September 15: Cabinet's away-day in Dover
There's been a lenghty hiatus in county council business
over the summer but the "new term" got underway yesterday when
the Conservative cabinet headed to Dover for what is commonly
called an away-day on a specially commissioned Kent
Top Travel bus.
But however useful the pre-cabinet magical mystery tour around
the area - hosted by Dover council leader Paul
Watkins - was, there was a fairly meagre agenda for the
formal cabinet meeting that followed and the business - all eight
items - were dispatched in just over an hour.
Perhaps they were letting themselves in gently but I'm
sometimes surprised at how little is discussed or
considered at full cabinet meetings.
After all, it's the authority's key decision-making body in
charge of pretty much everything that happens and after a
relatively quiet summer, I'd rather anticipated more.
Still, no doubt the pace will quicken once the council gets
around to the tricky business of the budget and it seems
there is already a rather messy situation over money KCC is
expecting to be reimbursed from central Government for looking
after child asylum seekers.
It seems the Home Office has unilaterally changed the rules
surrounding grants, raising the prospect of a £7million funding
gap. KCC is anxious to avoid inflaming tensions around the issue
but is pretty much caught between a rock and a hard place either
way.
You can read our story
here
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One thing that did emerge is that councillors have been
promised a detailed report into what is happening with the
£50million deposited with three Icelandic
banks.
We already know that nearly £3million has been returned and it
seems a further £2million will be winging its way back into the
County Hall coffers shortly.
But a more considered analysis of the outlook for the rest
is being prepared. KCC leader Paul Carter quite rightly made the
point that as it was all council taxpayers' money it was important
there should be an "open report" about what was happening.
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It seems that backbenchers on at least one of the county
council's policy overview committees are taking some time to come
to terms with what their scrutiny role is.
At a meeting of the council's Environment, Highways and Waste
Policy Overview Committee, which met today, chairman Cllr Charles
Hibberd issued something of a plea to fellow members to raise
some issues to discuss at their next meeting.
"Can we have some items for the agenda...I'm sure there must be
some items that you want to discuss," he said.
That could become a plea he could rue...
Tuesday, September 15 2009