Minutes of the Premises Committee

Premises Committee 230712SP/CD

WESTON-SUPER-MARE TOWN COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PREMISES COMMITTEE

HELD ON MONDAY 23rd JULY 2012

AT GROVE HOUSE

Meeting Commenced:7.00 p.m.Meeting Concluded:8.30 p.m.

PRESENT:Councillors Peter Crew (Chairman), Clive Darke,John Crockford-Hawley, Keith Morris, Frederick Parsons, Alan Peak, Simon Stokes

IN ATTENDANCE:Sarah Pearse (Responsible Financial Officer), Steve Matthews (Surveyor), Jennifer Lawley (Temporary Committee Officer)

Election of Chairman for the year 2012/13
PROPOSED: Councillor Crew
SECONDED: Councillor Morris
That Councillor Darke be elected Chairman of the Premises Committee.
Councillor Darke took his place as Chairman of the meeting.
Apologies for Absence and Notification of Substitutes
There were no apologies for absence or notification of Substitutes.
129a / Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
Election of Vice-Chairman for the year 2012/13
PROPOSED: Councillor Morris
SECONDED: Councillor Peak
That Councillor Crew be elected Vice Chairman of the Premises Committee.
Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest received.
Minutes of the previous Facilities Committee Meeting on 12th March 2012
The minutes had been previously circulated with the agenda.
PROPOSED: Councillor Morris
SECONDED: Councillor Crew
RESOLVED: That the minutes be accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
Grounds Maintenance – Peter Holman
The Responsible Financial Officer’s report was tabled.
The Responsible Financial Officer reported that the Town Council had been working with Peter Holman Associates in order to review the Town Council’s grounds maintenance team and workload whilst also looking to the future needs related to Special Expense transfer. The work plans would be taken into account within the budget for Planned Maintenance alongside the Building requirements.
Peter Holman had produced a full report, available to Councillors on request, of which summaries were tabled for Councillors as follows:

Grounds Maintenance review report
Water Adventure Park – Maintenance Plan 2012 – 2012
Millennium Green – Maintenance Plan 2012 – 2015
Milton Road Cemetery – Maintenance Plan 2012 – 2015
Ellenborough Park – Maintenance Plan 2012 – 2015

One Councillor voiced his concern that he had not had enough time to read the summaries and suggested that the item be put back to the next meeting for Councillors to make comment. Another Councillor informed that he had not been involved previously with this item, and agreed that it was a great deal of information to absorb in order to make comment at today’s meeting. In response, a Councillor advised that this item had been well debated within the Expenditure and Governance Workshop and the Policy and Finance Committee.
Discussion ensued.
PROPOSED: Councillor Crew
SECONDED: Councillor Morris
RESOLVED: That the Grounds Maintenance review report be approved in principle and deferred to the next meeting for further discussion with the Grounds Manager.
Planned Maintenance Contract
The Responsible Financial Officer’s report had been previously circulated with the agenda.
The Responsible Financial Officer reported that Weston Town Council had been working on putting in place a measured term contract in order to maintain its assets. Various reports and programmes had already been to Town Council for approval and as such with the newly appointed Premises Committee this project was now before today’s meeting together with the proposed Measured Term Contract submitted by SJ Surveyors Ltd, Chartered Building Surveyors.
The contract was to establish a long term relationship with a suitable contractor to maintain the building fabric and services of the Town Council’s properties. Three contractors had been short listed.
Steve Matthews of SJ Surveyors Ltd., was introduced to the meeting by the Responsible Financial Officer who informed that Steve Matthews had worked on many of the Town Council’s projects.
The Responsible Financial Officer opened the floor to questions.
Discussion ensued.
One Councillor queried the proposed appointment of only one contractor rather than several. In response, Steve Matthews, advised that although the Town Council offered a substantial amount of work with a budget attached, the budget offered and the work available was not sustainable for more than one contractor. He then went on to discuss the advantages for the Town Council of appointing one contractor.
One Councillor stated that two words came to mind in the proposed engagement of a contractor and they were, ‘reliability and trust’.
Further discussion ensued.
An explanation was given by Steve Matthews on how the contract had been written, referring to small responsive work and orders exceeding £5000.00.
Steve Matthews went on to advise on the process and good practice for the selection of a contractor and stated that transparency was required throughout the process. He informed that he had started to prepare a questionnaire for the interview paneland gave his reasons for the questions he felt important to poise to the 3 contractorsduring interview.
Discussion then turned to the interview panel. It was proposed that the Chairman of the Premises Committee be included on the agreed interview panel of Leaders, Group Leaders, the Town Clerk and the Responsible Financial Officer.
A lengthy debate on properties leased and owned by the Town Council then ensued.
PROPOSED: Councillor Crew
SECONDED: Councillor Morris
RESOLVED:

That the Measured Term Contract be approved for use within the tendering process.
That SJ Surveyors Ltd., be approved as the Contract Administrator as described in the Measured Term Contract.
That the addition of the Premises Committee Chairman to the interview panel be approved.

Further discussion ensued regarding the format and number of questions to be included in the questionnaire for the interview panel.
PROPOSED: Councillor Crew
SECONDED: Councillor Stokes
RESOLVED:
4. That the final questionnaire for the tendering process and interview
panelbe delegated through Group Leaders and that Steve Matthews
attends a Group Leaders’ meeting to finalise questions.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.30 pm
Signed: ...... Dated: ......