Breiwick123 Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 I'm sure the likes of Shetland Geotours are more than capable of showcasing Shetlands wide and varied geology (at no expense to the public purse) to any number of rock hounds that rock up on our shores.Now anyone with knowledge enough in geology to arrange a holiday around there interest, will almost certainly already be aware of what Shetland has to offer. £35,000 Geopark Officer or no £35,000 Geopark Officer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeghead Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would have thought a post such as the Geopark Officer would have been run by Scottish Natural Heritage or Historic Scotland not the SIC. Im not doubting the quality or amount of work the person in the job does but I don't see how it has any relevance to the council. Orkney is a world heritage site and is collectively looked after by SNH and Historic Scotland not the council, although they do keep tabs on things. This is another one of these posts that generally nobody would have known about if it hadn't been for the council having to look at cutting services to save cash. I wonder just how many other posts like this are within the council. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 I am amazed that we have not yet had any comments about the idea of closing the Tingwall Airstrip and moving inter island flights to Scatsta as a way to cut costs. I am sure there are good arguments for continuing to use Tingwall including air ambulance flights and somewhere closer to lerwick if the Clickimin helicopter landing ground could not be used but at least someone within SIC has thought about something different as a cost cutting plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTL Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Tingwall airport. Air ambulence flights leave from here. 10 minute drive from hospital. Ambulance back to hospital and available again fairly soon. Scatsta?Long drive there. Long drive back. Winter? Ouch. Mind you, I do find it odd we have more airports than ambulences. Must be a matter of priorities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humptygrumpty Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 There is also a one-off £841,000 contribution to this summer’s Tall Ships event. cut the study for the tunnel and hey you have saved 1.25 million.but no stick the bus fares up and the ferry fares. Well done the SIC , you should be SO proud of yourselves , schools closing , fares going up , cuts in services left right and centre....but not above of course ! and you dole out 1.25 million like sweety money......bunch o bloody idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I am fairly certain that when the council houses "homeless" people they provide a complete house full of furniture right down to a kettle. Is this true and if so is this something they are required to do by law?. Otherwise perhaps there is scope for cuts here. Well a cut to SICs spending anyway as I am sure the people being housed could get a loan from the "social fund". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 You tend to get a grant towards furniture, we had to go to the community shop for ours. that was a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 the head of finance taking early retirement. thats going to cost us thousands. maybe if he does not want to work for the council he shoul resign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I am fairly certain that when the council houses "homeless" people they provide a complete house full of furniture right down to a kettle. Is this true and if so is this something they are required to do by law?. Otherwise perhaps there is scope for cuts here. Well a cut to SICs spending anyway as I am sure the people being housed could get a loan from the "social fund". In my only experience of SIC homeless accomodation the house had a cooker, fridge and washing machine ony, no chairs beds etc. To answer paulb's point about the head of finance taking early retirement he will be getting his pension which he has been paying into for the last 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirrer Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 To answer paulb's point about the head of finance taking early retirement he will be getting his pension which he has been paying into for the last 30 years. When someone gets early retirement, the pension pot has to be 'topped up' by the employer to compensate for the 15 years that the employee is not payng into the fund and the 15 extra years they will be taking out of it. That will come to a sizeable sum, given the extremely large salary the Head of Finance is on, and the likely pension someone earning that amount will receive. Normally the top-up can be 'justified' by the savings from the deletion of the post, by surely SIC will still need a Head Finance - regardless of what they call the postion. It would not surprise me that the 'top up' the SIC have had to add to the pension fund to allow the Head of Finance to take early retirement is in the range of £250-500,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 early retirement on conditions described above is a disgrace, let him get a job elsewhere for the next 13 years just like the rest of will have to, and then retire at 65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 isbeing fed up with work a good reason for early retirement. if he is fed up he should leave and find a less stressful job. 50 is not an age to retire. i wonder if the bin men get the same deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 if it is paulb hand me my pension now topped up to make sure I have enough to live on of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 not forgeting its likely to be around 50 grand a year. i wonder if thats a reason for going now instead of waiting until the new pension rules come in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 considering he has only been head of finance for 10 years we are paying 13years top up for his final salary pension, this is in no way a good deal for us the council tax payer, I did hope that when the man came here fae orkney all this nonsense would come to an end, it seems not.Although as one guy just said maybe paying all that money to get rid of him is actually a good deal given the councils financial record of late Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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