DRAFT
MINUTES OF KEYWORTH PARISH COUNCIL FINANCE & RISK MEETING
IN THE FEIGNIES ROOM ON MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2016 AT 7.00PM
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PRESENT:
Chairman: Cllr Grice.
Committee: Cllrs Chmara, Fitzgerald, Oakley, Pinder, Seller.
ALSO PRESENT: Neil Grocock (Clerk), Cllr Wells.
17/7614 Apologies
q Apologies were received from Cllr Valentine.
17/7615 Declarations of Interest
q Cllr Seller declared an interest in item 17/7623a below.
17/7616 Minutes
q The minutes of the meeting on 12.9.16 were APPROVED and signed by Cllr Grice as a true record.
17/7617 Matters Arising
q The following items had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting:
- Email correspondence Alex Demetriou/Tony Grice plus copy insurance certificate re ExChanging Rooms project (17/7603) - NOTED.
- Acknowledgement from the Pensions Regulator of Declaration of Compliance in respect of automatic enrolment (17/7605b) - NOTED.
Cllr Fitzgerald arrived at the meeting at this point.
- Email correspondence with Richard Pell, Treasurer, Keyworth Bowls Club regarding the proposed roof repairs (17/7608c) - NOTED and AGREED that it was not for the Parish Council to provide any guarantees regarding the work.
- Village Hall car park drainage quotation (17/7608d; Full Council minute 17/8591 26.9.16 also refers) - NOTED.
- Official copy of register of title confirming registration of the deed of release in respect of the Rectory field covenant at the Land Registry (17/7610) - NOTED.
q (17/7603) Burial Ground Development: the Clerk reported that the project managers had been unable to upload the contract details onto the Contracts Finder website, and he was looking into this.
q (17/7610) Activity Park: the Clerk reported that the £25k grant from Rushcliffe Community Partnership had now been received.
q (17/7611) Village Hall Kitchen: the Clerk commented that he had not heard from the contractor following Cllr Grice’s renegotiation of terms. Cllr Chmara undertook to contact the contractor.
q (17/7612) Rectory Field Pavilion/Table Tennis Club Lease:
- Cllr Grice reported that there seemed to have been some misunderstanding following his discussions with the club, and that the club was querying the decision made at the last meeting, and suggesting that “rather than get approval for each letting [the Council should] give a general approval to all lettings of less than a certain number of people [say 20 to 30] which should not be in competition with [the Council]”.
- After due consideration, the committee REAFFIRMED its previous decision: “any hiring out of the pavilion by the club to be subject to approval by the Finance & Risk committee”.
- The Clerk pointed out that, at the Full Council meeting on 15.6.15, it had been agreed that Cllrs Grice, Chmara and Seller should conduct negotiations with the club (16/8487b), and suggested that further negotiations might be required in this instance.
17/7618 Correspondence
q An email from Keyworth United Reformed Church had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting.
q After due discussion, it was AGREED that a donation of £200 could be made towards the cost of maintaining the old cemetery alongside the Church (and in the Conservation Area) on receipt of a copy of an invoice for work carried out.
17/7619 Staff Matters
q The following items had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting:
- Sub-committee minutes dated 28.9.16.
- References for the new Facilities Manager.
a) Staffing Sub-Committee Meeting 28.9.16
q The minutes of the meeting on 28.9.16 were NOTED.
q Cllr Grice drew attention in particular to the decisions to appoint Steve Mottishaw as Facilities Manager (17/0022) and to increase Debbie Cooke’s contractual hours on a trial basis with effect from 1.1.17 (17/0024); he added that neither of these decisions would necessitate any increase in the payroll budget.
b) Facilities Manager
q Cllr Grice reported that Steve Mottishaw would start work with effect from 1.11.16, adding that it was important to make full and proper use of the new Facilities Manager, ensuring in particular that all facilities maintenance issues were referred direct to him, not to Cllr Grice, the Clerk or other members of staff.
q References, included in the briefing notes for the meeting, were NOTED.
c) Facilities Manager - Budget
q AGREED that, prior to the end of the financial year (31.3.17), the Facilities Manager would be allowed to spend, at his own discretion, up to £1k in total in respect of minor repairs or refurbishment of Council facilities; the Clerk to work out a discretionary budget for 2017/18 in due course as part of the overall budget.
17/7620 Accounts
q The following items had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting:
- Management accounts for the four months ended 31.7.16, five months ended 31.8.16 and six months ended 30.9.16.
- Clerk’s report.
- Bank reconciliation as at 30.9.16 together with corresponding bank statements.
- Aged debtor list as at 19.10.16.
a) Management Accounts Q2 2016/17
q The accounts were NOTED.
b) Bank Reconciliation
q The bank reconciliation was NOTED.
c) Aged Debtor List
q The aged debtor list was NOTED.
q The Clerk pointed out that there were no items unduly outstanding.
d) Reserves
q A summary of projected surplus reserves compared to possible additional (i.e. not budgeted) expenditure had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting.
q The Clerk explained that, whilst the situation might change by the end of the financial year (in the event, say, of a budget surplus), the figures thus far suggested that additional expenditure being considered (e.g. car park drainage) could deplete uncommitted reserves to less than the £90k minimum stipulated by the Council’s reserves policy.
q Cllr Grice suggested that the cost of car park drainage could be incorporated into the 2017/18 budget. Cllr Pinder confirmed that he would discuss the way forward with the new Facilities Manager.
17/7621 Burial Ground Memorial Quotation(s)
q Two quotations, combined total £5390, had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting.
q Cllr Pinder reported that, in the absence of a Facilities Manager, he had tried to obtain alternative quotations, but without success.
q The quotations were ACCEPTED and it was AGREED that Cllr Pinder could instruct the relevant contractors to proceed with the work straightaway.
17/7622 Photocopier
q Two quotations (five year lease; quarterly repayments) had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting.
q After due consideration, the lower of the quotations was ACCEPTED.
17/7623 Budget 2017/18
q The following items had been included in the briefing notes for the meeting:
- Platt Lane JMC grant application.
- Tender received in respect of groundsman’s contracts.
- Quotations from Streetwise.
- Email from contractor re hanging baskets.
a) Platt Lane JMC Grant
q The application for a grant of £16950 (same as 2016/17) was APPROVED.
q Cllr Seller reported that the Joint Management Committee was on the point of instructing solicitors in respect of the formation of a new charitable organisation which could ultimately have a long-term lease or freehold ownership of the site.
b) Conservation Advisory Group Grant
q A grant of £500 was APPROVED.
c) Groundsman’s Contracts
q Cllr Seller reported that negotiations were nearing completion, but he would like some input from the new Facilities Manager before they were finalised.
q Cllr Grice queried whether the £1164 per annum quoted by Streetwise in respect of weekly inspections and a quarterly report was necessary, and suggested that this arguably overlapped with the duties of the Facilities Manager.
q The Clerk commented that clarification was needed regarding the nature of the inspections and, if they were safety inspections of the equipment, whether the Facilities Manager considered himself competent to carry out such inspections.
q Cllr Seller undertook to also discuss Streetwise quotations in respect of the play area with the Facilities Manager.
d) Hanging Baskets 2017
q It was NOTED that the cost of hanging baskets would be the same as for 2016 providing at least sixty baskets were required, and AGREED that it should be left to the Facilities Manager to liaise with the contractor in due course.
e) Other Issues
q AGREED that, as for 2016/17, a further £1000 should be budgeted to cover other grant applications which might be received.
There being no further business, the chairman closed the meeting at 7.45pm approx.
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