Agenda and minutes

            The minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2008 were taken as read and signed as a correct record subject to the following paragraph being added to ES46:

 

It was noted that the recommendation relating to the Tenants and Residents Organisations of England was that they receive 50% discretionary rate relief. However, due to the national focus of the organisation, and in the current economic climate of budgetary constraints on the Council, the Board agreed that this figure should be reduced to 20%.

            The Sub Committee received a report of the Strategic Director, Environment to expedite the award of the HBC Bridge Maintenance Partnership Contract and thereby increase ability to satisfy the works delivery programme by delegating authority to accept the tender ranked highest following formal rigorous evaluation.

 

            The Sub Committee was informed that the term of the contract would be for an initial four-year period plus a potential 2-year extension with an estimated value of works of £12m. 

 

            It was noted that pre qualification questionnaires were returned in July 2008 by 16 organisations. These submissions were evaluated against a detailed scoring matrix and the 6 highest submissions were shortlisted. Details of these organisations were set out in the report.

 

            It was further noted that all 6 organisations returned tenders by the deadline of 15 October 2008.  A detailed and rigorous evaluation of the returns had been undertaken with HBC’s framework consultants Mott MacDonald. The contract award would be based upon the most advantageous overall tender in terms of quality and price. The report outlined how the quality and prices scores would be determined.

 

            Members were further advised that, following completion of the evaluation, a detailed Tender Report had been issued to the Council’s Internal Audit team for approval. However the response from the Audit Team was not expected prior to the deadline for the next meeting of the Sub Committee.

 

            It was noted that, following Internal Audit approval of the Tender report, the HBC Bridge Maintenance Partnership would be awarded to the tenderer who had returned the submission evaluated as yielding the highest overall score.

 

            In this respect the report requested the delegation of authority to accept the tender to the Strategic Director, Environment in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Planning, Transportation, Regeneration and Renewal.

           

            Members were advised that if agreed this would enable the Council to inform the successful tenderer in early December of its intention to award the contract and therefore would enable the Council to formally establish the Bridge Maintenance Partnership as quickly as possible and that this in turn would allow early mobilisation of resources and enable the Council to satisfy the planned programme of works in 2009. The Sub Committee supported this way forward subject to Internal Audit approval of the tender report.  

 

 

            RESOLVED: That:

 

(1)       the Strategic Director, Environment in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Planning, Transportation Regeneration and Renewal be authorised to award the HBC Bridge Maintenance Partnership Contract to the tenderer submitting the tender return which through a rigorous formal evaluation process is deemed to be the most advantageous; and

 

(2)       the circumstances of the award be reported to a future Executive Board Sub Committee for information.

            The Sub Committee received a report of the Strategic Director, Environment which sought renewal of a service level agreement between Halton Borough Council and the Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS) for the provision of technical advice in connection with planning matters for a period from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.

 

Members were informed that MEAS provided a range of specialist advisory services to subscribing authorities and these were outlined in detail within the report. It was noted that MEAS had been established for a number of years and worked with a number of local authorities within the northwest region, details of which were contained within the report.

 

The Sub Committee had previously agreed a service level agreement with MEAS for 2006/7 and 2007/8. A new contract for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 for the provision of environmental services and technical advice had been received.

 

Furthermore Members were advised of the services the agreement would secure, which were outlined in detail in the report and that MEAS intended to move to a three-year agreement in future.

 

It was noted that the cost of this service was £15,943 and that MEAS would provide a substantive review of this agreement on the basis of performance to Halton by the end of March 2009.

 

RESOLVED: That the Service Level Agreement between Halton Borough Council and the Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service is agreed for 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 at a cost of £15,943.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Corporate and Policy, which set out progress against the proposed ICT Capital Programme for 2008/9.

 

            Members were advised that in line with the Council’s ICT Strategy the capital programme focused on 4 key areas: local area networks, hardware replacement, infrastructure, and updating user software and facilities.

 

            The report set out progress to date against these 4 key areas and particularly noted the much stricter security measures that would need to be put in place before April 2009 along with work being undertaken on PC replacement, server virtualisation and renewing site licences.

 

            Members welcomed the report and agreed that quarterly reports on progress be presented to the Sub Committee, along with the inclusion of financial information on the maintenance programme. 

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1)       the ICT Capital Programme, as set out in the report be approved; and

 

(2)            Quarterly progress reports be submitted to the Sub Committee and include financial information on the maintenance programme.

MINUTES ISSUED: 12 December 2008

CALL IN: 19 December 2008

Any matter decided by the Executive Board Sub Committee may be called in no later than 19 December 2008