Senior Council officials to be paid 52p an hour to be “on call”

Changes to the working conditions of senior managers at the York Council are set to be implemented.

They include the introduction of performance related pay. Instead of gaining “increments” automatically during their first four years in post, pay increases will be made based on the achievement of targets.

What the targets will be, and who will decide whether they have been achieved, is unclear.

Their annual leave entitlement will be reduced to 35 days a year (from 39) although this is still much higher than is common in the private sector – or indeed amongst more junior ranks at the Council.

Chief Officers will be required to join a standby rota and will be paid 52p an hour to be “on call”. If “called out” to deal with an emergency they will be paid at their hourly rate.

We think that the performance related pay plan is right.

However there needs to be more transparency when goals are being set.

Large amounts of taxpayer’s money are involved.

The proposals are being discussed at a meeting being held on 12^th May.

Skip programme for May – Foxwood and Chapelfields

These are the details that we have so far

10th May 2014	10:30am Bellhouse Way, Community Centre
17th May 2014	None
24th May 2014	8:30am Sanderson House Bramham Road
31st May 2014	8:30am Sanderson House Bramham Road 10:30am Bramham Road/Grange Lane junction

The skips are funded by the local residents association using their Estate Improvement Grant.
The skips are removed once they are full so please make sure you arrive in good time if you intend to make use of them.
Please remember to take your waste to the site only on the dates advertised
If the skip is full or not on the site, please do not leave your waste. This is classed as fly tipping and is illegal
Bulky items including furniture, fridges and freezers are not accepted. To arrange disposal of one of these items please ring York (01904) 551551.

York crime and policing update

Chapelfields gets PCSO again

A new PCSO (Chris Simpson) has been appointed in to operate in the Chapelfields estate. There had been a few complaints about lack of policing profile in the estate over recent months.

During the time that the Acomb Police Station is being renovated, staff and volunteers will be using Sanderson House on Bramham Road as a base.

The volunteer front counter enquiry services will be available at Sanderson Court Community Centre at the following times:

Monday: 10am to noon;
Tuesday: 2pm to 4pm;
Wednesday: 6pm to 8pm;
Thursday: 6pm to 8pm;
Friday: 2pm to 4pm;
Saturday: 10am to noon; Sunday: Closed

Police appeal after car damaged in Clifton Moor, York

Police are appealing for witnesses after a car was damaged at Clifton Moor in York.

The car, a red Ford Puma, was parked up at B&M on Stirling Road when it sustained damaged to the passenger side after being hit by another vehicle.

Magazine theft suspect sought by police

York police have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with a number of magazine thefts from a shop in the city centre.

Over the past few weeks cycling and fishing magazines have been taken from WH Smith on Coney Street.

Officers are investigating the thefts and are urging anyone who recognises the man in the images to contact them with information

“Rag Mag” scams in York revealed

8 complaints about bogus “Rag Mag” sellers were dealt with by the York Council last year.

The sellers were pretending to be from a University or charity.

5 complaints were about people pretending to raise money for RAG (Raising and Giving)

The Council has published details of the complaints (which could relate to people fundraising on the street, online or any method).

115530 – Complaint regarding gag mag sellers – allegation that the seller saidthe sale would supportunemployed people, but the complainant found the money was for the seller’s own profit
116590 – Complaint regarding racist/sexist joke books and claims regarding the books being sold to help the unemployed

116622 – Complaint regarding vendor selling magazines outside York Minster.Allegation the magazine is called “Gag mag” and they are posing as a student charity.

116878 – Complaint regarding sale of rag mags – allegation that the seller is saying the magazine will help the unemployed

116990 – 2 x Complaints regarding sellers, concerns that the sellers are implying that they arestudents and the proceedswill pay for their course.

117570 – Complaint regarding sale of magazines – allegation the sellers are claiming the magazines are published by their university.Complainant feels they are out selling too much to be students.

118788 – Complaint regarding conduct of joke book sellers – seller is claiming that the money will be used to pay for a college course.

York Council staff absence through stress hits record high

The proportion of sickness absences recorded by Council employees, because of stress related issues, reached a record high during the last financial year.

21.8% of absences were put done to stress compared to a previous high of 19.5% seen in 2010/11

Dates	Days Lost/FTE (all)	Days Lost/FTE (stress)	% of absence days lost because of stress
01/04/2009-31/03/2010	8.98	1.74	19.38
01/04/2010-31/03/2011	10.48	2.04	19.51
01/04/2011-31/03/2012	8.56	1.22	14.25
01/04/2012-31/03/2013	8.63	1.68	19.47
1/04/1013-31/03/2014	9.15	1.99	21.79

Overall the number of sickness days per employee has also risen to 9.2%

The Council has not yet commented on the worrying trend

Free car parking – Labour plans DID NOT have business support.

Proposals to introduce free parking at some City centre car parks were agreed by the Labour Cabinet last week.

The “free parking” plan covers the period between 8:00am and 11:00am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Only a limited number of car parks will benefit from the change.

The plan has been heavily criticised as it will encourage more traffic onto the highways network between 8:00am and 9:00am when congestion is at its worst.

Labour claimed that the plan was the result of a proposal from businesses in the City

…..but we can reveal that was not the case.

In their original plan businesses wanted free parking to operate between 9:00am (when most shops open) and 11:00am.

They did favour the concession being available between Thursday and Saturday but wanted it to apply to all car parks.

“Pay on Exit” would also have been introduced at the Castle car park as well as at Marygate.

It appears that Labour spokespeople have been economical with the truth again and face a grilling when the proposal – which has been “called in” for further consideration – is discussed.

There is a “calling in “ meeting scheduled to take place on 12^th May 2014 to discuss the Council’s latest Local Plan proposals.

So far, the “Free Parking” issue has not been added to that agenda, suggesting that the Labour Councillors are now desperately casting around for figures to support their perverse decision.

New Chapelfields Focus published

Page 1 click to enlarge

Pages 2 and 3 click to enlarge

Page 4 click to enlarge

Reminder – New stickers for garden waste collections

City of York Council is reminding residents that all households must place their new garden waste sticker on the lid of their green bin by Monday 5 May to ensure continued collections.

Garden waste sticker