Minutes Town Council Policy and Resources Committee - Monday 25th July 2011

Minutes Town Council Policy and Resources Committee - Monday 25th July 2011

Tuesday, 27 September 2011 21:29

Minutes of the Okehampton Town Council Policy and Resources Committee Meeting held on Monday 25 July 2011 in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Okehampton at 7.00 pm

Council Members Present:               Councillor M Davies (Chair)

                                                            Councillor Mrs K Bickley (Vice Chair)

                                                            Councillor K Ball

                                                            Councillor T Cummings

                                                            Councillor Mrs C Marsh

                                                            Councillor Mrs M McDonald (Town Mayor)

                                                            Councillor P Vachon (Chair, Planning)

                                                            Councillor A Leech (Chair, Property)

                                                            Councillor D Weekes (Chair, Parks)

Other Members Present:                  Councillor J Stockwell                                                           

In Attendance:                                   D Bent (Town Clerk)

148.     Apologies for Absence- There were no apologies for absence.

149.     Deferment of Business(for comment by the public) - There were no members of the public present.

150.     Members’ Questions- There were no questions from Members regarding the workings of the Committee.

151.     Minutes- The minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 27 June 2011 were approved and signed by the Chairman on the proposition of Councillor A Leech, seconded by Councillor K Ball.

152.     Matters Arising-

152.1   Electricity Costs Budget Provision- The Clerk reported budget provision and expenditure as below:

            2010/11 budget provision £18,600, expenditure £14,381;

            2011/12 budget provision £19,000, expenditure to date £4,364.

            Members questioned notification of increase in charges and whether measures were being adopted to save electricity throughout the Council’s operations.  It was noted EDF, as the Council’s supplier, had increased charges.  Councillor Leech acknowledged efforts by his Committee to save costs with the use of low energy bulbs, was currently researching boiler replacement and acknowledged the use of monitoring equipment to identify the Council’s costs and savings.  Councillor Mrs Bickley referred to Energy Saving Trust which the Chair agreed to research for further discussion; Councillor Cummings offered to loan monitoring meters to operate in the civic buildings to assess use, costs and possible savings.

152.2   Past Mayors’ Badges- The Clerk advised that Councillors Mrs Bickley, Weekes, Morse were due to receive a past mayor’s medallion as would Councillor Mrs McDonald at May 2012.  He reported the cost of 5 badges at £90 and 10 at £79.64 each plus VAT.  The Clerk further reported budget provision of £650 for Councillors’ expenses/training plus £400 for cleaning robes plus new wig for Clerk.  On the proposition of Councillor Mrs Marsh, seconded by Councillor Leech, it was resolved 10 pendants be purchased at £79.64 each plus VAT, the expense met from the budget provision above.

153.     Finances- The Clerk submitted the Council’s financial position as at 30 June 2011, identifying receipts and payments with detailed analysis of income and expenditure plus balance sheet and list of outstanding debtors.  He updated Members on outstanding debts including outstanding amounts for coffee mornings; Members questioned this debt and related to the system where hirers were to pay for the hire of the facility prior to use, Clerk to research.  On the proposition of Councillor Ball, seconded by Councillor Vachon, it was resolved the accounts be noted.

154.     Grant Aid-    Declarations of interest - the following Members declared an interest on the items identified:

            Councillor K Ball, Homestart grant application;

            Councillor M Davies, Homestart grant application.

            Applications for financial assistance were received from the following organisations. 

(i)         Home Start Okehampton - the Clerk advised he had written to this organisation requesting their accounts plus other financial information to assist the Council in its deliberations; nothing had been received and it was agreed to defer the application.

(ii)        Okehampton Skate Project - an application was submitted to raise funds to build a concrete skate plaza for Okehampton adjacent to the current facility.  Members acknowledged total membership of this youth organisation, the benefits to the community and efforts by the youngsters in raising funds and on the proposition of Councillor Mrs Marsh, seconded by Councillor Weekes, it was resolved a grant of £500 be awarded.

155.     Okehampton Battle of the Bands- The Chairman submitted a letter from C Hodgson (Chair of this organisation) requesting a permanent, annual financial allocation to the Battle of the Bands project together with a number of other requests including free use of the Charter Hall and the use of the Council’s logo.  The meeting wished to defer this request, subject to further information and discussion and on the proposition of Councillor Mrs McDonald, seconded by Councillor Mrs Marsh, it was resolved to defer discussion, subject to the receipt of income and expenditure accounts of the event over the years plus projected expenditure for 2012, the topic to be discussed with C Hodgson at the P & R meeting prior to the budget meeting.

156.     WDBC Standards Board- Councillor Leech, as a member of the Borough Council’s Standards Committee, reported the Standards Board was to be scrapped with effect from March 2012 and a questionnaire would be issued to parish and town councils asking how the Borough Council might establish a similar body to assess complaints received against the Borough Council and/or its members; noted.

157.     SLCCTownClerk’s Conference- The Chairman asked Members to consider the Clerk’s attendance at this event due to be held in Reading on 14-16 October 2011.  He explained the cost would be £365 plus travelling expenses and a report would be expected of the Clerk.  On the proposition of Councillor Mrs McDonald, seconded by Councillor Ball, it was resolved the Clerk’s attendance be authorised, subject to his personal circumstances and content of the agenda.

158.     Members’ Reports-

West Devon/Okehampton Consultative Liaison Group 19 September 2011 - the Clerk sought items for the agenda.  The following were endorsed:

DCC/WDBC - business development in Okehampton, request Councillor D Weekes;

grass cutting/weed spraying town centre - DCC/Probation Service, Councillor Mrs C Marsh to pursue;

Localism Bill/Localism brief;

dog fouling enforcement;

car parking strategy group re traffic management plan

plus matters arising including CCTV, Mill Site, Clapps Wood.

Northern Links - Members noted the availability of the minutes of the meeting held on 30 June in the Clerk’s office.

Heartlands Forum - Councillor Leech reported on the number and mix of people attending the meeting, discussion on health service appointments at the doctors and use of hospital, Senior Council funding and community engagement pilot study brief report.

Okehampton College - Councillor Leech reported he ceased to be a governor as at 21 July and the school’s federation had reduced the governor numbers from 80 to 19, but had created partnership boards or ethos committees working on a day to day basis with the College through a link person.  He commented the College and federation were looking for interested bodies to become involved with partnership boards.

Room 13 - Councillor Mrs Marsh reported this organisation was actively looking towards fund-raising for the skate park as evidenced above.