Merton Council call in of Corporate Branding and Budget 2006-07 Env enhancements
The recent Merton Council Cabinet decisions on Corporate Branding and Budget 2006-2007: Environmental enhancements have today been called in by members of the Council. The Way We Work Panel, which I chair, will consider the call-in request at it’s meeting on Tuesday 1st August at 7.15 pm in the Civic Centre,Morden, Surrey. I enclose below the call-in request text.
These are the first call-in requests for the minority Tory administration.
Title of the Decision: CORPORATE BRANDING
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
Which principle(s) of the decision-making:
Due consultation and taking professional advice from officers
Clarity of Aims and desired outcomes.
Consideration and evaluation of alternatives
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
Due Consultation and taking professional advice from officer: -
As the corporate branding affects the image and reputation of the Council there should have been full consultation with all Councillors and stakeholders. In fact there has been no consultation. The Decision should have taken following professional legal advice from the Monitoring officer that included advice on the impact on the Council's reputation of using slogans from the Conservative Election Manifesto and Campaign and also covered all relevant issues of intellectual property in the branding. These issues were not considered in the Report or mentioned in Cabinet. There should be a presumption in favour of openness: neither in the Report before Cabinet nor in the discussion before decision was any mention made that the new brand name was drawn from the title of the Conservative manifesto.
Clarity of aims and outcomes: -
Is the purpose of the proposed new branding to promote the Council or Conservative Councillors?Why were alternative straplines names being mentioned by Cllr David Williams at the Cabinet meeting held on 17th July, are we going to have a new strapline at frequent intervals?
Consideration and evaluation of alternatives: -
There was no evaluation of other straplines that had not been used as election slogans in the Conservative Manifesto. Witnesses requested: -Leader, Cabinet Member for Change Management and Performance, Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and Communications Manager.
Specific information/documents requested: -
All e-mails, letters, or documents that include legal or professional advice offered in the consideration of the proposed strapline/branding that are not included in the report.
All material in e-mails, letters or documents that include alternative corporate straplines.
Title of the Decision: BUDGET 2006-07 REVIEW: ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS
Which principle(s) of the decision-making:
Due consultation and taking professional advice from officers
Clarity of aims and outcomes
consideration and evaluation of alternatives
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
1) Due Consultation and taking professional advice from officer: - (This part of the call in was rejected by the Council legal officer)
No consultation has been undertaken with scrutiny on the virement spending. The professional advice that lead to the amending of the recommendations at the Cabinet meeting.
2) Clarity of Aims and outcomes.
How it is intended to raise debt income to fund the proposal. The professional advice at the meeting that lead to the amending of the recommendations from parking income to debt income and the lack of clarity in the proposals
3) Consideration and evaluation of alternatives: -
The lack of consideration and evaluation of alternative options. The lack of risk management in the proposal and the potential risk to the Council.
Witnesses requested: -
Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources, Cabinet Member for Environment and Traffic Management, Director for Corporate Resource, Director of Environment and Regeneration, Monitoring Officer
Specific information/documents requested: -
All e-mails, letters, or documents that include legal or professional advice on the budget enhancement including legal advice on the recommendations. Further information on risk-assessment and potential risk to the Council from the budget proposal.
These are the first call-in requests for the minority Tory administration.
Title of the Decision: CORPORATE BRANDING
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
Which principle(s) of the decision-making:
Due consultation and taking professional advice from officers
Clarity of Aims and desired outcomes.
Consideration and evaluation of alternatives
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
Due Consultation and taking professional advice from officer: -
As the corporate branding affects the image and reputation of the Council there should have been full consultation with all Councillors and stakeholders. In fact there has been no consultation. The Decision should have taken following professional legal advice from the Monitoring officer that included advice on the impact on the Council's reputation of using slogans from the Conservative Election Manifesto and Campaign and also covered all relevant issues of intellectual property in the branding. These issues were not considered in the Report or mentioned in Cabinet. There should be a presumption in favour of openness: neither in the Report before Cabinet nor in the discussion before decision was any mention made that the new brand name was drawn from the title of the Conservative manifesto.
Clarity of aims and outcomes: -
Is the purpose of the proposed new branding to promote the Council or Conservative Councillors?Why were alternative straplines names being mentioned by Cllr David Williams at the Cabinet meeting held on 17th July, are we going to have a new strapline at frequent intervals?
Consideration and evaluation of alternatives: -
There was no evaluation of other straplines that had not been used as election slogans in the Conservative Manifesto. Witnesses requested: -Leader, Cabinet Member for Change Management and Performance, Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and Communications Manager.
Specific information/documents requested: -
All e-mails, letters, or documents that include legal or professional advice offered in the consideration of the proposed strapline/branding that are not included in the report.
All material in e-mails, letters or documents that include alternative corporate straplines.
Title of the Decision: BUDGET 2006-07 REVIEW: ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS
Which principle(s) of the decision-making:
Due consultation and taking professional advice from officers
Clarity of aims and outcomes
consideration and evaluation of alternatives
Reasons for the call-in and desired outcome.
1) Due Consultation and taking professional advice from officer: - (This part of the call in was rejected by the Council legal officer)
No consultation has been undertaken with scrutiny on the virement spending. The professional advice that lead to the amending of the recommendations at the Cabinet meeting.
2) Clarity of Aims and outcomes.
How it is intended to raise debt income to fund the proposal. The professional advice at the meeting that lead to the amending of the recommendations from parking income to debt income and the lack of clarity in the proposals
3) Consideration and evaluation of alternatives: -
The lack of consideration and evaluation of alternative options. The lack of risk management in the proposal and the potential risk to the Council.
Witnesses requested: -
Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources, Cabinet Member for Environment and Traffic Management, Director for Corporate Resource, Director of Environment and Regeneration, Monitoring Officer
Specific information/documents requested: -
All e-mails, letters, or documents that include legal or professional advice on the budget enhancement including legal advice on the recommendations. Further information on risk-assessment and potential risk to the Council from the budget proposal.
posted by Martin Whelton at 11:24 pm
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