York Council underspent its budget by £876,000 (1%) last year

Floods cost City £3.3 million

Despite big overspends on Children’s Services (foster care, adoption and pay) higher than expected refuse collection costs and lower parking income (£233,000) the potential deficit was offset by savings on debt charges as a result of capital investment projects slipping.

Floods cost City £3.3 million

Floods cost City £3.3 million

A report to tomorrows Council Executive meeting reveals that the controversial decision to collect “co-mingled” recycling had added £200,000 to processing costs. Last year the Council claimed that dumping recycling materials into one lorry compartment would not affect budgets. It now says the additional processing cost is £70/tonne

Central government is bearing most of the costs of the floods although the Council has allocated £50,000 to be spent by “Make it York” on a publicity campaign while the costs of the post flood public inquiry are set at another £50,000.

The report also revealed that the Council still has £676,000 in the account set up to repay those wrongly fined for using Lendal Bridge and Coppergate during the ill-fated “spy camera” trial.

Council set to make £600,000 "profit" from unlawful fines levied on Lendal Bridge

Council set to make £600,000 “profit” from unlawful fines levied on Lendal Bridge

£1,226m was been reclaimed by drivers before the deadline for applications passed.  It remains to be seen what the Council will do with this money (although it must be spent on transport related projects)

The Executive is planning to put some of the surplus into a recycling fund, some into a scheme to appoint visitor welcome staff (“ambassadors”), some into support work to help low achievers at school and some into holding additional “job fairs”.

The rest will be put into reserves.

It is surprising that the continuing problems with street public services (blocked drains, weed chocked gullies, overgrown trees/hedges, potholed roads and footpaths) are not being addressed by using some of the surplus.

York Council still in a muddle over local QUANGOs

The York Council’s Executive is to consider its relationship with agent bodies and companies tomorrow.Quango list

The move comes in the wake of criticism of several bodies not least York City Trading where audits revealed that inappropriate payments had been made.  Other problems arose in relations with the York Museums Trust over charging arrangements and Make it York where apparently unilateral decisions angered residents

The organisations concerned depend on Council taxpayers for a lot of their income

One common criticism was a lack of transparency shown by the organisations (they are not subject to Freedom of Information legislation).

Concerns were also expressed that performance indicators – where published – were inappropriate or “soft”.

Campaign against secrecy started 5 years ago

Campaign against secrecy started 5 years ago

The expectation was the new Council would shake up the bodies and inject more democratic accountability.

Instead a disappointing report concentrates only on governance issues. Steps are being taken to separate executive and customer functions but little else. We will still have a bureaucratic muddle with little consistency and no new commitment to openness.

If approved without change, the Council will stand accused of ignoring many of the concerns expressed by taxpayers over the last five of years.

Important decisions affecting the City will continue to be taken “Behind Closed Doors”

Big drop in visitor numbers at York Museums

A new report reveals that visitor numbers to Museums in York fell by 18% last year.
Castle Museum

Castle Museum

342,936 people visited the Castle, Yorkshire and St Mary’s Museums compared to 417,857 in 2014.

In total 60,788 people visited the new Art Gallery between its reopening in August 2015 and April 2016. This was well down on the Museums Trusts own (annual) target of 190,000 and compares with a total of 226,404 who visited between April 2011 and April 2012 (before the Gallery was modernised and charges introduced).

The business plan for the Museums and Art Gallery, published in 2013, talked of “raising total visitor numbers to 900,000 by 2018”.Attendance number 2015

In a report to a Council committee, the Museums Trust blames the floods and lower tourist numbers in the City for the disappointing performance.

It says it has issued 1022 YMT (discount) cards to benefit claimants who therefore enjoy free admission to the attractions, as can those aged under 24.

In total 8,140 York residents have taken up the option to get a YMT card.

The Trust points to excellent customer satisfaction results at all its sites. 99% of visitors were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their visit.

No financial figures are provided in the report.

The Trust is receiving a subsidy of £607,000 from the York Council this year.

LibDems take action as vandals strike west York

As we reported yesterday, crime levels are becoming an increasing concern in York.

Over the weekend a telephone kiosk on Thanet Road and a litter bin on Woodthorpe Green were both damaged.

Burnt out bin on Woodthorpe Green

Burnt out bin on Woodthorpe Green

Vandalised phone box

Vandalised phone box

Another unusual hazard has arisen on St Stephens Road. Bees are swarming in a tree there. We hope to get a bee keeper to take them away.

Bees swarming in a tree in St Stephens Road

Bees swarming in a tree in St Stephens Road

Elsewhere more mundane issues have been reported by Andrew Waller following one of his periodic inspection tours.

Speed cushion on Kingsway West is breakign up

Speed cushion on Kingsway West is breaking up

a speed cushion on Danesfort Avenue requires attention

A speed cushion on Danesfort Avenue requires attention

Dumping on Middleton Road has been reported

Dumping on Middleton Road has been reported

A pothole on Windsor Garth has been reprted

A pothole on Windsor Garth has been reported

Full poop scoop bin on the Foxwood Park has been reported for emptying

Full poop scoop bin on the Foxwood Park has been reported for emptying

Finally some good news with the flower tubs on Beagle Ridge Drive – which are sponsored by the residents association – having been planted out by volunteers

Volunteers have planted out the tubs on Beagle Ridge Drive which are beginnign to look good.

