Minutes:
Jo Yelland presented the revised final draft terms of reference for the Board, the amended final version of which is attached to the minutes.
Members welcomed the proposals and confirmed that the Board had an important role to play in providing strategic direction and in advising the City and County Councils about the needs of Exeter’s residents and communities. There was agreement that the revised proposals provided a strategic purpose for the Board and that it should set out its priorities on an annual basis for development in conjunction with its partners.
Members highlighted the complexity of issues and challenges inherent in the delivery of the raft of County and City services and of the need to avoid duplication of effort. They requested guidance from officers on appropriate areas to prioritise and consider in depth and to ensure that these were not been addressed through other mechanisms such as the scrutiny processes of both Authorities. This prioritisation would be undertaken on an annual basis, areas identified to be considered at future themed meetings of the Board. There was a suggestion that a review of public sector land assets in Exeter could be one area for investigation.
Members debated the grant giving role of the Board. The majority of grants made at the Funding Sub Group meetings were small scale with some organisations who had initially been refused, either re-applying in a different format or seeking support from other grant sources which could lead to duplication. Because of the volume of applications, the budget was normally expended early in the financial year, as with this financial year, where it had also been agreed to make a large grant of circa £19,000 to progress the new Youth Strategy. It was suggested, therefore, that the grant budget could be better divested in the form of larger grants for strategic purposes, which could tie in with the theme based approach proposed. An alternative would be topping up existing City and County Council grant pots.
The following were supported going forward:-
· the new name of Exeter Strategic Board to be adopted, the membership of five City Councillors and the nine Exeter County Councillors to be retained with all current Associate Members to be continued to be invited to assist the Board as appropriate;
· a strategic analysis setting out the needs and issues facing residents to be provided to the Board, to include the Public Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, on an annual basis for an annual work programme to be agreed and progressed through three themed Exeter Strategic Board workshop debates;
· Community Groups and Special Interest Associations, to be advised in advance of the themes of each workshop in order to participate/provide evidence. It would be necessary for the chosen themes to be appropriately publicised to enhance opportunities for public engagement;
· in view of the above, and with alternative mechanisms for the public to put questions to elected Members at the City Council’s Scrutiny Committees and Devon County Council itself, the Open Forum item be discontinued; and
· meetings of the Exeter Strategic Board be live streamed via Facebook etc.
RESOLVED that:-
(1) the new Exeter Strategic Board operate on the basis set out above and in accordance with the revised terms of reference attached;
(2) the next Board meeting on 1 February consider a strategic analysis to agree on priorities for the next 12 months; and
(3) the 1 February meeting further consider the Board’s grant making process.