Chief Executive’s Report

Full Council Annual General Meeting

Comments on the items at the Annual General Meeting

ITEM 6

When setting the budget/precept for 2015/2016 it was resolved that the “accountable” allowance remains at £350and that the “unaccountable” allowance remains at £200.00. An “accountable” allowance requires the Town Mayor to provide receipts for each expenditure item spent on mayoral functions. No receipts are required for the “unaccountable” allowance of £200.00 from which payments can be made by the Mayor when undertaking mayoral duties.

The Town Mayor will receive details of the HMRC personal tax guidance taxation implications in due course. The unaccountable allowance to the Mayor is paid through the payroll.

DECISION REQUIRED:

To agree the Town Mayor’s allowances for the municipal year 2016/2017.

ITEMS7AND 8 – Council and Committee Meetings

(a)Council Meetings

Council had agreed previously that allCouncil meetings take place at 6.30pm at the Museum, Bridge Street, Pontypridd, Pontypridd, generally on the 4th Wednesday of each month except for August. Listed below are the suggested dates for the Council Meetings in 2016:

Wednesday 22nd June

Wednesday 27th July

No meeting in August

Wednesday 28th September

Wednesday 19th October

Wednesday 23rd November

Wednesday 14th December

(b)This municipal year the Council has four Committees namely:

Policy and Finance Committee – which include Museum functions,

Direct Services and Regeneration Committee,

Staffing Committee and

Allotments Committee

Committee membership for 2015/2016 and distribution of seats are set out below when there were two groups on Council.

Committee /

Labour

/ Plaid Lib Dem Alliance
Policy & Finance
/ Cllr M Harvey - Chair
Cllr L Bengough – Vice-chair
Cllr B Morgan
Cllr K Bennett
Cllr A Bevan
Cllr J Brencher
Cllr S Carter
Cllr L Fackrell
Cllr S Presse
Cllr B Watts
Cllr G Whiles
Cllr G Williams
Cllr K Woodward / Cllr I ap Steffan
Cllr A Jones

Staffing

/ Cllr K Bennett - Chair
Cllr A Bevan – Vice-chair
Cllr T Bates
Cllr L Fackrell
Cllr B Morgan
Cllr C Hull
Cllr S Powderhill
Cllr G Whiles
Cllr K Woodward / Cllr I ap Steffan
Direct Services & Regeneration / Cllr K Woodward - Chair
Cllr S Carter – Vice-chair
Cllr C Hull
Cllr A Bevan
Cllr M Harvey
Cllr J Brencher
Cllr B John
Cllr S Powderhill
Cllr G Whiles
Cllr G Williams / Cllr B Fox
Cllr A Jones
Allotment Committee / Cllr S Carter - Chair
Cllr K Bennett – Vice-chair
Cllr T Bates
Cllr L Bengough
Cllr J Brencher
Cllr A Bevan
Cllr L Fackrell
Cllr S Powderhill
Cllr G Whiles
Cllr G Williams / Cllr B Fox

The meeting is asked to agree the “numbers” on the Committees and to forward to the Chief Executive details of the Councillors to serve on the Committees.

Both groups on Council are also asked to nominate its Leader contact person and to forward the information to the Chief Executive. The majority number will be the Leader of the Town Council.

Committee meetings take place in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Civic Offices as and when required following a discussion between the Chairperson of the appropriate Committee and the Chief Executive. In 2015/16 the Committee meetings wereheld normally at 6.00 p.m. as follows:

1st Wednesday of each month – Allotment or Staffing

2nd Wednesday of each month – Policy and Finance

3rd Wednesday of each month – Direct Services and Regeneration

Members are asked to agree the times of the meetings.

DECISIONS REQUIRED:

(i)To agree the dates and locations of the Council meetings for 2016.

(ii)To appoint Committees.

(iii)To decide membership numbers of the Council’s Committees for the Municipal year 2016/2017.

(iv)That the ‘Groups’ forward to the Chief Executive the names of the members to serve on each Committee along with its Leader (and to whom correspondence should be sent) and that the Leader of the Majority Group on Council be designated Leader of the Council.

(v)To agree the normaldays, times and venues of the Committee meetings for the municipal year 2016/2017.

ITEM 9

As agreed by Council two Member signatories are required for every cheque or other order for the payment of money. In 2015/16 it was resolved that the following be the signatories.

(a)Two of the following Members, namely that the Town Mayor, Deputy Town Mayor, the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson of the Policy and Finance Committee shall be the Council’s account signatories and

(b)Should this not give rise to two individuals, that the Chairperson of the Council’s other Committees be added as substitute signatories to attain the required two names, if necessary.

DECISION REQUIRED:

To agree the two Members to sign cheques or other orders for payment of money.

ITEM 10

Set out below are the outside bodies to which nominations are required and the nomination for 2015/2016 were:

(a)RCT People First

The Chief Executive

(b)Focus on Pontypridd

Mayor and Leader of the Majority Group on the Town Council

(c)Pontypridd Regeneration – Crime and Disorder Task Group

The Chair of Direct Services and Regeneration

(d)Pontypridd BID

Leader of the Majority Group on the Council in that person’s absence that Groups Deputy Leader.

(e)RCT Twinning Association

Councillor J. Brencher

(f)Muni

Director nominations Councillor S. Carter and the Chief Executive – n.b. the Chief Executive has resigned as a Director.

(g)Ponty Arts

The Mayor, Councillor Brencher, was instrumental in setting up Ponty Arts in 2015/16. The aim of the group is to encourage the “arts” in the Town Council’s area and is attended by Councillor J. Brencher.

(h)Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC/Town and Community Liaison Committee

The present attendees are the Leader of the largest political group on Council and the Chief Executive.

(j)Minor School Governors

Below is the list of Minor School Governors appointed by the Council and their “termination” date. Nominations are requested for the vacancies.

School
/ Minor Authority Governor / Term of Office Ends
Cefn Primary and Craig yr Hesg Federated GB
/ Cllr Mary Harvey / 31st August 2016
Cilfynydd Primary School
/
Vacancy
Coedylan Primary School
/
Cllr T Hoppery
/
26th April 2017
Coedpenmaen Primary School /
Cllr A Bevan
/ 29th June 2018
Hawthorn Primary School
/
Cllr T Bates
/
25th September 2017
Heol y Celyn
/
Vacancy
Maesycoed Primary
/

Cllr B John

/
30th September 2016
Parc Lewis Primary
/
Cllr Mrs K Woodward
/

12th December 2017

Trallwng Infants

/

Cllr A Bevan

/

30th September 2016

Trehopcyn Primary

/

Vacancy

YGG Evan James

/

Vacancy

YGG Pontsionorton

/ Robert Davies / Ynysybwl & Coed-y-Cwm Community Council Nomination

ITEM 11 – Appointment of Internal Auditors

The present Auditors are bpu of Radnor House, Greenwood Close, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8AA and their fees for 2013/2014 amounted to £2,400.00. bpu have carried out the audit for 10 years and you might wish they continue auditing internal work for the Council. As is required by legislation the Council also have to pay for an external audit annually which in 2014/15 amounted to £920 and for 2016/17 it is anticipated to be in the fee range of £240 to £460 but this may increase depending on the time taken to audit and the grade of staff.

In the past three Councillors have been nominated to undertake any internal audit. Those nominated for 2015/16 were Councillors M. Harvey, K. Bennett and A. Bevan.

DECISION REQUIRED:

(a)Whether to appoint bpu as its internal auditors for the municipal year 2016/2017.

(b)Which Members to nominate to undertake the Annual internal Member audit.

Council Annual General Meeting

25th May 2016