Volunteers have planted out the tubs on Beagle Ridge Drive which are beginning to look good.

New “approved garage” scheme for York

City of York Council is launching tomorrow (26th May) a new Approved Garage Scheme (AGS) to give both residents and garages peace of mind about the quality of services they are buying and giving.

The AGS scheme is backed by council Trading Standards officers who will advise and help raise standards at the car dealerships, service and repair workshops which sign up to the scheme.

Residents and other companies can be confident that AGS-authorised businesses are checked and approved by Trading Standards as being trustworthy and competent.

mechanic cartoon picTo secure AGS membership, garages must meet certain criteria and maintain those standards through routine audits and checks. They must also be prepared for the investigation of any customer complaints by Trading Standards officers who could intervene to help resolve them to the satisfaction of both customer and garage.

The officers will regularly update AGS members on national guidelines including technical requirements, service standards and warranties. They will also share professional advice on trading standards and civil law to ensure AGS garages are fully compliant.
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Benefit advice sessions move to Acomb Explore Library

The York Council has announced that residents will be able to receive benefits advice and support at Acomb Explore Library Learning Centre from Monday 6 June.
Cllr Sue Hunter, Cllr Sheena Jackson and Cllr Andrew Waller outside the Acomb Explore Library

Cllr Sue Hunter, Cllr Sheena Jackson and Cllr Andrew Waller outside the Acomb Explore Library

The benefits advice service is moving from the Gateway Centre to Acomb Explore Library Learning Centre on Monday 6 June as part of work to make it easier for residents to access benefits advice.

The Council in 2010 announced plans to make the library a local information and advice hub but the idea was shelved by the Labour controlled Council when it closed the Acomb Housing Office in 2012.

Still it goes to show that good ideas will always rise to the surface.

Residents will be able to drop-in at the weekly sessions between 9am and 3pm (closed between 12.30pm and 1pm) where a trained adviser will be on hand to support residents.

In addition to the weekly sessions, all Explore Library Learning Centre staff will be trained to help residents access welfare benefits information in the coming months. This change means residents will be able to access support and signposting to the best available services from trained staff whilst also continuing to access the internet for free in Explores across the city.

In a media release the Council also says that “the changes come ahead of the upcoming launch of a new online Customer Relationship Management system and personal council accounts for residents ‘My Account’, a smart and responsive online service which will enable residents to access council services anytime anywhere. The system will also provide webchat meaning residents across the city will have access to more advice and support online on a range of areas, including benefits”.

The much promised electronic “My Account” system has been “launched” on 4 separate occasions over the last two years. We think that the Council would be wise to finish refining and testing the new system before becoming too bullish about it in public statements.
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Action taken on local issues

We’ve been out and about dealing with issues in the Westfield area over the weekend. Generally local services are better then they were 12 months ago with streets tidier, verges trim and most gutters cleaner.

We’ve reported the following issues using the “FixMyStreet” app.

About 2 inches of detritus in one of the gutters in St Stephens Sq. Seems to have been missed by the sweepers (there was a similar problem in Hammerton Close)

About 2 inches of detritus in one of the gutters in St Stephens Sq. Seems to have been missed by the sweepers (there was a similar problem in Hammerton Close)

Detritus on the Tedder Road park footpath

Detritus on the Tedder Road park footpath

Weeds in Tithe Close. We've found several areas where weedkiller has either not been applied or has provided to be ineffective

Weeds in Tithe Close. We’ve found several areas where weed-killer has either not been applied or it has proved to be ineffective

In response to a Freedom of Information request the Council has confirmed the service standards it will be applying this summer.

The standard grass cutting frequency for adopted highways areas is now 10 per year (reduced from 14 a couple of years ago). This can – depending on the weather – result in the grass growing quite high.

Adopted streets include grassed amenity areas such as Kingsthorpe and Otterwood Lane.

The response to the request also revealed that some areas of land owned by the Council – including the area behind the library on Front Street – receive no routine maintenance at all.

The Council currently does not provide details of its service level agreements on its web site.

Customer Contracts – where the Council tells residents what level of service quality to expect –  also fell into disuse several years ago

 

York Council using hi tech equipment to improve service stadards?

New road sweeper

New road sweeper

Weed killing by quad bike

Weed killing by quad bike

After a poor few years there are signs that some of the street level public services provided by the York Council are beginning to improve.

Last year saw parts of the City engulfed in weeds.

This year a quad bike is already zipping round the area applying weed killer to paths and gutters.

Blocked drainage gulley in Hammerton Close

Blocked drainage gulley in Hammerton Close

Litter and detritus is also another major problem as these photos show.

We hope that the new specialist street sweeping machines (above left) will soon make an impact…and that the Council has thought through how it will cleanse difficult to access areas.

We hope that the York Council will also make its street cleansing – and weed control – timetables available on their web site. Taxpayers should know how often they can expect their streets to be swept

Detritus at Grange Lane cycle path entrance

Detritus at Grange Lane cycle path entrance

Detritus in Chapelfields Road garage area

Detritus in Chapelfields Road garage area

Litter in Walton Place snicket

Litter in Walton Place snicket

We continue to report any issues that we see using the excellent “Fix my Street” web site