Agenda item

A year end update on the work programme relevant to the portfolios for 2016/17 for Councillor Edwards, Leader and Councillor Pearson (Portfolio Holder for Support Services) will be presented.

Councillors Edwards and Pearson presented the following progress reports on priorities as the respective Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Support Services:-

Leader

The Leader presented the priorities for 2016/17. 

In response to Members’ questions, the Leader reported the following updates:-

·         progress made in respect of devolution with the Heart of the South West partners had halted, in part due to outcome of the General Election.  Work had continued on a draft Productivity Plan and a draft Terms of Reference which had been released for the Heart of the South West Joint Committee to consider. He also noted the comment on the importance of safeguarding jobs for the future.

·         there had been several meetings in respect of the Council’s new approach to deliver housing and commercial schemes, and proposed formation of a development company. A report would come before Members in due course for  consideration.

Support Services

The Portfolio Holder for Support Services reported the following updates:-

• the innovative and sensitive use of new technology which enhanced communication with local residents, businesses and the general public in the days after the fire at the Royal Clarence Hotel last October.  He advised that the Communications team received an award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards 2017, in the Issues, Crisis or Reputational Management category for exemplary public service work with limited resources. The small team managing energy saving projects had also received a number of accolades and awards for energy management. He felt that the awards for both were testament to the investment made in better communications across the Council.

• the Council’s investment and the commitment by the team involved in bringing forward the Channel Shift initiative, and similarly that team had received an award from the Society of Information Technology Managers (SOCITM) in part in recognition for the experience of users contacting the City Council with the development of the ‘click to call’ functionality. This was considered particularly important as the Council’s web site received a million hits a year.

A Member wished to endorse the Portfolio Holder’s comments that the City Council’s web site was easy to navigate.

The Portfolio Holder for Support Services also responded to Members’ questions, as follows:-

• following a resolution by Council, the live streaming of Committee meetings was being investigated by the Democratic Services and the Communications team, to consider ways in which to further engage the public, and a number of options would be considered.  The Communications team were working on developing a live stream platform using iPhone technology equipment, to ensure that the essence of the meeting was captured and every effort would be made to make it as visually engaging as possible.  A further live streaming of a Council meeting would take place as soon as possible, but certainly following the next cycle of Committee meetings.  He agreed that there should be a notice or advice given to ensure everyone was aware that filming was taking place to ensure that conversations could not be captured unwittingly.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee noted the reports of the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Support Services.