SOMERSET ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS

Serving Local Councils in Somerset

Affiliated to the National Association of Local Councils

Minutes of the meeting of the County Committee, held on 23rd August 2016 at the Edgar Hall, Somerton

1.Apologies were received from Antony Carr, Jane Moreton and Loretta Whetlor

2. Minutes of the May County Committee meeting

The minutes were approved as a correct record of the meeting. Members also noted the minutes of the Management Committee

3.Finance Report

The CEO introduced the annual accounts received from Apsleys. Members approved the accounts for signature by the president and chairman.

Members received the current finance report for the year and there were no areas of concern to highlight, with a surplus predicted at year end. It was agreed that the Natwest account should be closed once suitable alternatives have been explored by the Management Committee. The matter will go forward to the next meeting. It was also agreed that it would be timely to review affiliation fee bandings once NALC has agreed its future affiliation arrangements. Ideally, these should be benchmarked against other CALCs in the region.

4.AGM

Members received an update on the arrangements for the 2015/16 AGM from the CEO and approved the Annual Report and agendas for the meeting.

The committee wished to make the following recommendations to the AGM with regard to the officers of the association: Jean Allgrove (President), Dave Mitton (Chairman) and Jenny Lawrence (Vice Chairman).

It was also agreed that County Committee members would be appointed at the All Areas Meeting and that members would be given an opportunity to feedback ideas on future topics for area meetings and training. It was also agreed that questions for the open forum session should be requested in advance of the meeting.

5. Status of the Association

Members received an update from the chairman. This work is still ongoing and the chairman will update members at a future meeting and circulate draft consultation proposals in due course

6. Devolution

The chairman updated the committee on the current situation, highlighting a number of factors included in the recent CPRE report. After much discussion it was agreed that it was currently difficult to see how parish councils would fit into this plan at this moment in time. It was suggested that maybe area meetings would be the most appropriate bodies to take forward discussions with each of the district councils, whilst joint meetings with DALC might be the best way to engage with the two county councils. It was also noted that the issue of a mayor for any combined authority would most likely be problematic.

7.Reports from outside bodies and NALC

The chairman reported to members that NALC are recommending a more modest affiliation fee increase of 1.9% for the next two years. It was agreed that this was a more sensible and proportionate approach than the previous year and could be supported. There were no matters to be referred to the next regional meeting.

8. Service, Policy and Training Update

The CEO reported that it had been a mostly quiet summer, following an extremely hectic 14 months. The training schedule has been updated and more external planning courses have been arranged. Applications are still coming in for the Transparency Fund, at a more manageable rate and the county is performing well compared to many others of equivalent size. The chairman reported to members that a further strengthening of ties between Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils is ongoing.

9.Items from County Committee members

There were no items this time.

10.Date of next meeting

TBC in early December.