Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

(a)      The fire alarm is a continuous loud ringing. In the event that a fire drill is planned during the meeting, the Chair will advise of this.

(b)      Exit routes from the chamber are located on each side of the room, one directly to a fire escape, the other to the stairs opposite the lifts.

(c)      In the event of the alarm sounding, leave the building via the nearest safe exit and gather at the assembly point on the far side of the car park. Do not leave the assembly point or re-enter the building until advised to do so. Do not use the lifts.

(d)      Anyone unable to use the stairs should make themselves known during this agenda item.

The Chair outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

No interests were declared.

The Revenues and Benefits Manager introduced the report as set-out in the agenda papers regarding whether the Swale Revenues and Benefits team should join the Mid Kent shared service.

The Chair invited questions from Members.

The Chief Executive, the Revenues and Benefits Manager and the Mid Kent Services Director clarified where necessary and responded to points raised by Members.  The Chief Executive confirmed that the revenues and benefits customer face-to-face service would still be available at Swale House, Sittingbourne and The Gateway, Sheerness.  The Revenues and Benefits Manager said they could provide an officer telephone directory of the service for Members.  She confirmed that officers had explored outsourcing the service but there were not many options available.   The Revenue and Benefits Manager also confirmed that administrative processes would be looked at once the new service commenced to ensure the best service was provided.  Post, scanning and telephone calls would still come to Swale House, Sittingbourne. 

In response to a question from a Member, the Chief Executive advised that the Council could pull out of the shared service if Members considered it was not working. She explained that the Council had one third of the decision.  Maidstone Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council were having a joint Cabinet meeting on 14 February 2024 to consider whether to allow Swale to join the shared revenues and benefits service.

The Revenues and Benefits Manager said she would not have supported the proposals if she did not think they would work.  She explained there were differences now to when the Council previously agreed not to join the partnership, such as more staff working from home; being more familiar with shared services as a lot of the Council departments were now shared; and there was a shared staff payroll and ITrent.  She acknowledged it would be a big change for staff, but they would be supported, and the proposal would provide resilience across all teams of the revenues and benefits service.

Resolved:

(1)      That Swale Revenues and Benefits team join the Mid Kent Revenues and Benefits partnership.

(2)      That the Director of Resources be given delegated authority to make the appropriate arrangements in line with the business case and sign the shared service collaboration agreement.

To decide whether to pass the resolution set out below in respect of the following item:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3.

3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

There was no discussion on the exempt appendix, and it was not necessary to exclude the press and public.

There was no discussion on the exempt appendix.