|
Author
|
Message
|
|
|
Thursday 20 May 2010 10:01:50 am
If you had to make a choice, which of the options outlined do you think the Council should consider? [Topic now closed]
What would be acceptable in order to reduce costs?
Closure of some facilities in order to maintian others
Reduction in opening hours
Using public buildings differently and more flexibly providing services and space for different needs and groups
Transferring the management of some facilities and services and leasing these to not-for-profit organisations
Increasing charges for the use of facilities
|
|
Liz Howard
|
Wednesday 19 May 2010 8:44:51 pm
Budget cuts and libraries
In response to the suggestions for making savings here are my comments.
Closure of some facilities in order to maintain others - the libraries serve remote areas where there are few facilities and great distance to travel to the next library
Reduction in opening hours - many rural libraries already have reduced hours and this would end up reducing numbers of borrowers and items borrowed even more.
Using public buildings differently and more flexibly providing services and space for different needs and groups - this is a sensible idea for all departments within HC. It already works well in some communities ie Lochcarron
Transferring the management of some facilities and services and leasing these to not-for-profit organisations - may work in some communities especially if services could be combined with other organisations or facilities
Increasing charges for the use of facilities - not something that would work for libraries. The concept of free access to books is something which people hold dear and this would serve to drive them away
Other options to consider are a pay freeze (something which is already a reality for many), deletion of non essential posts, reduction in the number of high level posts.
|
|
Les Hood
|
Wednesday 19 May 2010 8:55:43 pm
Which way to make the savings?
Reduce opening hours, cutting those times which are least used over the past year.
This won't be enough so look creatively at "using public buildings differently and more flexibly providing services and space for different needs and groups".
We probably have a lot of buildings which only get used for a narrow range of purposes, activities and times. Even more so when my first suggestion is implemented! More so again if we "close some facilities in order to maintain others".
e.g. Schools that remain after any closures will be even more vital as community hubs, so we need to ensure their resources are made best use of. Make sure that these places in the community do draw people together.
There ought to be no significant financial gain from "Transferring the management of some facilities and services and leasing these to not-for-profit organisations". If it would be cheaper then we should be examining why. Our in-house services should be run as economically as anyone else can do it. Managing facilities with volunteers and local committees carries risks including financial ones. So make sure they have competent support or keep it in-house and efficient.
Increasing charges is a slippery slope so don't go there if possible. Public services must be as equal access as possible.
|
|
Robin Ward
|
Thursday 20 May 2010 1:06:04 pm
Choices
IF I had a choice. I would firstly miss out the words "outlined above" in the above question and secondly choose to increase council taxes. In this way, the vulnerable members of our communities would be more helped than penalised. All your exisiting online suggestions have their advantages and disadvantages BUT your online consultation process seems a bit like inviting the general public to ‘rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic’ in light of the likely gap between Highland Council’s income and expenditure in the next few years.
Tawny Owl
|
|
John Boocock
|
Thursday 20 May 2010 1:48:34 pm
Re Choices
In fact why not tear up the rate capping "single outcome" agreement and do just that, raise the money locally to spend locally? Just how many of the taxpayers in Highland would prefer to pay more to get more? especially if the Council agreed to look properly at how it manages its services - I mean two men to empty a dog bin once a week! I ask you....................
Chair Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council
|
|
Carol Hart
|
Thursday 20 May 2010 3:20:02 pm
Proposed library cuts
Closing so many libraries in rural areas will have a severely detrimental effect on the local communities who use them, particularly in areas where community facilities are so few. I have anecdotal evidence of elderly people who are very upset at the thought of losing their library, as it is the only social contct they have with other people.
Replacing the closed libraries with a mobile service will not be the same. The mobile fleet was reduced several years ago as a result of another cost-saving exercise - will the Council add more vans - I doubt it. The only alternative would be to revise existing routes, which would tax an already stretched resource. Mobiles cannot offer internet access either. In remote communities, the library may be the only place where those who do not own a computer (and yes, there are still plenty!) can access the internet for free.
