Decisions

Resolved:

 

1. That the suggested changes and their inclusion in the wording of the constitution be delegated to the Solicitor for the Council.
2.  That he changes to the DCC dates from May 2017 – May 2018 as set out in Appendix 1 be agreed.

 

Resolved:

 

The changes to DCC dates from May 2017 – May 2018 as included in agenda item 8

 

Member Development moved from 14th September to 7th September 2017.

 

None.

None.

That the following be approved:

 

24 January 2017

 

7.1                   CA/007/17       BYELAWS FOR SELECTED PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN DACORUM

 

Decision

(1)   the Draft Byelaw to Council as attached as Appendix A of the Cabinet report for the Parks and Open Spaces in the Borough listed in paragraph 11 of the report and further draft byelaws to be drafted for consideration and consultation to prevent the feeding of wildfowl and wild animals, and permit model powered boats where appropriate.

(2)   authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Delivery) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environmental, Sustainability and Regulatory Services to carry out the required impact assessment, consultation, agree the ‘scheme’ noted under paragraph 7 of the Cabinet report and submit the application to the Department of Communities and Local Government.

(3)   authority be delegated to the Assistant Director  (Neighbourhood Delivery) to determine which areas within the Parks and Open Spaces listed in paragraph 11 of the Cabinet report shall be permitted or designated for relevant activities

(4)   authority be delegated to the Assistant Director  (Neighbourhood Delivery) to authorise officers to issue fixed notices and/or commence prosecution proceedings to enforce breaches of the Byelaws.

(5)   authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Delivery) in consultation with the Assistant Director (Finance and Resources) to agree fee levels for any chargeable activity permissible by the Byelaws.

(6)   the revocation of the byelaws listed in paragraph 13 of the Cabinet report.

7.2                   CA/008/17       SENIOR OFFICER PAY POLICY

 

Decision

 

1.       That the Pay Policy for 2017/18 as set out in appendix 1 to the report be adopted

 

 

14 February 2017

 

CA/020/17       HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUSINESS PLAN ANNUAL REVIEW 2016/17

 

Decision

 

1.     That the updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan be approved

2.      That the revised development programme budgets as set out in Section 6.3 of the Cabinet report and the budget for the Martindale Development in Appendix 2, in part II of the Cabinet report be approved  

 

 

CA/021/17       BUDGET 2017/18 AND COUNCIL TAX DECLARATION

 

That the following be approved

 

Decision

 

General Fund Revenue Estimate

 

a)       a Dacorum Borough Council General Fund Council Tax  requirement of £10.709m, and of £11.448m for the combined Borough Council and Parish Councils’ requirement for 2017/18;

 

b)       an increase of 2.71% in Council Tax for Dacorum Borough Council;

 

c)       the base estimates for 2017/18, as shown in Appendix A1, and the indicative budget forecasts for 2017/18 – 2020/21, as shown in Appendix A2;

 

d)     the forecast balances of Revenue Reserves as shown in Appendix J, and approve paragraphs 10-20 of this report as the updated Reserves Strategy;

 

e)       increases in Fees and Charges for 2017/18 as set out in Appendices C3, D3, and E3;

 

f)        the Treasury Management Strategy for 2017/18, attached at Appendix K;

 

g)       the Treasury Management Principles and Practices for 2017/18, attached at Appendix L;

 

h)       that this budget paper will form part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

 

Capital Programme

 

i)        the revised Capital Programme for 2016/17, and for 2017/18 to 2021/22, as detailed in Appendix I;

 

j)        the financing proposals in Appendix I subject to an annual review of the financing options by the Corporate Director (Finance & Operations), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, during the preparation of the Statement of Accounts.

 

Housing Revenue Account (HRA)

 

k)       reduce dwelling rents by 1% in accordance with government legislation, resulting in an average rent of £104.17 per week (based on 52 weeks); 

 

l)        the HRA estimate for 2017/18 as shown in Appendix F.

 

Terms & Conditions

 

m)      the continued application of a living wage supplement for all affected employees, in accordance with the rates of the Living Wage Foundation, for 2017/18 (to be reviewed annually thereafter).

