Minutes Town Council Policy and Resources Committee - Monday 21st March 2011
Minutes Town Council Policy and Resources Committee - Monday 21st March 2011
Tuesday, 27 September 2011 13:51
Minutes of the Okehampton Town Council Policy and Resources Committee Meeting held on Monday 21 March 2011 in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Okehampton at 7.00 pm
Council Members Present: Councillor Mrs M McDonald (Chair)
Councillor A Raymond (Vice Chair)
Councillor M Davies
Councillor P Vachon
Councillor Mrs K Bickley (Chair, Planning)
Councillor A Leech (Chair, Property)
Councillor Mrs C Marsh (Acting Chair, Parks)
Other Members Present: Councillor K Ball
In Attendance: D Bent (Town Clerk)
574. Apologies for Absence - Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of Councillor M Morse and Councillor Mrs D Smith.
575. Deferment of Business (for comment by the public) - There were no members of the public present.
576. Members’ Questions - There were no questions from Members regarding the workings of the Committee.
577. Minutes - The minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 28 February 2011 were approved and signed by the Chairman on the proposition of Councillor Mrs C Marsh, seconded by Councillor M Davies. The report of the working party meeting held on 7 March 2011 was deferred until later in the agenda.
578. Matters Arising -
578.1 Town Council Website - Councillor Ball explained that the website had a number of problems in that it had been hacked on a number of occasions without the Council’s knowledge. He questioned support the Council was receiving, why it had been hacked and value for money; Councillor Ball acknowledged the main server had been changed purely to establish an email address. He had been granted full access to the site to investigate and research security, content, access and updating. He expressed disappointment over a poor back-up service which he deemed expensive and expressed disappointment at the loss of photographs without satisfactory explanation from Mr Jones. He recommended moving away from Twisted Tree Company and offered to assume responsibility for the website in the interim with a colleague to provide critical support at a cost of £25 per hour if necessary. He suggested a new host be engaged at a cost of £2.99 per month, full control over the website accepted by him (he acknowledged a possible conflict of interest and agreed to be mindful of this). On the proposition of Councillor Mrs Marsh, seconded by Councillor Raymond, it was resolved that the offer by Councillor Ball be accepted in the interim with the option of a new website to be considered by the new Council. Members wished to thank Councillor Ball for his work on this problem with a request that he checks the security of the site for infection.
578.2 Town Mayor’s Allowance - The report of the working party meeting held on 7 March 2011 was submitted for endorsement. Members questioned the accuracy of the minutes and, following further discussion, it was agreed the following amendments be made.
Paragraph 1: ….. the Mayor or any Councillor were taxable and subject to National Insurance. Expenses had to be accounted for with evidence of tickets, receipts, mileage allowance etc ….
Paragraph 2: ….. It was suggested expenditure should be categorised as follows:
1. allowance expenditure code paid half-yearly for clothes, lottery tickets, drinks and donations including a small allowance for the Deputy Mayor;
2. hospitality to include entertainment, receptions and tickets for attending other events;
3. travel expenses on a separate expenditure code.
Paragraph 3:
a) the Mayor’s allowance be fixed …………. The position on benefits payments to be clarified.
b) a hospitality account of £1,260 ……….
c)
d) Members acknowledged a separate hospitality account to meet the expenses of Mayor Choosing, Civic Service and Remembrance Sunday etc.
On the proposition of the Chair, seconded by Councillor Mrs Marsh, it was resolved that the minutes be endorsed as a true record subject to the above amendments.
Arising therefrom the meeting acknowledged the possibility of a Mayor not completing his term in office and on the proposition of Councillor Davies, seconded by Councillor Mrs McDonald, it was resolved that should this situation develop, the incumbent Mayor be asked to repay some of the allowance.
579. Finances - The financial report of the Council’s position as at 28 February 2011 was submitted to the meeting for examination and comment. Members acknowledged income and expenditure, outstanding debtors with a request that the Clerk research Tae Kwon Do and NHS Blood Service debts at £105.75 and £41.14 respectively. On the proposition of Councillor Leech, seconded by Councillor Davies, it was resolved the accounts be noted.
