Staffing committee request for funding - P&C or Not?

Question

I have been asked to place an item on the agenda from the staffing committee chair.
"Request for funding of £5,000 for the continuation of legal and HR support".

Should this be under P&C?

I have no report and it is quite vague, I have challenged and said it should be in public session as there is no reference to an individual.  Any help greatly appreciated as always.

Answer 1

Surely there is budget accommodation for such items and as such only need to be discussed openly if there is extra funding being required. If so then a full report to the council should accompany such a matter so council can make accurate decisions. If the budget is used up then it can only come from contingencies ( if available) again with full documentation for councillors. If nothing in the budget or available for the next fiscal period then serious questions must be asked of the finance committee

Comments

Thank you,
As far as I understand it is a request for additional funding to add Legal and HR representation to an existing contract with an outsourced HR company.  We have available funding within our contingencies.  My query is in the absence of a full report or full proposal why do you want it in P&C?

Answer 2

P&C?  What is that?  Private and confidential?  Is somebody suggesting this should be in closed session?

There is no way that a proposal for legal / HR support from an external agency should be a closed session - quite the opposite.

As already mentioned - at that level of expenditure it should have featured as a stand alone line entry in the budget with its own financial allocation.

Matters that may be subject to professional / legal advice could quite likely be appropriate for closed session but that is not what the question appears to ask...

Can we assume from the question that ALL matters discussed in staffing committee are classed as closed - ie the entire staffing committee, simply by vir=tue of being a staffing committee is always closed in entirety?  If so, that would be an entirely inappropriate misuse of the very limited privilege to exclude the press & public.

Comments

Thank you,
The Chair of staffing requested the item for additional funding to include HR and Legal support be in private and Confidential. In the absence of a report  I do not agree and have put it in public session.  Unless it is clear that the reason for this request to be considered will include information on specific individuals i.e staff then I believe it must be heard in open session.

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The application / justification / debate and decision are entirely public matters.
Any details about actions which require the advice of a legal / HR consultant might be suitable for closed session.

Answer 3

Check your financial regulations on this one - if you are using the NALC model, £5k is the cutoff point where committees cannot agree to placing an order and it has to be discussed and agreed at full council.