 

Statement by Chief Finance Officer

 

n)      the statement by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the robustness of the budget estimates and level of reserves as set out in Appendix M.

 

Resolved:

 

 

1)         It be noted that the Cabinet, at its meeting on 13 December 2016, calculated the following amounts for the year 2017/18 in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended), as inserted by  Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011:-

 

(a)             56,415.4 being the figure calculated by the Council in accordance with regulation 3 of The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 as its Council Tax base for the year;

(b)             the amounts in Table 1 of this report (Tax Base for each part of the Council’s area to which one or more special items relate) being the amounts calculated by the Cabinet in accordance with regulation 6 The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in such parts;

 

 

2)      the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Sections 31A and 31B and Sections 34 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) (referred to as “the Act”):

 

          (a)   £145,094,234.20    being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the Act, taking account of all precepts;

 

          (b)   £133,645,925.00    being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act, including the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed Non-Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant ;

 

          (c)   £11,448,309.20      being the amount by which the aggregate at 2)(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 2)(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year;

         

(d)   £202.93                  being the amount at 2)(c) above, divided by 1)(a) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B (1)  of the Act as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

 

(e)   £738,973.82           being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act;

 

(f)    £189.83                  being the amount at 2)(d) above, less the result given by dividing the amount at 2)(e) above by the amount at 1)(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates;

 

 

            (g)  Part of the Council’s Area          Band D

                                                                        Equivalent

                                                                        Combined

                                                                           £

                  Hemel Hempstead                        189.83

                  Aldbury                                          222.83

                  Berkhamsted                                211.99

                  Bovingdon                                     217.55

                  Chipperfield                                  238.16

                  Flamstead                                     251.63

                  Flaunden                                       219.77

                  Great Gaddesden                         209.14

                  Kings Langley                               235.99

                  Little Gaddesden                          215.44

                  Markyate                                       227.12

                  Nash Mills                                     212.83

                  Nettleden                                      215.15

                  Northchurch                                  201.43

                  Tring Rural                                    216.24

                  Tring Town                                    215.49

                  Wigginton                                      208.96

                 

 

(Band D charge for Parish and District combined), being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 2)(f) above, the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 1)(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in parts of its area to which special items relate;

 

3)         it be noted that for the year 2017/18 Hertfordshire County Council have stated the amounts in precepts issued to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each of the categories of dwellings as set out in table 3(a);

           

4)         That it be noted that for the year 2016/17 the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner has proposed the amounts in precepts issued to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each of the categories of dwellings as set out in table 3(a);

 

5)         That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2)(g), 3) and 4) above the Council in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby set the amounts set out in Table 3b of the report as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2017/18 for each part of the area and for each of the categories of dwellings shown;

 

6)         It be noted that in setting the Council Tax for 2017/18 the Council is required to have taken account of the report of the Chief Financial Officer on the robustness of the budget.

 

 

CA/022/17           APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS 2018 AND BEYOND

 

Decision

 

1.       That the Council opting into the Public Sector Audit Appointment’s Sector Led Body for the appointment of the Council’s external auditors for the audit of the 2018/19 accounts and beyond be approved.

 

 

CA/023/17       REPORT BY THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL 2016 – MEMBERS ALLOWANCES FOR DACORUM BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

Decision

 

 

1.               That the changes to the Members’ Allowances Scheme as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in its report be approved

 

None.

None.

1.      By the Mayor:

 

There were no announcements from the Mayor

 

2.      By the Chief Executive:

 

Sally Marshall gave an update on the Flamstead Parish Council by election to be held on 23^rd March 2017.

 

3.      By the Group Leaders:

 

Councillor Williams gave apologies on behalf of Councillors Bateman Conway, Hearn, Mills, and Riddick.

 

Councillor Fisher gave apologises on behalf of Councillor Fethney.

 

4.    By the  Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

 

(Full details are in the minutes under Announcements of the Leader and Cabinet).

There was no public participation

There were no declarations of interest

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2017 were agreed by the Members present and were then signed by the Mayor.