580. Audit Commission - Members noted the appointment of J Bellard as the appointed auditor to this Council.
581. Grant Aid - Applications for financial assistance were presented from Get Changed Theatre Company, Okehampton Work Club at the Ockment Centre and the Dartmoor Museum for coach parking and water wheel projects. The meeting acknowledged the remaining sum of £868 in the grants budget.
(i) Dartmoor Museum Association - Councillor Leech declared an interest. On the proposition of Councillor Leech, seconded by Councillor Mrs McDonald, it was resolved that this request be deferred to the new financial year with the applicant invited to complete the recognised application form.
(ii) Get Changed Theatre Company - the Council was asked to contribute £2,350 for the cost of hiring the Conservative Club for their organisation’s venue. Members noted the good work undertaken by this Company, noted three clients resident of Okehampton, but the greater benefit to the community without conclusion.
(iii) Work Club Ockment Centre - the Committee was advised of the number of Okehampton residents attending this work club with a waiting list for training with an urgency attaching to the problem. On the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Councillor Leech, it was resolved that the application from the Get Changed Theatre Company be deferred to the new financial year and the application from Okehampton Work Club be granted the sum of £868.
Members accepted expenditure over the financial year on grant aid and suggested budget provision be increased in future years to meet this expanding responsibility across Okehampton, further that applicants be advised that an average payment was in the region of £250.
582. Museum of Dartmoor Life - The Chair presented a request from this Association to release Council’s donation for 2011/12 at 1st April; on the proposition of Councillor Mrs Bickley, seconded by Councillor Vachon, resolved accordingly.
583. Tourist Information Centre Funding - Councillor Mrs Bickley referred to discussions with N Trout of WDBC regarding the placement of the tourist information centres in Tavistock and Okehampton. She explained there was no decision on placing the TIC in the Museum, financing the TIC was discretionary but negotiations were continuing. She explained tourism was a successful area of the economy which would continue and urged Members to continue to support this office. Councillor Mrs Bickley agreed to monitor and report any developments.
584. Members’ Reports -
Heartlands - no report was submitted.
WDBC Liaison Committee - the following topics were discussed at the meeting held on 7 March 2011:
a) CCTV progress report;
b) Mill site redevelopment update;
c) Clapps Wood position ongoing regarding purchase and installation of footpath;
d) Localism Bill with community groups eg management of TIC;
e) Comprehensive spending review, local government cuts, shared services, diminished hours of swimming pool for eventual consultation;
f) On-street pay and display and traffic management for Okehampton;
g) Dog fouling which this Council agreed to discuss at a Parks Committee, but was subject to enforcement requiring strong evidence and further discussion between the two authorities;
h) Toilets, an apology for use of the word requirement in requesting monies towards the operating cost of the facility with the Town Council to examine this option.
Northern Parishes Link Committee - the Chair and Councillor Mrs Bickley referenced their attendance at this meeting on 10 March 2011 at which the following topics were discussed:
a) Police report - re-organisation of policy with an inspector based at Barnstaple with Okehampton the main response hub with further fluidity of police from across the county;
b) Ruby Country;
c) Comprehensive Spending Review - the Chief Executive referred to Localism Bill and its development;
d) West Devon Management Review;
e) Changes in National Health Service;
f) Closure of Devon County Council Supply Zone.
Okehampton College - Councillor Leech reported that the federation status had been voted through at the College with a number of feeder schools, the option of present governors to be asked whether they would wish to stand as new governors under the new regime.
585. Professional Fees - The Clerk advised that the account from S Gill in the sum of £11,790 would exceed the professional charges budget, he sought authority to vire this expenditure to other professional fees with the balance funds met from reserve accounts. On the proposition of Councillor Raymond, seconded by Councillor Leech, resolved accordingly with £5,000 vired to Charter Hall professional fees, £1,000 Market Hall fees and Town Hall professional fees £2,000.
586. Replacement Computer - In accordance with Council directions, the Clerk had obtained a quotation for a replacement computer in the sum of £380 for an Acer X275 desktop PC; on the proposition of Councillor Raymond, seconded by Councillor Mrs Marsh, it was resolved that the purchase be approved in principle subject to advices from Councillor Ball on suitability, security, virus check etc.