has led to a drop in the number of people being helped. He was glad officers were meeting with all advice centres as he felt a single tender with a single provider was unlikely to work.  He felt there was a lots of potential if advice centres worked together to make improvements ie sharing volunteers, etc.

 

Cllr Price asked what the next step was and would other Members be involved in deciding the choice and management structure of advice services. Cllr Brown said she would know more in the next few months and would involve other board members when needed.  The Executive Director of Organisational Change and Corporate Services said that other members could be briefed on developments at the Members’ financial Inclusion meeting.

 

The City Executive Board resolves to:

 

1.            Agree that work is undertaken early in 2017 to evaluate the current provision of advice services in Oxford, and to compare this with different models of provision in other parts of the country.

 

2.            Agree to commission an independent evaluation of services which proposes a new funding model which ensures that the outcomes of the Council’s Financial Inclusion Strategy are delivered.

 

3.            Agree that all funding models  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

118.

Establishment of Trust arrangements to support the redevelopment of the Museum of Oxford. pdf icon PDF 118 KB

The Head of Community Services has submitted a report which seeks the establishment of a development trust to support the redevelopment of the Museum of Oxford.

 

Recommendations: That the City Executive Board resolves to:

 

1.    Approve the establishment of a Development Trust as a vehicle to raise funds to support the redevelopment of the Museum of Oxford.

 

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to commit up to £5,000 from existing resources in order to register the fund-raising vehicle with the Charity Commission.

 

3.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to agree detailed arrangements relating to the Development Trust.

 

4.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to explore the future establishment of a full Charitable Trust to manage the long-term development of the Museum of Oxford.

 

5.    Instruct the Head of Community Services to report back to City Executive Board at a future date on progress in relation to the establishment of a full Charitable Trust. The report should include the Trust remit, revised charitable aims (objects), and a draft business plan outlining proposals for staffing, financial management and other aspects of the Trust’s future development. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Community Services submitted a report which sought to establish of a development trust to support the redevelopment of the Museum of Oxford.

 

Cllr Price, Board member for Corporate Strategy and Economic Development presented the report. He explained that the museum had secured a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant and had pledged to raise £300,000 from other sources.  The second round of funding from HLF is dependent on the museum having secured funding for 80% of its pledge.  Creating a development trust is one way the museum can raise this money through donations. This trust will have board members on the board.

 

Officers are also going to explore creating a charity trust to run the museum. A report will go to CEB later in the year outlining the development trust’s fundraising progress and whether a charity trust is a suitable model for the museum.

 

The City Executive Board resolved to:

 

1.    Approve the establishment of a Development Trust as a vehicle to raise funds to support the redevelopment of the Museum of Oxford.

 

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to commit up to £5,000 from existing resources in order to register the fund-raising vehicle with the Charity Commission.

 

3.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to agree detailed arrangements relating to the Development Trust.

 

4.    Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services to explore the future establishment of a full Charitable Trust to manage the long-term development of the Museum of Oxford.

 

5.    Instruct the Head of Community Services to report back to City Executive Board at a future date on progress in relation to the establishment of a full Charitable Trust. The report should include the Trust remit, revised charitable aims (objects), and a draft business plan outlining proposals for staffing, financial management and other aspects of the Trust’s future development.

 

 

119.

Scrutiny Committee Reports

119a

Scrutiny Report: Devolution Plans for Oxfordshire pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Report of the Scrutiny Devolution Review Group

 

Report to follow.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Tidball, Chair of the Scrutiny Devolution Review Group presented the report. She explained the task of the review group and outlined the methodology and findings of the group.  She explained that devolution was important to local government as the UK is the most centralised county in the world and devolution deals bring some of that power to the local level. Achieving a deal could release significant government money to the county but the timeframe to agree a deal is small.

 

The government has specified the need for an elected mayor to provide strong accountable governance. The review group’s preferred model is to keep the current Oxfordshire councils but to also have a mayoral combined authority, which would be responsible for the additional powers and money released from government.

 

She thanked the Scrutiny Officer and the Assistant Chief Executive for their hard work.

 

 

Cllr Tidball listed the benefits of securing a devolution deal, these included simplifying transportation infrastructure, building a new relationship with government and creating an employer led skills model.

She explained that the secured Cambridge-Peterborough devolution deal included significant money for social housing.

 

Recommendation 9 of the report suggests how the governance of a combined authority could work, including details of decision-making/voting and the ability of the combined authority to overrule a mayor. It is also recommends devolving from the combined authority to the county and district councils the power to discharge functions where appropriate.

 

The report discusses possible local government re-organisation in Oxfordshire and outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the different models in Appendix 2. It is recommended this list be used to build consensus between Oxfordshire authorities.

 

A mayor would provide strong accountable decision making and could speed up decision-making by removing loggerheads.

 

She explained that the City is an economic hub in the county and the demographic makeup of the city needs to be shown in the decision making structure of either re-organisation model

 

Cllr Price thanked Cllr Tidball, Cllr Gant, and the Scrutiny Officer for the report.

 

The Assistant Chief Executive updated the board on the progress made in drafting a devolution deal. She explained that the Review Group’s report had been very helpful to assist the decision making of the working group (made up of representatives from all Oxfordshire local authorities and LEP).

 

Following on from CEB agreeing the Statement of intent, to support a devolution deal with a combined authority in December, the working group has been revising its proposal. It has three objectives:

1.Housing, planning , infrastructure and transport - and has updated details on how devolved money would work for these

2.Skills; and

3. Governance arrangements – to review the government’s requirements needed to secure a devolution deal, and learn from authorities that have secured deals in the last year.

The County Council launched its one council model today. It is out for public consultation until 14 March. The working group need to make sure work is progressed before the County considers their one council proposal.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 119a

120.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2016

 

Recommendation: The City Executive Board NOTES the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2016 as a true and accurate record.

Minutes:

The Board resolved to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2016 as a true and accurate record.