Issue - meetings

The Head of Policy and Communications presented the findings of a review into the courier run as commissioned by the committee as part of its work programme.

The following issues were raised during discussion:

·  The Civic Officers owned a van which was used to deliver the internal courier run on Wednesdays and Councillor courier run on Fridays. MBC debt recovery was in need of a van, and so officers were requested to ascertain whether MBC debt recovery could have use of the van on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

·  The courier run utilised .22 FTE (full time equivalent) of officer time, equating to approximately £3000 annually. The exact cost figure would be circulated to Members outside of the meeting. The staffing implication was that an officer role could be reduced by .22 FTE, or the officer assigned to other duties during those hours.

·  A Member put forward Thurrock Council as a positive example of an authority at which Councillors collected their papers from a named pigeon hole at the Council offices. It was suggested that this method would only be effective if papers were ready promptly for collection.

·  It was felt that Councillors views were missing from the review. It was requested that an all-Member survey on the findings of the courier run review and available options be undertaken with the results to return to the January meeting with a clear officer recommendation. It was requested that the survey also invite Members to put forward their own suggestions.

RESOLVED: That an all-Member survey on the findings of the courier run review and available options be undertaken, with the findings to be presented to the 11 January 2016 meeting of the committee with a clear officer recommendation.

For – 9  Against – 0    Abstain – 0