Agenda and minutes

a)  The Lord Mayor reported the recent death of Councillor Suzi Armitage

b)  The Lord Mayor also reported the death of Graham Connell, a member of staff at Ralph Thoresby High School.

  Council stood in silent tribute.

To confirm the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 16^th January 2013.

It was moved by Councillor J Lewis, seconded by Councillor G Latty and

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th January 2013 be approved.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members.

The Lord Mayor announced that a list of written declarations submitted by Members was attached to the Order Paper and had been circulated to each Member’s place in the Chamber and was also available in the public galleries.

Following an invitation to declare further individual interests, declarations in accordance with the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct were made as follows:- 

a)  Members declared disclosable pecuniary interests in minute 95 of this meeting as follows:-

Information redacted for further details contact the Head of Democratic Services.

b)  Members declared ‘other’ interests in minute 95 of this meeting as follows:-

To receive such communications as the Lord Mayor, the Leader,  Members of the Executive Board or the Chief Executive consider appropriate.

There were no communications.

To consider the report of the Chief Officer (HR) on the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee in respect of the pay policy.

K WAKEFIELD

It was moved by Councillor Wakefield, seconded by Councillor J Lewis and

RESOLVED –

a)  That the Pay Policy Statement 2013/14 as set out at Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

b)  That an addendum be added to the Statement by the Chief Executive once details of the Public Health Transfer Scheme are finalised by the Secretary of State.

To consider the report of the City Solicitor on the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee in respect of Standards and Conduct Arrangements.

K WAKEFIELD

It was moved by Councillor Wakefield, seconded by Councillor J Lewis and

RESOLVED – That the recommendation of the General Purposes Committee, as presented by the report of the City Solicitor, to adopt the revised versions of the Members’ Code of Conduct (attached as Appendix 1 to the report ) and the procedure for considering complaints (attached as Appendix 2 to the report) be approved.

To consider the report of the City Solicitor on the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee in respect of the extension of the Appointment of the Independent Person.

K WAKEFIELD

Further to minute 26 of the meeting held on 11th July 2012, it was moved by Councillor Wakefield, seconded by Councillor J Lewis and

RESOLVED – That the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee, as presented by the City Solicitor, that the decision taken on 11th July 2012 be varied and the current Independent Person appointment be extended for a further four years be approved.

It was moved by Councillor J Lewis and seconded by Councillor G Latty that Council Procedure Rule 14.6(b) be suspended to allow Councillor A Carter to move, and Councillor J Procter to second, amendments 1 to 12 en bloc, and to allow Councillor Golton to move, and Councillor Downes to second, amendments 13-18 en bloc.

RESOLVED - That Council Procedure Rule 14.6(b) be suspended to allow Councillor A Carter to move, and Councillor J Procter to second, amendments 1 to 12 en bloc, and to allow Councillor Golton to move, and Councillor Downes to second, amendments 13-18 en bloc.

It was moved by Councillor J Lewis and seconded by Councillor G Latty that Council Procedure Rule 14.1 be suspended in order that:-

a)  time limits will not be imposed on budget speeches of Group Leaders in the budget debate;

b)  a Member contributing to the budget debate can do so for up to 5 minutes;

c)  a Member seconding the budget motion or budget amendments can do so for up to 5 minutes;

d)  when summing up on the budget motion the Leader of Council can do so for up to 10 minutes.

RESOLVED - That Council Procedure Rule 14.1 be suspended in order that:-

a)  time limits will not be imposed on budget speeches of Group Leaders in the budget debate;

b)  a Member contributing to the budget debate can do so for up to 5 minutes;

c)  a Member seconding the budget motion or budget amendments can do so for up to 5 minutes;

d)  when summing up on the budget motion the Leader of Council can do so for up to 10 minutes.

i)  Revenue Budget

a)  That the Revenue Budget for 2013/14 totalling £583.925m, as detailed and explained in the submitted report and accompanying papers be approved, with no increase in the Leeds’ element of the Council Tax for 2013/14.

b)  That Grants totalling £123k be allocated to Parishes as detailed in paragraph 6.7 of the report.

c)  That with respect to the Housing Revenue Account the following be approved:-

i)  approve the budget at the average rent increase figure of 5.9%;

ii)  increase the charges for garage rents to £6.78 per week (based on 52 rent weeks);

iii)  increase service charges in line with rents (5.9%).

ii)  Council Tax

1)  That it be noted that at the meeting on 16^th January 2013, Council agreed the following amounts for the year 2013/14, in accordance with regulations made under Sections 31B(3) and 34(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)   208,529 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) as its council tax base for the year.

b)

being the amounts calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

The above list includes the new parish of Rawdon.

