Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Wallfields, Hertford. View directions

Contact: Peter Mannings  Tel: (01279) 502174 Email:  peter.mannings@eastherts.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Chairman

To appoint a Chairman for the meeting.

Minutes:

It was moved by East Herts Councillor G McAndrew and seconded by Stevenage Borough Councillor Mrs J Lloyd that Hertsmere Borough Councillor P Choudhury be appointed Chairman for the meeting.

RESOLVED – that Councillor P Choudhury be appointed Chairman for the meeting.

2.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillors R Henry (Stevenage Borough Council) and J Heywood (Hertsmere Borough Council).

3.

Minutes - 27 October 2016 pdf icon PDF 48 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2016.

Minutes:

In response to a comment by Councillor L Needham, the Head of Housing and Health reminded Members that following discussions as to the best way forward, the CCTV Executive had resolved that a group accountant be appointed to undertake a cost benefit analysis to review more tax efficient ways to run the Hertfordshire CCTV Partnership.

 

Councillor G McAndrew suggested that Officers expedite a resolution to this outstanding analysis within 6 weeks by the end of March or early April.  This was supported.

RESOLVED - that the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, subject to the following amendments:

 

The addition of J Lloyd to the Members present from Stevenage Borough Council.

 

Minute 1 – Appointment of Chairman

 

Delete in 1st line first paragraph – ‘…..Stevenage.’

 

Replace with – ‘Hertsmere.’

 

Minute 7 – Ltd Company – Verbal Update

 

Delete in 4th line first paragraph – ‘before’.

 

Replace with – ‘after.’

4.

Presentation of Annual Operations and Inspectors Report pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Operations Manager presented the Annual Operations Report for 2016/17 and provided an overview of key points, including replacement cameras, detailed updates in respect of technical matters and upgrades in relation to servers that could cope with images recorded at 28 frames per second.

 

The Operations Manager referred to website upgrades and two national Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) awards presented to the control team including an award for innovation.  Members were advised that the CCTV Partnership had received an assurance from the Stevenage Compliance Manager that the service was fully compliant with principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

 

The Operations Manager detailed new locations for CCTV including Gascoyne Way Multi Storey Car Park in Hertford.  He detailed a number of other potential new partners interested in joining the partnership.  The Operations Manager responded to a query from Councillor J Cunningham regarding the streaming of live evidence from 4 locations across Hertfordshire.

 

Councillor J Cunningham referred to the accounts and commented on a downturn in the figures regarding the performance of the CCTV Partnership.  The Operations Manager stated that a number of major clients had been lost and there was now a more diverse customer base and the Partnership was now less reliant on major clients.

 

The Operations Manager confirmed to Councillor L Needham how the CCTV Partnership recruited independent inspectors.  Members were advised that inspectors had been in place for a good number of years and they had identified a number of incidents regarding the improper use of CCTV in Hertfordshire.

 

In response to a query from Councillor P Choudhury, the Operations Manager confirmed that both the courts and the police were happy to continue accepting the technology for viewing images or video that preceded high definition CCTV.  Councillor Choudhury stated that the courts should be able to view high definition CCTV and the Partnership should introduce measures to ensure that high definition CCTV was accessible in court.

 

The CCTV Joint Executive Committee approved the Management and Inspector’s report as now detailed.

 

RESOLVED – that the management and inspectors report now submitted be approved.

5.

CCTV Code of Practice Update pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Operations Manager provided an update in relation to the CCTV Code of Practice, which included suggested amendments.

 

The CCTV Joint Executive Committee approved the amended Code of Practice, as now detailed.

 

RESOLVED – that the amended Code of Practice as now detailed, be approved.

6.

Urgent Business

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration and is not likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

Minutes:

The Chairman agreed to add an urgent item of business onto the agenda, in order to facilitate the efficient business of the CCTV Joint Executive.

 

The Operations Manager advised on the planned demolishing of the existing CCTV control room and relocation to a new facility in January 2019.  He stated that the new site would house existing facilities and would be owned by the CCTV Partnership.

 

Members were advised that existing analogue equipment was 12 years old and could not be supported going forward.  The new control room would facilitate footage at 28 frames per second and there would be benefits of a new cloud based digital matrix from January 2019.

 

The Operations Manager referred to a significant capital programme budget to replace CCTV cameras.  Members were advised that the final specification would be circulated to Members and would be the subject of a formal tender process.

 

Various Members commented that the Joint CCTV Executive had not been consulted on the proposed relocation of the control room and questioned whether Officers had the necessary delegated authority to proceed.  The Operations Manager explained the rationale for the relocation of the CCTV control room.  Councillor J Lloyd undertook to talk to the Chief Executive at Stevenage Borough Council on this issue.

 

Councillor L Needham commented that the Joint CCTV Executive should have been informed of the plans earlier in the process.  Councillor M Stevenson stated that her preference would have been for an open tender process.  She referred to opportunities for the sharing of control rooms as referred to by Officers.

 

Councillor J Cunningham requested that Officers circulate the governance documents or terms of reference to all Members of the CCTV Executive by the end of this week.  This was supported.  Members emphasised the importance of clarity over who had decision making powers within the CCTV Partnership.

 

Councillor J Needham proposed and Councillor J Cunningham seconded, a motion that the governance documents be circulated to Members by the end of the week and Officers provide definitive answers to the questions now posed by Members.

 

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED – that (A) the governance documents be circulated to Members by the end of the week; and

 

(B)   Officers provide definitive answers to the questions now posed by Members.

7.

Date of Next Meeting

To agree a date for the next meeting.

Minutes:

Members agreed that the next meeting of the CCTV Joint Executive Committee be held in the last week of March 2018.

 

RESOLVED – that the next meeting of the CCTV Joint Executive Committee be held in the last week of March 2018.