If you reduce opening hours this will go directly against the feedback given in the most recent library user survey, where respondents said they would use libraries more if they were open longer.
Ask other authorities who have 'out-sourced' their library services to non-profit organisations if it has worked for them.
Cutting the BookStart programme and deleting School Librarian posts will effect library provision to young people at the most formative stages of their lives.
Carol Hart
|
|
Allan Bransbury
|
Thursday 20 May 2010 10:40:26 pm
First thoughts on a difficult issue
Several decades back I came to the Highlands to help create and develop a new publicly funded organisation - called Highland Craftpoint. History will determine whether that initiative proved worthwhile; so, a kind of declaration of interest.
What I would comment however is this: services and provision like (but not exclusively) galleries and museums simply aren't created easily or cheaply; they perform a particular kind of role in a developed society, they are assumed to be there for all manner of good reasons that are easy to identify, in an ideal world they are nurtured and provide on an on-going basis, amazing stimulus as well as moments of important reflection or enlightenment to visitors. In difficult times is is all too easy to shut them down or damage them beyond recovery.
My first main point therefore is to ask for recognition that it is so easy to close and so difficult to re-open. This should be a key realisation.
My second point would be that local values and ideas should be allowed to blossom. Should a local/regional community know of a better way to make a key resource work more economically, then those ideas should be fully explored.
My third point is that most communities strive for 'good things', something that will put a spring in our step, make us feel humble or valued, attract great art works or visitors from afar to our part of the country. This doesn't always mean it has to be 50,000sqft of building, but it does require a level of excellence and relevance to local and regional communities and the important economic drivers of tourism and 'the creative industries'. There is a phrase, 'three strikes and you're out'; I very much hope that in the cultural sector overall it is more like a considered 'nine strikes and you're altered, probably damaged - but not out'.
Allan Bransbury
|
|
Sue Pirnie
|
Friday 21 May 2010 12:13:13 pm
Independent museums and arts organisations
Sseveral of the comments above are well made - short term cuts are all too easy to make to cultural activity when in the same budget as education, but remember the Danish decision (in a time of national economic crisis) to increase taxes, cut service costs - but ring-fence culture as that cannot be replaced once lost. Too many cuts have already been made to this sector in the last round; area arts officers, cultural co-ordinators for schools and, before those, music tutors and visiting arts teachers. Rather a cruel irony 3 years after celebrating Highland Culture?
Your introduction recognises that independent cultural organisaitons can run more efficiently - they can certainly bring on more money to the area - eg Timespan Museum and Gallery, Helmsdale, brought in £17 for every £1 from THC's (very small 14k) core grant in their last accounts - you'd be challenged to find that investment anywhere else. For that you get - preserving and employing 10 people p/t and attacting visitors in an economicaly fragile area, engaging vulnerable people and children in creative work that inspire and grows confidence, preserving and understanding the built, natural and cultural heritage of the area, and brining the best of local,national and international art (and artists) to an area where there would be no access.
Placing independent museums as an alternative to Inverness Museum or Highland Folk Museum is indefensible - it is no more thinkable to have no museum / gallery in the City of Inverness than to lose the independents. THC should develop a more strategic approach to funding culture in the future, and maximise the range of benefits they get for so little cost (1.1% of budget on your figures to the independent organisaitons/open grants); assessing the range of benefits and appropriate funding levels.
As a general comment - as members have already accepted - a 2 year standstill in salaries would seem consistent with the reality of many salaries at this time, and given you lost area officers last year perhaps the smaller management needs mean you do not now as many senior officers?. (Argyll and Bute have made 25% saving on their senior posts)
Sue Pirnie
|
|
Des Scholes
|
Saturday 22 May 2010 9:02:25 am
Nairn Swimming Pool
I feel reluctant to participate in this process because I feel that it pits Highland Communities against each another. What goes/ The Floral Hall, Wick Library or Nairn Swimming Pool? I just feel where one community succeeds another will suffer.
