The decision for the Isle of Wight council to participate in the European Union Funded Project Smilegov (ISLE-PACT) has been called in by a cross-party group of councillors.
Cllr Hillard: “of strategic importance”
At the Executive meeting earlier this month, Cllr Luisa Hillard, the Executive member for sustainability stressed the strategic importance of the council signing up to the SmileGov project.
Seven councillors disagree with Cllr Hillard and have put their names to the call-in.
Why the decision was called-in
Paperwork released by the council on Tuesday revealed the decision was called in because:-
- The objectives of the Smilegov organisation are not within the councils 7 priorities as set out in the corporate plan.
- The decision to join the organisation implies acceptance and endorsement of Smilegov’s objectives without any prior consideration or decision of the council to accept Smilegov’s objectives as a corporate priority.
- The decision to join Smilegov requires engagement with it which will consume scarce Officer and Member time to the detriment of existing agreed priorities.
- The Executive had insufficient information on which to make an effective decision.
No “direct, tangible and measurable benefit to residents”
A statement supporting the reasons for call-in reads,
In a time of huge pressures on finance and the effective provision of core services any new proposal to divert time or resource on activities outside the delivery of those services should have a direct, tangible and measurable benefit to residents of this Island which are greater than those benefits already determined within the priorities of the corporate plan.
There was no evidence that membership of this organisation will deliver this.
There was a clear warning in the report to the Executive that time and resource would be needed in order to participate in projects associated with membership.
The recent Peer review states categorically that this Council’s “organisational capacity and capability is stretched at all levels” and that “the ability to deliver the (existing) corporate plan and achieve savings is a significant strategic risk”.
The wording of the minute makes it clear that the Executive must make a decision to prioritise work with Smilegov above other work within its corporate priorities. Until that decision is made it is not apparent how officers can pursue any engagement with Smilegov.
Desired outcome
That the Executive sets aside this decision until the Council has determined that work to deliver the objectives of Smilegov should be prioritised over work within its own agreed corporate priorities.
Those calling in the Executive decision were
Stuart Hutchinson (Lead member for the Call-in) (Con)
Bob Blezzard (Ind)
Geoff Lumley (Lab)
Dave Stewart (Con)
Richard Hollis (Con)
Julie Jones-Evans (Con)
Matthew Price (Con)
A meeting to discuss the call-in will be held on Wednesday 29th October from 6pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting at County Hall.
Image: Angus Fraser under CC BY 2.0
