Councillor J Shaw, Convener, presided.

A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; L McIntyre, Head of Policy & Commissioning, A Morrison, Head of Regeneration, S McFadden, Project Director (City Deal), B Walker, Depute Project Director (City Deal), and B Lambert, Strategic Procurement Manager (all Chief Executive’s); D Gillies, Head of Facilities Management and G Hannah, Strategic Change Manager (both Environment & Infrastructure); and K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, J Lynch, Head of Property Services, A MacArthur, Head of Finance, E Shields, Business Services Manager, G Innes, Customer Services Manager, A McNaughton, Senior Committee Services Officer and N O’Brien, Assistant Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).

Councillors Harte and Hood.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Board (Non-teaching) held on 5 June 2019 as attached at Appendix I.

DECIDED:  That the Minute be noted.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Investment Review Board held on 12 June 2019 as attached at Appendix II.

DECIDED: That the Minute be noted.

There was submitted a revenue budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources in respect of Finance & Resources, Environment & Infrastructure and Miscellaneous expenditure for the period to 21 June 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.

There was submitted a revenue budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an overview of expenditure on general fund services and the Housing Revenue Account for the period to 21 June 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to expenditure on corporate issues for the period to 21 June 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an overview of expenditure on the Housing and Non-housing Capital Programmes to 21 June 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a proposal to write off Council Tax accounts for sums over £10,000 where recovery was no longer viable.  The value of the debt to be written off was £124,610.26.

It was proposed that Councillors receive a briefing on the debt recovery process.  This was agreed.

DECIDED:  

(a)  That the sum of £124,610.26 as detailed in the report, be written off; and

(b)  That Councillors receive a briefing on the debt recovery process.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a proposal to write off Non-domestic Rates accounts for sums over £10,000 where recovery was no longer viable.  The value of the debt to be written off was £168,122.92.

DECIDED:  That the sum of £168,122.92 as detailed within the report, be written off.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a proposal to write off Sundry Debtor accounts for sums over £10,000 where recovery was no longer viable.  The value of the debt to be written off was £14,278.09.

DECIDED:  That the sum of £14,278.09 as detailed within the report, be written off.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the publication of the Annual Efficiency Statement 2018/19.  An appendix to the report summarised the efficiencies achieved during 2018/19.

Councillor Shaw, seconded by Councillor Paterson, moved that the Annual Efficiency Statement 2018/19 be approved.

Councillor Sharkey, seconded by Councillor Sheridan, moved as an amendment, that the report be noted.

On the roll being called the following members voted for the amendment:  Councillors Brown, Sharkey and Sheridan.

The following members voted for the motion:  Councillor Begg, Provost Cameron, Councillors Audrey Doig, K MacLaren, McNaughtan, Nicolson, Paterson, Shaw, Steel and Strang.

3 members having voted for the amendment and 10 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED: That the Annual Efficiency Statement 2018/19 be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the performance of key functions of Customer & Business Services including revenue collection and benefit administration for the period to 28 July 2019.

The report included an update on the funding and expenditure position for Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund and appendices to the report provided information on revenue collection and key performance indicators.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Environment & Infrastructure relative to the performance of services delivered by Integrated Facilities Management (Hard & Soft Services) since June 2019.

The report provided performance information on building services; overall repairs; compliance testing; housing repairs satisfaction levels; building services training and development activity; and facilities management – soft services.  

DECIDED:  That the operational performance update be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to public holidays and one day of no work requirement for Renfrewshire Council employees in 2020.  

The report explained that following a Royal Proclamation issued on 12 July 2019 announcing that the early May Day Bank Holiday would be held on Friday, 8 May 2020 instead of Monday, 4 May 2020 to coincide with VE celebrations, it was proposed that the early May Day public holiday for Council employees was also celebrated on Friday, 8 May 2020 and not Monday, 4 May 2020, with all other public holidays following the pattern set over previous years and as listed in the appendix to the report.

DECIDED:

(a)  That it be agreed that the early May Day Public Holiday be held on Friday, 8 May 2020 instead of Monday, 4 May 2020 to reflect the bank holiday arrangements and to celebrate VE Day; and

(b)  That the 12 public holidays and day of no work requirement for Renfrewshire Council employees for 2020, as detailed in the appendix, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to requests received by the Provost for civic hospitality from individuals and organisations for specific events as detailed within the report. 

The report proposed the type and cost of civic hospitality to be provided in respect of each event and sought authorisation for the Director of Finance & Resources, in consultation with the Provost, to make the necessary arrangements or, in the case of events that had already been arranged, to homologate the action taken by the Director of Finance & Resources, in consultation with the Provost, to provide civic hospitality. 

