Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council submitted an exception report on finance and performance monitoring for East Herts covering the period July to September 2012.

The Corporate Planning and Performance Manager provided an update in relation to planning enforcement EHPI2.1e (status now green) and the number of complaints resolved EHPI5.1 (data value omitted from bar). 

In response to a query from Councillor J Mayes about the time taken to process Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and whether the Council needed more staff, the Director of Finance and Support Services stated that additional staff had been taken on to administer the increasing workload.  The Director stated that she intended to review the impact of the additional workload.  Councillor G Jones commented that this had been a recurrent issue and queried whether the way benefit changes were reported had exacerbated problems.  He felt that the process should be more flexible.  The Director of Finance and Support Services explained that the Council had been inundated with minor changes of process.  She undertook to review matters and report back to Members.

Councillor T Page referred to the adverse variance in fees and charges for Development Control.  Councillor J Ranger reminded Members how highly competitive the business was.

In response to a query from Councillor T Page regarding the withdrawal of work and funding from the Environment Agency, the Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services explained that it was up to the Agency to decide how they wanted their work undertaken.  They had decided to roll up several small contracts into a single regional one which this authority could not take on.

In response to a query from Councillor T Page concerning the production of a Homicide Report.  The Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services explained that when there was a homicide in the District, the Council was required to commission a special report for the Home Office.

In response to a query from Councillor M Pope regarding the recovery of Penalty Charge Notice monies, the Chief Executive and Director Customer and Community Services provided an update on the matter.

Members noted the budget variances and performance.

RESOLVED – that the budget variances and performance be noted.