There is a school of thought emerging in Nairn that you have managers paid very good wages and they should simply mangage and come up with 10% cuts for each department and that councillors should have the courage to decide on cuts too instead of instead of hiding behind this consultation process.
Whatever, Nairn is obviously demanding that its Swimming Pool survives this process. Perhaps the budget cuts leader would like to have a quick browse of the 2,199 strong 'Save Nairn Swimming Pool Facebook group'?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAVE-NAIRN-SWIMMING-POOL/106163849419778
|
|
Lisa Macdonald
|
Saturday 22 May 2010 3:48:29 pm
Budget Consultation.
What does the Highland Council spend our money on? If cuts have to be made I am of the opinion that cutting funding to Libraries and Cultural venues like museums is the worst possible road to go down after cutting funding to help vulnerable people in our society, especially the elderly and disabled and those on low incomes. Highland Region has a rich cultural heritage which has to be safeguarded for the future. What happens to the collections of our independant museums and heritage centres if funding cuts force them to close? How do people who visit this area find the information they are looking for if archival material is all kept in Edinburgh? What will there be left to draw people to visit our area if all our visitor attractions disappear? The Highlands north of Inverness is already in danger of becoming a cultural wasteland but if these cuts go ahead the situation will become critical. Heritage centres, Libraries and service points along with local Post Offices and Community Centres are the nerve centre of our communities. They are meeting places, information and advice centres, places where people can develop their potential, providing internet access, workshops and courses and countless opportuities to broaden our horizons. Life is about more than just having good street lighting, cutting grass verges and regular rubbish collections. Turn off every second street light in the Highlands. Only cut grass verges if absolutely neccessary and encourage more recycling so that we don't need so many rubbish collections. I'm sure if we put our minds to it we can find a way to make savings without impoverishing life in this region for years to come.
Stop the Clearances from happening again.
|
|
clld h
|
Saturday 22 May 2010 6:51:01 pm
Pool Closures
I would immediately take swimming lessons out of the High Life scheme. The High Life scheme is already very good value to families and I remember when it was introduced families could not believe that their kids lessons would also be part of the programme. With significant waiting lists for swimming lessons, there would be no doubt that there would be a huge increase in income for the council by charging High Life users for these lessons. I am sure the drop off in High Life Membership would be minimal.
|
|
Jane Dewar
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 2:16:14 pm
What future for Highland Communities?
It would have been preferable if,instead of a budget consultation exercise internally conducted,THC had chosen to commission an independent Audit to examine expenditure throughout the Council.That would not only have had the advantage of avoiding the risk of partiality and vested interests being taken into account but could also have used the opportunity to review top-down process,staffing structures,asset and revenue management etc.As it is this exercise has been narrowly focused at the Service delivery point end of The Education,Culture and Sport Dept budget.If as is likely, in the very near future further cut backs will be required in Local Authority expenditure,it would make sense to conduct such an Audit sooner rather than later.
Closure of libraries,Community Centres and Swimming Pools and the withdrawal of funds from Museums and Heritage Centres should not even be an option.These facilities between them form the social,educational and cultural identity of the Highlands.They are the bridge between formal and informal sorces of education and recreation. Quite apart from that closure will probably adversely affect tourism. Despite the revamped street scapes in Dingwall and Inverness,not every tourist wantsto go shopping and where else to go on a cold rainy day?
As has been very ably said in this blog,once these facilities are lost it will be very difficult if not impossible to replace them.