DECIDED: 

(a)  That the action taken by the Director of Finance & Resources, in consultation with the Provost, to provide civic hospitality in the form of a contribution of £1,000 towards a reception for the 102 Field Squadron Family Day on 17 August 2019 be homologated; and

(b) That the Director of Finance & Resources, in consultation with the Provost, be authorised to make the necessary arrangements for civic hospitality at the approximate cost indicated, as follows:

Gleniffer High School - German Exchange Programme - £350

Renfrew Community Council - re-instatement of flagpole at Ferry Green - £800

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the award of a contract for Business Gateway Core and Specialist Workshops and Expert Help 2020 (RC-CPU-19-002).
Five tenders were received and after evaluation the tender from Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a contract for Business Gateway Core and Specialist Workshops and Expert Help 2020 to Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Limited for a period of two years from 1 January 2020 or as confirmed in the letter of acceptance, at a cost of £194,400.00 excluding VAT.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the award of a contract for landscape design for AMIDS core site at Netherton Campus, Paisley (RC-CPU-19-102).

Five tenders were received and after evaluation the tender from Optimised Environments Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Services be authorised to award the contract for landscape design for AMIDS core site at Netherton Campus, Paisley to Optimised Environments Limited at a cost of £220,000.00 exclusive of VAT, for an anticipated period of three years, subject to the programme for construction of the landscape associated with Netherton Campus, the start date to be confirmed in the letter of acceptance.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the award of a main works contract to hub West Scotland, as the main contractor and to CCG (Scotland) Limited as the sub-contractor, to refurbish and repurpose the four storeys and basement of 22 High Street, Paisley into the Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub as part of the flagship Paisley Museum Re-imagined project and in accordance with the Paisley Town Centre Heritage Asset Strategy, Paisley Town Centre Action Plan 2016/26 and the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan.

The report advised that hub West Scotland had been appointed previously as lead contractor for the Paisley Museum Re-imagined project and the creation of the Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub was part of that project.  A budget of £6,686,245.00 had also been approved for the flagship project.  

It was noted that, during an earlier contract for enabling and soft strip out works at the Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub site, additional asbestos had been discovered increasing the cost of that contract by 29% from £433,590.00 excluding VAT, plus contingency allowance of £20,000.00 excluding VAT, to £584,713.59 excluding VAT.

Councillor Shaw, seconded by Councillor Paterson, moved that the award of the main works contract to hub West Scotland as the main contractor and to CCG (Scotland) Limited as the sub-contractor, at a cost of £4,527,654.00 excluding VAT with a contingency allowance of up to £522,431.00 excluding VAT for an anticipated period of 64 weeks from 2 December 2019 to 22 March 2021, subject to completion of the enabling works contract, be authorised; and that it be noted that the cost of the enabling works contract had increased from £433,590.00 excluding VAT, plus contingency allowance of £20,000.00 excluding VAT, to £584,713.59 excluding VAT.

Councillor Sharkey, seconded by Councillor Sheridan, moved as an amendment that paragraph 2.1 of the report be replaced with: (a) This Policy Board agrees that we cease to use hub West Scotland on the Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub Project, and, instead, use our own procurement, when seeking tenders for future construction projects.

On the roll being called the following members voted for the amendment:  Councillors Brown, Sharkey and Sheridan.

The following members voted for the motion:  Councillor Begg, Provost Cameron, Councillors Audrey Doig, K MacLaren, McNaughtan, Nicolson, Paterson, Shaw, Steel and Strang.

3 members having voted for the amendment and 10 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the award of the main works contract to hub West Scotland as the main contractor and to CCG (Scotland) Limited as the sub-contractor, at a cost of £4,527,654.00 excluding VAT with a contingency allowance of up to £522,431.00 excluding VAT for an anticipated period of 64 weeks from 2 December 2019 to 22 March 2021, subject to completion of the enabling works contract, be authorised; and

(b) That it be noted that the cost of the enabling works contract had increased from £433,590.00 excluding VAT, plus contingency allowance of £20,000.00 excluding VAT, to £584,713.59 excluding VAT.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the award of a contract for the Paisley Town Centre Public Realm Design Works – Multi-disciplinary Design Team (RC-CPU-19-059).