PLEASE NOTE:  The recommendations set out in sections 2(a), 3 and 4 (below) are subject to budget decisions still to be taken by the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue authority and parish councils and should be treated as indicative at this stage. Final figures and tables will be set out in the Summons and/or the Order Paper made available to members at the meeting.

2  That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2013/14 in accordance with Sections 31A to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)   £1,976,905,419.85  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)(a) to (f) of the Act.

b)   £1,741,102,876.00  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the Act.

c)   £235,802,543.85  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)   £1,130.790172  being the amount at 2(c) above, divided by the amount at 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)   £1,523,141.85  being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.

f)   £1,123.49  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,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 95.

Under the provision of Council Procedure Rule 14.9, leave of Council was given to:-

·  delete on page 7 of the Summons the following paragraph:-

‘PLEASE NOTE:  The recommendations set out in sections 2(a), 3 and 4 (below) are subject to budget decisions still to be taken by the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue authority and parish councils and should be treated as indicative at this stage. Final figures and tables will be set out in the Summons and/or the Order Paper made available to members at the meeting.'

·  alter the figures set out in (ii) 2a, 2c, 2d and 2e (page 8 of the Summons);

·  replace the tables in (ii) 2g and 2h (pages 9 and 10 of the Summons);

·  alter paragraph (ii) 3 by the deletion of the words ‘are expected to issue’ and replace with ‘have issued’ (page 10 of the Summons);

·  to replace the table in (ii) 4 (page 11 of the Summons).

(The altered paragraphs and tables are as contained in the motion below)

It was moved by Councillor Wakefield, seconded by Councillor R Lewis

i)  Revenue Budget

a)  That the Revenue Budget for 2013/14 totalling £583.925m, as detailed and explained in the submitted report and accompanying papers be approved, with no increase in the Leeds’ element of the Council Tax for 2013/14.

b)  That Grants totalling £123k be allocated to Parishes as detailed in paragraph 6.7 of the report.

c)  That with respect to the Housing Revenue Account the following be approved:-

i)  approve the budget at the average rent increase figure of 5.9%;

ii)  increase the charges for garage rents to £6.78 per week (based on 52 rent weeks);

iii)  increase service charges in line with rents (5.9%).

ii)  Council Tax

1)  That it be noted that at the meeting on 16^th January 2013, Council agreed the following amounts for the year 2013/14, in accordance with regulations made under Sections 31B(3) and 34(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)   208,529 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) as its council tax base for the year.

b)

being the amounts calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

The above list includes the new parish of Rawdon.

2  That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2013/14 in accordance with Sections 31A to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)   £1,976,906,419.85  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)(a) to (f) of the Act.

b)   £1,741,102,876.00  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95.

It was moved by Councillor J Lewis and seconded by Councillor G Latty that Council Procedure Rule 3.3 be suspended to allow consideration of the minutes (commencing with Executive Board minutes) to commence at the conclusion of  the budget and continue up to 4.45 pm, at which point the Leader of Council will sum up for 10 minutes.

RESOLVED - That Council Procedure Rule 3.3 be suspended to allow consideration of the minutes (commencing with Executive Board minutes) to commence at the conclusion of  the budget and continue up to 4.45 pm, at which point the Leader of Council will sum up for 10 minutes.

To receive the following minutes in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.2(i) (only Executive Board minutes will be provided in hard copy – ‘other’ minutes are available on-line and in Group Offices):-

It was moved by Councillor Wakefield, seconded by Councillor J Lewis and

RESOLVED – That the minutes be received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.2(i).

Having suspended Council Procedure Rules, discussion on the minutes concluded prior to all notified comments on the minutes having been debated.

The meeting was suspended at 4.47 pm and resumed at 5.20 pm.

Mr Roger Marsh addressed Council on a personal perspective on the Leeds and UK economy.

Council rose at 5.40 pm.