Whatever options the Council eventually chooses,there must be parity-small communities such as those in Muir of Ord,Invergordon ,Cromarty and Lochcarron will be disproportionally affected by the loss or reduction in opening hours of their libraries.In addition to the traditional use of libraries for educational and recreational purposes,the libraries are increasingly becoming social service centres providing hard copy materials and internet access which help , jobseekers,house hunters,debtors,benefit claimants,consumers etc.In this way libraries complement and supplement the services provided by the Citizen's Advice Bureau which operates only in a restricted number of locations.It may be an option for THC to lease part of some library premises to the CAB if their resources permit.Other viable options may be to use part of the library areas as internet cafes.This would be particularly good for Muir of Ord which has an increasing population but few leisure facilities.
With 1.3 million issues last year alone,the required 12% reduction in library budgets cd probably be completely met by introducing a nominal annual library subscription fee,nominal charges for reservations, use of the People's Network,Reading Groups(of which there are 100 throughout the Highlands), Writing Groups,Poetry Groups,Rhymetime Groups as well as a 10% reduction in opening hours of the 8 largest libraries.
Jane Dewar
|
|
Roger Lanyon
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 3:10:06 pm
Handing over facilities to not-for-profit organisations.
I would like to comment from the perspective of Chairman of the Board of Directors of one of the swimming pools currently subsidised by a discretionary grant received from The Highland Council.
1.Given the time and energy required to discharge directors' duties by community volunteers, there would appear to be significant potential savings for the council in handing facilities over to communities to run these for themselves. However, there are concomitant risks: securing a board with the required skills is no easy task, as boards of not-for-profit companies have many serious responsibilities to discharge. Whilst the individual's financial risk is only £1.00 per head: failure of the enterprise has real and serious implications for the community.
2.If the council transfers the management of some facilities and leases these to not-for-profit organisations there will still be a need for these new boards to have access to informed professional advice on a range of issues. Obviously, some support can be obtained via web based sources, but the requirement to operate within OSCR requirements makes obtaining (for example) legal advice, an expense for which it is not easy to budget.
3.In our particular case, we appreciate both the discretionary grant (approximately 45% of our total income) and the development support we get from other branches of public service. We are proud that we can argue that we play our part in helping the council achieve eleven out of the fifteen goals in the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA). In other words, to a lesser or greater extent we contribute to all the goals, excepting only numbers 2, 8, 9 & 15.
4.As such we believe we offer the council an excellent return on its investment in our facility through our service level agreement.
5.The economic recession has had a very significant negative affect upon our operation. Any reduction in the discretionary grant we receive from the council would seriously damage our ability to deliver our contracted services and threaten our continued existence. The largest disadvantages of being, or converting to, a not-for-profit company is the probable lack of any financial reserves of one's own and being cut off from the Council's reserves to balance the books.
6.The SOA makes much of Highland's strong volunteering record. In our operation, volunteering is our life blood. The Board of Directors are all volunteers, as are the members of our Friends' committee who play a major part in our fund-raising effort to balance our books, and, as such, are essential to our continued existence. We would very much like to see this fund-raising effort used to support innovative extras and other initiatives, but we find it necessary to draw on these funds to pay for a half time post within our 5.7 FTE establishment. (Our pool commenced operations with an establishment of nine full time posts, so we reckon we have cut much flesh from the bone over the last decade.)
7.Without question, we epitomise many of the advantages of option 4, that of “transferring the management … of services and leasing these to not-for-profit organisations.”
However, this is no panacea as we, in our turn, have to consider all the other options (closing some facilities to protect others; reduction of opening hours; using our buildings more flexibly for a wider range of needs and, lastly, raising our prices.)
Roger Lanyon
Chairman of the Board of the Mallaig and District Swimming Pool Association.
Roger Lanyon
|
|
Lisa Macdonald
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 3:56:16 pm
Comment on what Jane Dewar said.
Thankyou Jane for putting what I was trying to express into words. This is simply NOT an option. Let there be a review of Highland Council spending. I am convinced that significant savings can be made without irreparably harming our communities in this way, and I am not the only one who thinks this.
Stop the Clearances from happening again.
|
|
Jennifer Maxwell
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 4:44:19 pm
CORE FUNDING FOR OUR INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS
It is indeed indefensible to pit Highland Council’s two museums against the 18 independents, as if a comparison could easily be made.
