Issue - meetings

To consider the report.

To accept the report, noting the observations received during the discussion.

The report was presented by the Head of Highways, Engineering and YGC and the Business Development Manager. They referred briefly to the following main points:

It was reported that the department was leading on three of the Council Plan projects at present, namely Clean and Tidy Communities, Acting on flood risks and Extending opportunities for play and socialising for children and young people in the County.

It was reported that 11 smart benches had been installed in Gwynedd this year. It was explained that these benches could report nearby local history, by working with well-known individuals such as Casi Wyn, Rhys Iorwerth, Guto Dafydd, Gwyneth Glyn, Manon Steffan Ros and Cedron Sion. Pride was expressed that this project was innovative as it was a new method of sharing local history through the medium of Welsh. Attention was drawn to the fact that the benches had been installed in Bangor, Caernarfon, Pwllheli, Cricieth, Tywyn and Porthmadog.

Members were reminded that Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd was being run as a commercial entity, confirming that the new Business Plan had been launched in April this year, which would be valid for the next five years. Assurances were given that this business plan was developed and disseminated through the medium of Welsh. It was elaborated that improving staff's language skills was a goal during this period, by providing Welsh education and training. The Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd recruitment video that would be shared on social media soon, was shared.

It was confirmed that the department was collaborating with local businesses and sub-contractors on a regular basis, sharing an example that the Environment Category Team had held an event in Tŷ Gwyrddfai in Penygroes with the cooperation of the Council's other departments, Adra Cyf Housing Association, as well as other companies. Similarly, it was noted that the Department was attending job fairs and events to engage with the people of Gwynedd, by holding face-to-face conversations on the opportunities of the company and the benefits of working for an organisation with a Welsh workforce.

The Finance Department and the Information Technology service were thanked for developing a system to manage the Council's Fleet through the medium of Welsh, as it assisted with the process of ordering materials, recording work, managing drivers, conducting a maintenance programme and keeping vehicle details. It was noted that this programme was Welsh and had been sold to other authorities, as noted previously during a previous item at this meeting.

An update was given that the Department was in the process of updating the fleet vehicles to be electric vehicles, and it was noted that 88 electric vehicles were in the fleet at present. It was acknowledged that using electric vehicles continued to be a new experience for Council staff members and therefore a Welsh video 'Sut i ddefnyddio cerbydau trydan' (How to use electric vehicles), was being developed by the Department to assist staff members when using the vehicle and charging it.

It was detailed that the Department employed 433 staff members and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7