Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR - RESOURCES

To consider the Second Quarter Revenue Monitoring report 2020/21.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET:

(1)          That the report entitled Second Quarter Revenue Monitoring 2020/21 be noted;

(2)          That the changes to the 2020/21 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a £2.036million increase in net expenditure, be approved;

(3)          That the changes to the 2021/22 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a total £53k decrease in net expenditure, be noted. These will be incorporated in the draft revenue budget for 2021/22.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: Members are able to monitor, make adjustments within the overall budgetary framework and request appropriate action of Services who do not meet the budget targets set as part of the Corporate Business Planning process.

The Service Director – Resources presented the report entitled Second Quarter Revenue Monitoring 2020/2, including:

·                Drew Members’ attention to Table 3 on page 143 within the report which outlined the changes in the forecast for that quarter;

·                The forecasts detailed the Covid-19 impacts that the Council were aware of;

·                The ‘reason for difference’ column on Table 3 offered further information relating to the impact arising from Covid-19;

·                Table 5 on page 150 within the report provided a full list of events reported at Quarters 1 and 2;

·                The Council were predicting, even taking into account the money provided from central Government, a net impact on the budget of £1.5 million but potentially up to £2 million. Those figures were an estimate;

·                In the first ‘Lockdown’ car parking income decreased to approximately 10-20% of the normal income levels. The second ‘Lockdown’ saw the car parking income decrease to 30-40%; and

·                Table 6 on page 151 within the report highlighted the impact on the Council’s General Fund based on the forecasts carried out at the start of the year. The Council were forecasting a balance of approximately £9.4 million however, by the end of the year, it was likely to be around £7.6 million on current forecasts.

NB: Councillor Kate Aspinwall lost connection to the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 20:27 as the Committee had become inquorate. The meeting reconvened at 20:32 when Councillor Kate Aspinwall re-established connection to the meeting.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Kate Aspinwall

In response to the Member’s question in relation to Careline, the Service Director Resources advised that in looking into the prospect of taking on Hertfordshire County Council’s Telecare service the impact of the additional costs highlighted in the report (table 3) would be considered and placing it under the remit of NHDC’s Careline.

It was:

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET:

(1)          That the report entitled Second Quarter Revenue Monitoring 2020/21 be noted;

(2)          That the changes to the 2020/21 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a £2.036million increase in net expenditure, be approved;

(3)          That the changes to the 2021/22 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a total £53k decrease in net expenditure, be noted. These will be incorporated in the draft revenue budget for 2021/22.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: Members are able to monitor, make adjustments within the overall budgetary framework and request appropriate action of Services who do not meet the budget targets set as part of the Corporate Business Planning process.