The entire Highland Council Museums’ Service costs £1.5M, only £261,000 of which goes to the 18 independent museums, not simply as grants, but in exchange for a high level of service. By any standard this represents phenomenal value for money – core funding of £14,500 per museum per annum allows each museum to deliver a valuable service in its community.
The Highland Museum of Childhood in Strathpeffer brings over 22,000 visitors per year to its site – all the visitors spend goes straight to the local economy. However, despite a high level of commercial effort with income from tickets, shop, rents and other small grants, the museum’s fixed costs last year were 50% greater than its income – this is why the core funding is necessary.
I have heard it said, “Why not just give the funding to the really needy museums, those with reserves can spend them.” What? We run a tight ship and only have reserves because of careful stewardship. We need them for contingencies like major repairs and legal fees. Spending our reserves on fixed costs wouldn’t last long.
It has also been suggested, “Why can’t the independents just be run by volunteers?” Well they can, and we all value the time and expertise freely given by our volunteers without which we could not operate. But there comes a point where paid expertise is necessary to maintain professional standards, meet bureaucratic demands and inspire innovation. I believe every independent museum needs to employ a museum professional. The core funding allows this.
The Highland Museum of Childhood has just completed a capital-build extension to grow its highly popular educational programmes for schools and adults, reminiscence groups, mental health groups, etc., and to develop collections’ work. All the objects in our collections have been donated by people from the Highland community. The principal funder of this new building is the Heritage Lottery Fund, with match funding coming from a variety of sources including trusts and public money. Construction work was carried out by a local firm. The development of this project was only made possible by the continual vision and effort of its paid professional supported by a voluntary board and voluntary staff. If our core funding is withdrawn this educational programme will be jeopardised.
Please dismiss this short-sighted idea that the Highland’s independent museums will somehow survive and thrive on a lack of public financial support. Each independent museum is at the core of its community, is in community ownership and, as well as being a principal tourist destination, shares its historical collections with the public in many ways. Once lost this cannot be replaced.
The Highland Museum of Childhood is already a highly-developed not-for-profit organisation and social enterprise. Perhaps this model should be adopted for Inverness Museum and the Highland Folk Museum? It certainly would reduce costs currently met by the public purse.
We acknowledge that cuts have to be made but would suggest a fairer way to do it: if, for example, £36M has to be found over two years and the total Highland Council budget is around £120M for these two years cannot every service share the burden by imposing a 3% cut each year across the board? This seems fairer than completely cutting some funding like that to the Independent Museums. I am aware some services cannot be cut, but it is a general principle.
Jennifer Maxwell, Museum Professional: already on salary standstill for three years, no pension!
Jennifer Maxwell
|
|
John Boocock
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 6:17:44 pm
Bookstart
I have spoken to several of the professionals involved in the delivery of Bookstart across Scotland and I am extremely concerned that Highland Council is proposing to stop its involvement in this important service. There has been no attempt by the Council's Administration to be clear as to exactly what the results of their proposal will be and the information that is in the public domain is innacurate.
In its Budget Consultation process Highland Council has suggested “ceasing the Bookstart service” as a potential saving. This description is inaccurate and misleading. Bookstart is also described as an “early years library service”. This is not the case. The facts have been made available to the Council administration but they persist in including this “potential saving” in their proposals. This potential saving will actually jeopardise a key building block in the multi agency approach to early years provision in the Highlands. The other partners, NHS Highland, HPPGA, SCMA and Homestart are all signatories to a partnership agreement with Highland Council to deliver this programme.
Please do not make decisions based on inaccuracies and whilst not in full possession of the facts. Have the implications of this proposed cut been discussed fully with the other partners?
The evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their children’s education in general, and their children’s literacy activities in particular, is overwhelming. Research shows that parental involvement in their children’s learning positively affects the child’s academic performance in both primary and secondary schools leading to higher academic achievement, greater cognitive competence, greater problem-solving skills, greater school enjoyment, better school attendance and fewer behavioural problems at school .
Surely as a responsible councillors, you would want to be responsible for achieving these positive outcomes for our children.
The implication is that book-gifting and advice to parents, during their child's first five years, is a cost effective way of raising standards. To do this effectively it has to be co-ordinated professionally. The removal of the staff support for this programme would defeat the object and has high long term cost implications for Highland Council in dealing with the failure to raise these key standards.
The council needs to make decisions which in the long term do not cost the council far far more than it saves in the short term. Who will be providing professional library support to this project without this post?
In January 2010 the Scottish Government announced it was putting £1.5 million pounds into Bookbug, the successor to Bookstart, a new improved book gifting programme which firmly links into Scottish educational and parenting policies to be launched in June 2010. The number of packs and gifting mechanisms will remain the same, but the three free book packs will be tailored to the Scottish Early Years environment, featuring more Scottish authors and illustrators and linking in to Scottish educational and parenting strategies.
This important opportunity for our children and parents will be undermined if it is not resourced properly.
John aged 56 and delighted to have been reading for the past 53 years!
Chair Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council
|
|
Ann Carmichael
|
Sunday 23 May 2010 9:09:38 pm
Core Funding for our Independent Museums
As a volunteer at one of the core funded museums I am in complete agreement with both Jennifer Maxwell and Sue Pirnie. I don’t see how you can pit the 18 independent museums against the two fully funded Highland Council Museums, nor can I see the sense in jeopardizing the viability of any of the museums seeing what a valuable service they all provide in their respective areas.
I am aware that we all need to face cuts but to force the closure of any of these museums does not seem a sensible option.
One of the questions I would like answered is what will happen to the respective collections of these museums if they were to close their doors?
Many of the donors that come too our small museum donate to us because they feel their item will be of significance to our collection, they did not want to donate it to a larger museum where they feel their donation will be placed in some archive and never seen again. Many of the smaller museums also are topic specific often closely relating to their local area and this is what visitors enjoy. If their collections had to be relocated to one of the two larger museums then their local focus would be lost.
And the collections of our larger museums where would they go…Perth,Glasgow??? It is a long way for children from the Highlands to go to see their heritage.
I really do feel that a fairer way can be found maybe along the line of Jennifer’s suggestion with a cut across the board, it would mean all the museums would have to look to their budgets but hopefully they could all be sustainable and so this valuable contribution to our heritage would not be lost.
Ann Carmichael
|
|
Nairn Bairn
|
Monday 24 May 2010 1:31:21 am
Choices and options - the importance of asking the right questions
This blog-questionnaire risks missing the point and misdirecting the debate. It is rather like the joke about the traveller who has lost his way and seeks help from a local bystander - who says "Well, to get there, I wouldn't start from here...."
By putting only selected questions or specific options about reduction/disposal of front-line services out for discussion, Councillor Alston has already shaped and restricted the debate. As others have pointed out, this technique risks provoking inter-communal strife ("our library is more important than your community centre or their respite home" ). It encourages special-pleading. It prompts the enthusiasts for any specific facility to press their case ("cut what you like, but don't touch our pool/museum/whatever" ). It implies that those who shout loudest or muster the greatest number of signatures/Facebook posts are likely to be most successful in saving "their" pet project. It invites, and plays on, sentiment and emotion ("of course we can't possibly reduce the services to children/old folks/the vulnerable/the disabled" ).
Effective budget management is about priorities and choices. This means making value-judgments. It is also a very tough challenge. It is simply not possible for everyone to have everything they want paid for from public (ie our, taxpayers) funds. So those elected and paid to manage our public services have to be prepared to make choices and justify them (and take the electoral consequences if they make the wrong calls). A consultation exercise is not a device for escaping from, or disguising, this basic responsibility.
