Minutes Town Council Special Property Committee - Monday 21st November 2011

Minutes Town Council Special Property Committee - Monday 21st November 2011

Wednesday, 11 January 2012 12:48

Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Okehampton Town Council Property Committee held on Monday 5 December 2011 in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Okehampton at 8.00 pm

Committee Members Present: Councillor A Leech (Chair)

Councillor P Vachon (Vice Chair)

Councillor M Morse

Councillor Mrs M McDonald (Town Mayor)

Other Members Present: Councillor K Ball

Councillor Mrs K Bickley

Councillor Mrs J Goffey

Councillor Dr M Ireland

Councillor Mrs C Marsh

In Attendance: D Bent (Town Clerk)

359.     Apologies for Absence - Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of Councillors M Davies, D Weekes and T Cummings

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

361.     Members’ Questions - There were no questions by Members regarding the workings of the Committee.

362.     Budget 2012/2013 - The Clerk presented the budget for this Committee which included Town Hall, Charter Hall, Market Hall and Lower Market Hall.  He explained the principles of the compilation of the document with estimated and projected figures for each of the accounts as below.  He further explained he had trawled the Council’s minutes for the preceding year and any topics or projects identified for submission to the budget had been included.

Town Hall

Heating and lighting costs - Councillor Mrs Bickley offered to undertake a monitoring exercise on heating and lighting costs for the Council’s civic buildings and agreed this be submitted to the Property Committee for further discussion.  Members acknowledged an increased provision for energy costs during the current year with due provision for 2012/13 deemed acceptable.

Electrical repairs - following the fire inspection report, the Clerk stated he had included the sum of £2,000 to effect repairs to all of the Council’s buildings and Members agreed to allocate £1,000 to the Town Hall, £500 to the Charter Hall and £500 to the Lower Market Hall.

Boiler - Members acknowledged £2,000 in earmarked reserves and endorsed a further £2,000 subject to the monitoring of savings by Councillor Bickley and the option of an air sourced heat control boiler.

Sinking fund - the Chairman questioned provision of a sinking fund for property repairs which Members concluded to assess when setting the precept.

Promotion of facilities - A Member questioned maximisation of income, promotion of the buildings, use of the website and it was agreed this be submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee.

Charter Hall

The Clerk advised he had allowed £25,000 in capital budget for PV panels/system in accordance with minutes and loose estimates received.  The Chair acknowledged this as a reasonable amount, following granting of planning permission and acknowledged a number of options could be compiled for discussion by the Property Committee in due course.  Members questioned the return on this investment, accepted savings on other energy sources and noted a return of approximately 5%; Members were disappointed over the projected return, but agreed to endorse the entry which could be assessed at the precept meeting.

Miscellaneous Income £4,313 - Members questioned this income on actual figures for 2010/11.  Post meeting memo - refund of gas costs.

Lower Market Hall

The meeting accepted minimal expenditure on this operation with a net income whilst the building was tenanted, but subject to minor repairs to the external structure and insurance re-charge to the cinema.

Street traders’ licence - Members questioned miscellaneous income from street traders attending the Carnival, Edwardian Evening, burger vans, new market in relation to the Okehampton Market Charter etc.  It was suggested a fee be imposed to these casual traders and agreed this topic be submitted to a meeting of the Property Committee following the Clerk’s researches.

Members noted the entries and on the proposition of Councillor Mrs McDonald, seconded by Councillor Vachon, it was resolved the figures as presented, subject to amendment, be accepted in principle for the financial year 2012/13.

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Councillor A Leech

Chairman of Property Committee