Seven tenders were received and after evaluation the tender from Ironside Farrar Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a contract for the Paisley Town Centre Public Realm Design Works – Multi-disciplinary Design Team to Ironside Farrar Limited at a cost of £299,040.00 excluding VAT, with a contingency allowance of an additional 10% excluding VAT, for a period of 35 months from 4 October 2019 to September 2022, or as confirmed in the letter of acceptance, and subject to the provision of collateral warranties as indicated in tender documents.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance & Resources seeking approval to enter into an agency agreement that would permit the Scottish Ministers to enter into a successor framework agreement with suppliers of water and waste water billing services under the terms of which water and waste water billing services would be supplied to the Council.

The report explained that the current Scottish Government framework for the supply of these services would expire on 29 February 2020 and that the Scottish Procurement & Commercial Directorate was tendering its replacement.  Consequently, a new agency agreement between the Council and Scottish Ministers was required.

The new agency agreement was ‘evergreen’, meaning that it would remain in force for all subsequent contracts on this or future framework agreements for the supply of water and waste water billing services until terminated by either party.

Councillor Shaw, seconded by Councillor Paterson, moved that the Head of Policy & Commissioning be authorised to enter into an agency agreement with Scottish Ministers to allow the Scottish Procurement & Commercial Directorate to enter into any contract for the supply of water and waste water billing services, on the Council’s behalf, from 1 March 2020 until such time as the agency agreement was terminated in accordance with Clause 11 Termination of the Agreement; and that it be noted that spend on the current contract for supply of water and waste water billing services was approximately £900,000.00 per annum.

Councillor Sharkey, seconded by Councillor Sheridan, moved as an amendment that no agency agreement be entered into at this time.

On the roll being called the following members voted for the amendment:  Councillors Brown, Sharkey and Sheridan.

The following members voted for the motion:  Councillor Begg, Provost Cameron, Councillors Audrey Doig, K MacLaren, McNaughtan, Nicolson, Paterson, Shaw, Steel and Strang.

3 members having voted for the amendment and 10 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECISION:

(a)  That the Head of Policy & Commissioning be authorised to enter into an agency agreement with Scottish Ministers to allow the Scottish Procurement & Commercial Directorate to enter into any contract for the supply of water and waste water billing services, on the Council’s behalf, from 1 March 2020 until such time as the agency agreement was terminated in accordance with Clause 11 Termination of the Agreement; and 

(b)  That it be noted that spend on the current contract for supply of water and waste water billing services was approximately £900,000.00 per annum.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Environment & Infrastructure relative to the award of a contract for an Urban Traffic Control System to replace the life-expired system operating 64 of the 175 traffic signal installations in Renfrewshire.

Three tenders were submitted and following evaluation, the tender from Siemens Mobility Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a contract for an Urban Traffic Control System to Siemens Mobility Limited at a cost of up to £1,900,000.00 excluding VAT of which £900,000.00 excluding VAT would be met by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, for a contract period of 10 years with an estimated start date of 6 October 2019.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the award of a works contract to design and build up to 101 new social housing properties, together with associated landscaping and infrastructure within Ferguslie, Paisley (RC-CPU-19-067).

Five tenders were received and following evaluation, the tender from A S Homes (Scotland) Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a design and build contract for Ferguslie Park New Build Council Housing to A S Homes (Scotland) Limited at a cost of £13,220,000.05 excluding VAT, to commence 9 October 2019 or as confirmed in the letter of award, subject to provision of collateral warranties as indicated within the tender documents.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the award of a works contract to design and build 39 new homes for Council rental at Auchengreoch Road, Johnstone (RC-CPU-18-280).

Six tenders were received and following evaluation, the tender from McTaggart Construction Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a design and build contract for Johnstone South West, New Build Housing to McTaggart Construction Limited at a cost of £6,086,648.37 excluding VAT to commence 9 October 2019 or as confirmed in the letter of award, subject to provision of collateral warranties as indicated within the tender documents.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the award of a contract for the lead consultant on Glasgow Airport Investment Area (South) (GAIA South) Project (RC-CPU-19-081).

The procurement process was conducted via a mini competition using the Scotland Excel Engineering and Technical Consultancy framework agreement, Lot 1 Roads and Infrastructure and four tenders were received.  Following evaluation, the tender from Amey OW Limited was found to be the most economically advantageous.

DECIDED:  That the Head of Corporate Governance be authorised to award a contract for Lead Consultant on the Glasgow Airport Investment Area (South) (GAIA South) Project to Amey OW Limited at a cost of £3,000,000.00 excluding VAT for a period of up to eight years subject to the GAIA (South) project gaining subsequent approvals from the Council and progressing to the construction stage