Above all, however, budget management - especially when money is tight - is about efficiency. That does not mean closing facilities. Efficiency means doing more with less. Making the resources stretch further. Making processes, and management, leaner and meaner. Simplifying decision-making. Stripping out layers of hierarchy. Devolving and delegating. Integrating back-office functions and cutting overheads, rather than closing down front-line services.
All basic stuff. Yet so far, the consultation exercise (online and on paper) reveals little about whether, and how far, this kind of action is being taken.
A simple and necessary first step is to benchmark: to identify whether Highland Council spending (in any area) is better, worse, or the same, as other local/regional authorities, and to publish figures which show the trend of spending. The Council already publishes "league tables" of the level of council tax throughout Scotland (and Highland ranks in the middle of the pack). So, for example.... in education in the Highlands, publish figures which compare pupil:teacher:administrator ratios. For social and welfare work, list comparative figures for cases: case workers. For older people, those with special needs, those in care, show how the spending per head compares with other regional authorities. Does Highland have more needy/elderly/vulnerable people than average? Does it spend more or less on them, pro-rata, than other regions? If these reveal that the Highland Council is employing more people, or spending more money, to deliver the same, or fewer services to its people, then this is a clear pointer to where savings could be made and efficiency improved.
Only when there are publicly-available performance and expenditure figures and benchmarks is it possible to identify where the Highland Council might be spending proportionately more (or delivering less for its money) than other authorities. Where these disparities are revealed, the obvious action is to examine how and why Highland Council is operating less efficiently, and making budgetary savings and management changes accordingly.
So, Councillor Alston, you are not asking the right questions. You are not at the moment, even publishing the kind of figures and information that enable the people of the region to ask the right questions. And if you don't ask the right questions, you won't get the right - or indeed any useful - answers.
The danger with this present exercise is that it fosters the illusion of a scrutiny and review process, while failing to shed any light on those areas which represent the major part of Council spending. The areas to focus on are NOT the museums, care homes and leisure facilities. It may be true that every little helps. But taken together, these kind of amenities account for only a minuscule share of the budget, while fulfilling a role within the communities of the region that - as others have commented - is critically important.
To cite an analogy that has been quoted elsewhere - if you have to lose weight, you don't do so by chopping off hands, arms or feet: you slim down those parts of the body that are carrying a little too much fat.
nairnbairn
|
|
cindie Reiter
|
Monday 24 May 2010 2:04:25 pm
None of the above
I have answered other questions in this topic elsewhere, but have to say that I am very impressed with so many of the previous commenters, they have said what I would wish to so very well. I do think that the Highland Council is asking the wrong questions, I am certain cuts could and indeed should be met elsewhere. I think that this consultation process should be extended and that Highland Council should utilise some of the business and social business brains in the area for suggestions before they start taking away facilities that can simply never be replaced.
Cindie Reiter
|
|
E Lamont
|
Monday 24 May 2010 3:54:44 pm
Museums and pools
The question asked is ‘What would be acceptable to reduce costs?’
For me the only acceptable option in the list would be to ‘Using public buildings differently and more flexibly providing services and space for different needs and groups’. There are many other ways Highland Council could seek to reduce costs, for instance by increasing effectiveness and efficiency levels within the Council operation itself.
We are proud to have our local facilities and we fought hard to get these. Highland Council have a duty to us, as tax payers, to ensure no more cuts are made to local facilities and tourist attractions. A number of these survive solely on the help of volunteers, if funding were withdrawn then where would the money come from? Local businesses provide enough support as it is.
One of the main activities in our area is tourism and it would be good to know that Highland Council want to support this by finding ways to make our area more attractive to tourists. Increasing the opening hours to accomodate both visitors and locals is only one suggestion. To cut back finance to museums and pools is not the answer. Why not bring this consultation to each community and have a forum for positive ideas to be put forth, ensure everyone knows about this, I would not have known about this process if I had not been alerted to it by someone else.
|
