23 January - Resources and Growth Scrutiny meeting
It was an unusually short Agenda and Chairman Councillor Andy Dourmoush easily wrapped it up in an hour and
three minutes, even Cabinet Member Leaf couldn’t stretch it out any longer.
Finance
Director Paul Thorogood had his protégé Nickie Morris by his side who he had smuggled in from
Barnet’s financially mismanaged Council via, according to enough anonymous
messages to suggest it might be true, a nefarious route of dubious legitimacy.
Councillor Joe Ferreira (Labour, Erith) asked Mr. Thorogood when certain
financial investments which had lost value but recently regained all but £50,000
of it might be sold. No decision had been taken yet but it will be within the
next two or three weeks.
Councillor Wendy Perfect (Labour, Northumberland Heath) noted that next week’s Cabinet papers forecast yet
another overspend to add to those in previous years. Had it affected liquidity planning?
It was not considered to be “a particular issue. Debt can easily be funded by
borrowing from the money markets with rates under 1%”.
The Council is engaged on another of its regular hunts for illegitimately
claimed single person’s Council Tax discount. Councillor Ferreira said fewer
people are being caught out so was a two year interval still appropriate? Do we
recheck on people who have been accepted as OK in the past?
Mr. Thorogood said that all 23,000 discounts would be looked at, “there would be
a full review of all of them. Capita would look at all available data sources”.
Questionable claimants are given four months to respond after which the discount is removed.
Many years ago my 25% discount was queried and I’m afraid I just told Capita to
go away but I suppose things have been tightened up since. How would I begin to
prove a negative? Would I have to invite Paul in to see if there are any ladies
toiletries in the bathroom - there are none - but what about the two pleated
skirts at the back of my wardrobe? I have no idea how long they have been there
but they certainly wouldn’t fit anyone I know.
But my name has not been flagged up since goodness knows when so presumably the
checks are more careful than they used to be. A pity really, I would quite like
to do battle with Capita again.
The current review began in September and 96 discounts have been removed so far
and more will go at the end of January pending final Capita checks.
The two year interval will be retained.
Cabinet Member Leaf said he would spare the Committee his 30 minute report which
will be delivered at next week’s Cabinet Meeting - relief all round - but then he admitted it might get
extended over the weekend.
Councillor and Vice-Chairman Steven Hall asked which services would come back in
house when the facilities company
Amey loses their contract? Print, post,
building operatives, reception staff, customer services and the contact centre were all on the list.
Councillor O’Hare congratulated everyone on bringing services back in house. “Well done”, which makes one
wonder why it was outsourced in the first place.
(It was the Leader’s belief that it would save the Council money. Wrong again!)
Cabinet Member Louie French said that an exciting announcement about the
Carnegie Building (Erith) was imminent. Councillor Hall asked about BexleyCo and the Cabinet Member told him that
Graham Ward was now interim Managing Director
(surely everyone already knew that?) and a new Chairman has been appointed
following the resignation of Mr. Blakeway.
Councillor Ferreira asked Deputy Leader French about the housing strategy and was told “the Leader
has taken control” and she wasn’t at the meeting so little came to light.“It will be in
the wider arena as soon as possible.”
Note: As the photo may indicate I watched the Resources and
Growth Scrutiny Scrutiny meeting via the webcast (but live) and the Chairman noted that not a single member
of the public showed up. Earlier in the day I planned to go and packed the usual
gear but in what may be a sign of increasing age or perhaps taking too much note
of the daily Facebook reports of violence and disorder in Bexleyheath, I went off the
idea, especially after looking at the less than sparkling Agenda. Parking one’s
car and walking through the mean streets of Bexleyheath I no longer look on as
nonchalantly as used to be the case. The place is becoming an unwelcoming dump.
The flu is still hanging around six weeks after it arrived too.
Coronavirius next?