Last week was a busy and varied
week of meetings, events, appointments and home visits. On Monday it was the usual
round of council
committees. The City Council meeting considered an emergency
item on the fifth review of electoral arrangements. I was pleased to see the
council change its mind about ward boundary proposals following an
unprecedented level of responses from local residents. Last May when the
council put forward an option for boundaries that would have resulted in West Ferry
being taken out of The Ferry ward I was the only councillor to oppose it. The
turnaround by the SNP administration, despite being at such a late stage of the
electoral review process, is very welcome.
The motion before the council was that its should advise the Local Government
Boundary Commission for Scotland that it does not wish any changes to be made
to the current number of elected members on Dundee City Council or the current
ward boundaries. I asked for a line to be added to the motion, as I felt the Commission
needed to know that Dundee City Council, in the event of an increase in
councillor numbers still going ahead, wouldn’t want its previously submitted boundary
proposal in respect of The Ferry ward to be taken forward. My amendment was defeated
by 16 votes to 13.
Hopefully the Commission will
recommend the status quo to Scottish Government Ministers.
On Tuesday and Thursday I was delighted
to be part of the judging panel for the council’s annual Outstanding Service
and Commitment Awards (OSCAs). A record sixty nominations were received in
total and following an initial judging stage three finalists were selected for
each category for the panel to consider. The categories were: innovation and improvement, customer focus, outstanding
team, environment and sustainability, achieving fairness and reducing inequalities,
improving service through partnership working. The winners will be announced at
an awards ceremony in June.
Also on Tuesday I attended a
meeting of Broughty Ferry Development Trust where we received a very interesting
presentation on the work that has been carried out at Reres Park and further
actions to improve the park to be carried out during the months ahead.
