Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor L Wardlaw.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

No declarations were made.

In accordance with paragraph 2.32 of the Committee Procedural Rules and Appendix 7 of the Rules a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question. 

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.  It is not required to give notice of the intention to make use of public speaking provision, however, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours notice is encouraged.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve and agree the arrangements to commence the process to recruit to the Post of Head of Paid Services (Chief Executive).

The Committee considered a report seeking approval of the arrangements to commence the process to recruit to the post of Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive).

In accordance with the Employment Procedure Rules, the Staffing Committee was required to approve the job description and specification, determine whether the post was recruited to internally or externally and agree the salary for the new appointment.

The proposed job description and specification for the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  This had been amended from the previous version to include reference to the Council’s environmental vision.

The Council had recently engaged Penna Executive Search to support senior recruitment to key roles across the Council and it was recommended that Penna be used to support an external recruitment process.

Consideration was given to the salary range for the position.  The Council’s Pay Policy Statement gave the salary range for the Head of Paid Service as £156,075 to £166,075.  Following discussion the Committee proposed that the salary range should be reduced to £151,000 to £161,000 and that Council be recommended to amend the Pay Policy Statement to reflect this. 

RESOLVED:  That

1          the job description and specification for the post of Head of Paid Service, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report, be approved;

2          the post be advertised externally with support from Penna Executive Search; and

3          Council be recommended to amend the Pay Policy Statement 2019-20 as follows:

            3.5 Chief Officer remuneration

            Chief Executive – Tier 1

·         The salary package of the post is within the range of £151,000 to £161,000.

The reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended on the grounds that it involved the likely discussion of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To interview the shortlisted candidates for the position of Director of Finance and Customers Services (S151 Officer) and make a recommendation to Council on the appointment to this position.

The Committee interviewed the candidates for the position of Director of Finance and Customer Services.

RESOLVED:

That Council be recommended to approve the appointment of Alex Thompson to the position of Director of Finance and Customer Services (S151 Officer), at the inclusive salary of £86,603 subject to satisfactory references and Cabinet consultation.