DRAFT
MINUTES OF KEYWORTH PARISH COUNCIL FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES MEETING IN THE FEIGNIES ROOM ON MONDAY, 11 JANUARY 2010 AT 7.30PM
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PRESENT: Chairman: Cllr Grice.
Councillors: Mrs Abbey, Barton, Mrs Chmara, Erwin, Kemp.
IN ATTENDANCE: Neil Grocock [Clerk].
10/7023 Apologies
q Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs Price.
10/7024 Declarations of Interest
q There were no declarations of interest.
10/7025 Minutes
q The minutes of the meeting on 14 December 2009 were APPROVED and signed by Cllr Grice as a true record.
10/7026 Matters Arising
q [10/7012] The Clerk reported that Stephen Lennard [KPFA] had, as promised, arranged a meeting with a representative of Severn Trent Water, and the likely cause of the substantial increase in the shared water rates had been identified as the gents’ urinals in the Village Hall. Installation of a systemiser/economiser had been recommended, and the Clerk was making enquiries about this.
q [10/7015] A copy of the agreement in respect of the adoption of the red telephone kiosk had been circulated prior to the meeting. The Clerk reported that BT had acknowledged the adoption application which it was now processing.
10/7027 Expenditure for Approval
q The Clerk reported no expenditure for approval.
q Cllr Barton commented, in respect of the hog roast on 20.3.10, that the band would want to be paid £400 cash on the night.
q The Clerk responded that the cash would presumably be generated from ticket sales, but suggested that Cllr Barton should let him know if this proved not to be the case.
10/7028 Risk Management
q The Clerk reported as follows:
- Footpaths [Scout hut to Centenary Lounge; car park to Memorial gates] resurfaced.
- Annual inspection of stage equipment, scaffolding and ladders carried out by the Council’s insurers: no problems identified.
10/7029 Finance 2010/11
a) Budget
q A revised draft budget, based on a 1% reduction in the precept as previously agreed, had been circulated prior to the meeting.
q The Clerk pointed out that Month 9 management accounts should be available on 13.1.10, and that he might make some adjustments based on these; however, he did not anticipate any significant changes overall.
q The draft budget was APPROVED subject to approval of the final draft by Full Council at the meeting on 18.1.10 – see Appendix 1.
q The Clerk drew attention to projections for 2011/12 and 2012/13, and the effect on the margin [the difference between the precept and the net revenue budget] if the precept continued not to increase.
q Cllr Grice queried why the projected margin for 2011/12 was less than for 2012/13; the Clerk pointed out that the 2011/12 figures included a provision for election expenses.
q Cllr Grice commented that the Council may well have to consider increasing the precept in years to come.
b) Precept Leaflet
q A draft precept leaflet had been circulated prior to the meeting.
q Cllr Kemp pointed out a discrepancy of £1k between the figures shown and the draft budget; the Clerk undertook to correct this prior to the Full Council meeting on 18.1.10.
q The draft leaflet was APPROVED subject to any amendments in the budget figures, and final approval by Full Council on 18.1.10 – see Appendix 2.
c) Reserves Policy
q The Clerk pointed out that the Council’s reserves stood at £107.4k at the beginning of 2009/10, and that reserves in excess of £100k were likely to be carried forward into 2010/11; in the meantime, the Council’s reserves policy was simply to maintain minimum uncommitted reserves of £75k.
q The Clerk added that additional expenditure [expenditure over and above revenue expenditure] was projected at around £26.5k for 2009/10, and that similar expenditure in 2011/12 could wipe out the Council’s surplus reserves within twelve months; he queried whether the committee would like to amend the reserves policy either by staggering reductions to the £75k minimum over a number of years, or by earmarking some of the surplus reserves for the long term development of facilities such as the Village Hall or Burial Ground.
q After due consideration, it was AGREED, subject to approval by Full Council on 18.1.10, that the Council’s reserves policy should remain unchanged.
d) Control of Expenditure
q The Clerk queried whether the committee would like to tighten up financial regulations so as to ensure better control of expenditure not included in the original budget: currently, the committee was looking at individual items without being able to consider a full ‘shopping list’; financial regulations stipulated that committees should finalise spending plans for the next financial year by November but, in practice, proposals for additional expenditure were being considered throughout the year as and when they arose, and the overall amount of such expenditure was considerable.
q Cllr Grice suggested that expenditure not included in the original budget should be deferred until the next financial year unless there was good enough reason for it to be given greater priority.
q After due consideration, it was AGREED that, whilst there may be a need to enforce financial regulations more rigorously, there was no need to tighten them up in this respect.
10/7030 Legal Matters
a) Platt Lane – Ownership of Buildings
q The Clerk reported on his email correspondence earlier in the day with Susan Ball, Notts County Council Legal Services, regarding the Parish Council’s solicitor’s email dated 18.11.09: the email was still “on her desk” but she was “exceptionally busy at the moment”.
b) Old Play Area
q The Clerk reported that, according to email correspondence which he had seen, Adela Green, Risk and Insurance Manager, Corporate Services, Notts County Council, appeared to have reservations regarding the wording of the agreement regarding insurance; the agreement had been drafted by Richard Chamberlain of Notts County Council Legal Services, and John Dring [KPFA] was now trying to get the two departments to talk to one another.
q Cllr Grice suggested that, if no progress was made in the near future, County/Borough Cllr John Cottee should be asked to intervene.
c) New Play Area Lease
q The Clerk reported that, thanks no doubt to the intervention of Cllr Cottee, he had received a draft lease, back-dated to June 2008, earlier in the day; he had not had chance to study it yet, but would circulate it in due course, for consideration at the meeting on 8.2.10.
d) Playing Field Covenant
q The Clerk reported that the PCC was likely to hold an extraordinary meeting, probably towards the end of January, to consider revised proposals [the same as already approved by the Parish Council, but less Sundays] drawn up by the KPFA; however, it would like residents to be consulted again beforehand; John Dring [KPFA] was drafting a letter which the Clerk had agreed to circulate to the relevant addresses.
10/7031 Administrative Issues
q Cllr Mrs Chmara related problems which had arisen in respect of the Keyworth Quiz: the organisers seemed not to have been fully aware of what was required; she was considering drawing up a ‘template’ for future years but, in the meantime, the dates for the 2010 Quiz had had to be changed at short notice. After due discussion, it was AGREED that, whilst the Council should finance the Quiz and provide the venue free of charge, it was not the responsibility of the Council &/or Council staff to organise the Quiz.
q With regard to the three vacancies on the Council, Cllr Grice commented that the Clerk had established from the Borough Council that the latter would only impose members on a Parish Council to fill vacancies in the event of the Parish Council not being quorate; in the circumstances, it was AGREED that it might be better to wait until after the May 2011 election before considering further co-options. [The Clerk pointed out that the first of the three vacancies had already been advertised in the January edition of the Keyworth News, although no applications had been received thus far.]
10/7032 Correspondence
q A copy of NALC Countywise [December 2009] had been circulated prior to the meeting; there were no other items requiring attention.
10/7033 Staff/Contractual Issues
q A letter to the groundsman, outlining the amounts payable in accordance with his contract during 2010/11 and circulated prior to the meeting, was NOTED – see Appendix 3.
q It was AGREED that the Clerk should re-open discussions with the KPFA regarding the issues originally mooted in 2007.
10/7034 Next Meeting
q Next meeting: 8.2.10.
q AGREED that the meeting on 22.3.09 should commence at 7.00pm.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting
at approximately 8.15pm.
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