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On Monday evening there were meetings of the City Council, the Leisure, Arts and Communities Committee, the Housing, DCS & Environment Services Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee.
The Leisure, Arts and Communities Committee looked at some interesting reports, including one on Tayside and Fife sporting partnership. I welcome this and hope that this small investment will have a major impact on Dundee. I also welcomed a report on investment on the reduction of on-street prostitution, I am concerned that this programme will loose funding at the end of March. I was somewhat relieved to hear that alternative sources of funding are being looked at but I will be seeking a briefing from officers to ensure that effective programmes continue.
The Housing, DCS & Environment Services Committee considered a range of reports. I was sorry to see the SNP-John Letford Administration push through proposals to send two councillors the Chartered Institute of Housing's Annual Scottish Conference in Glasgow in March at a cost of £689 per delegate. I am not completely opposed to councillors attending conferences but the costs are often ridiculous as in this case. I also think at a time when the council is facing cuts it is difficult to justify spending such money.
At the Policy and Resources Committee I seconded my colleague Kevin Keenan's amendment that would have seen the Administration's proposals to set up a Charitable Organisation to Manage Leisure and Cultural Facilities dealt with properly. Instead we have a piecemeal approach which sets out a partial view of the way forward. Councillor Guild and Councillor Duncan who moved the report as well as the officers who tried to justify tendering for legal services all relied on discussing the pros and cons of setting up a mega-trust to look after leisure and culture services. The point was that this was not up for discussion. Without formally presenting the proposals the Administration put the cart before the horse. The Administration seemed to take exception to my suggestion that this could cost around £50,000. Where did I get this figure from? From a draft report (see page 2, paragraph 3.3) produced by the secretive Changing for the Future Board and which the Administration had put on the council's website which is open for any member of the public or anyone who wishes to tender for this work to see. It is, of course, farcical that this situation should arise that the Administration holds secret meetings and then places in the public domain commercially sensitive information. This is not the way to run a multi-million pound organisation.
The Leisure, Arts and Communities Committee looked at some interesting reports, including one on Tayside and Fife sporting partnership. I welcome this and hope that this small investment will have a major impact on Dundee. I also welcomed a report on investment on the reduction of on-street prostitution, I am concerned that this programme will loose funding at the end of March. I was somewhat relieved to hear that alternative sources of funding are being looked at but I will be seeking a briefing from officers to ensure that effective programmes continue.
The Housing, DCS & Environment Services Committee considered a range of reports. I was sorry to see the SNP-John Letford Administration push through proposals to send two councillors the Chartered Institute of Housing's Annual Scottish Conference in Glasgow in March at a cost of £689 per delegate. I am not completely opposed to councillors attending conferences but the costs are often ridiculous as in this case. I also think at a time when the council is facing cuts it is difficult to justify spending such money.
At the Policy and Resources Committee I seconded my colleague Kevin Keenan's amendment that would have seen the Administration's proposals to set up a Charitable Organisation to Manage Leisure and Cultural Facilities dealt with properly. Instead we have a piecemeal approach which sets out a partial view of the way forward. Councillor Guild and Councillor Duncan who moved the report as well as the officers who tried to justify tendering for legal services all relied on discussing the pros and cons of setting up a mega-trust to look after leisure and culture services. The point was that this was not up for discussion. Without formally presenting the proposals the Administration put the cart before the horse. The Administration seemed to take exception to my suggestion that this could cost around £50,000. Where did I get this figure from? From a draft report (see page 2, paragraph 3.3) produced by the secretive Changing for the Future Board and which the Administration had put on the council's website which is open for any member of the public or anyone who wishes to tender for this work to see. It is, of course, farcical that this situation should arise that the Administration holds secret meetings and then places in the public domain commercially sensitive information. This is not the way to run a multi-million pound organisation.
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