Management and Finance Committee June 2019

16. Management and Finance - Wednesday 19 June 2019

Present:

Councillor Matt Boles (ex-officio) (In the Chair)

Councillor Harry Clarke

Councillor Paul Key

Councillor Batiste Velan

 

 

In Attendance:

 

Claire Hill                                Town Clerk

Rachel Allbones                      Deputy Clerk to the Council

Sean Alcock                            Operations Manager

 

 

Also In Attendance:

Andy Gray Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager at WLDC

 

 

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

Councillor David Dobbie

Councillor Lesley Rollings

 

Members NOTED the apologies received.

 

 

2. TO RECEIVE MEMBERS’ DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCALISM ACT 2011 AND TO RECEIVE ANY APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATION

 

None received.

 

 

3. MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING (Papers A)

 

1. Minutes of the meeting of Management and Finance Committee held Tuesday 21 May 2019

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Management and Finance Committee meeting held                  on Tuesday 21 May 2019 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

 

Note: Councillor Clarke abstained from voting on the above resolution.

 

Note: Councillor Velan arrived at the meeting at 7:03pm.

 

 

RESOLVED under Standing Order 10.a.vi to alter the order of business and take item 8 next.

 

Note: Councillor Velan abstained from voting on the above resolution.

 

6. PSPO SUBMISSION TO WLDC (Paper F)

 

WLDC’s Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager (Andy Gray) informed Members of the decisions made at their Licensing and Regulatory Committee to put both General Cemetery and North Warren Cemetery out to consultation for PSPO’s. This would begin on 24 June 2019 for a six week period through to 6 August 2019, asking questions around dog exclusion, dogs under control, no. of dogs, consumption of alcohol and recreational motor vehicles.

 

Members were informed that WLDC currently had the enforcement capacity to resource both cemeteries if PSPO’s were put in place.

 

Members were advised that for the further 11 sites to be put before the Committee to consider PSPO’s further evidence of need would need to be established and support for enforcement would be required.

 

He advised that the consultation would be on online but hard copies would be made available from WLDC if requested.

 

A Member questioned how it is monitored that only one person submits one survey.

 

It was noted that the Clerk would meet with the WLDC Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager to discuss further the evidence of need on the wider sites and enforcement.

 

Note: Andy Gray left the meeting at 7.34pm

 

 

4. FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR MAY & JUNE 2019

 

1. Unpaid Expenditure Transactions for 14 June 2019 (Paper B)

 

Members considered at length Paper B & Paper B Revised.

 

RESOLVED that Members accept the transactions in Paper B Revised – Unpaid Expenditure Transactions for 19 June 2019.

 

Note: Councillor Clarke abstained from voting on the above resolution.

 

 

1. Cashbook Summary (including due and unpaid transactions) for 14 June 2019 (Paper C)

 

Members considered Paper C.

 

RESOLVED that Members note Paper C – Cashbook Summary (including due and unpaid transactions) for 14 June 2019.

 

 

iii.        Budget Comparison Report (including due and unpaid transactions) for 14 June 2019 (Paper D)

 

Members considered Paper D.

 

RESOLVED that Members note Paper D Budget Comparison Report (including due     and unpaid transactions) for 14 June 2019.

 

 

5. MONTHLY BANK RECONCILIATION SIGN OFF FOR MAY (Paper E)

 

RESOLVED to accept and sign off the Bank Reconciliation for 31 May 2019.

 

 

 

7. COMPLAINTS (Paper G)

 

Members NOTED the report received from the Clerk.

 

The Clerk informed Members a new complaint had been received regarding Love Lane allotments, the matter needs taking up with the allotment Secretary and will be reported to the Committee at next month’s meeting.

 

 

8. AWP SINKING FUND INVESTMENT OPTIONS

 

Request from Cllr received 20 May 2019 for Committee to explore investment opportunities.

 

The Clerk informed Members of the below.

 

Statutory guidance on Local Government investments states that the guidance applies to parish councils, providing their total investments exceed or are expected to exceed £100,000 at any time during the financial year. Where a parish council or charter trustee expects its total investments to be between £10,000 and £100,000, it is encouraged to adopt the principles in the guidance.

 

This includes that for each financial year, a local authority should prepare at least one Investment Strategy (“the Strategy”). The Strategy should contain the disclosures and reporting requirements specified in this guidance. The Strategy should be approved by the full council and the

Secretary of State recommends that the Strategy should be presented for approval prior to the start of the financial year.

 

It is therefore recommended that an adopted Investment Strategy is the first step prior to any market research being undertaken.

 

The Clerk advised that the Policy Review Working Group will work up an Investment Strategy to be adopted by Members at a later date. Policy Review Working Group first meeting scheduled for August.

 

 

9. SANDSFIELD LANE (Paper H)

 

RESOLVED under Standing Order 10.a.xi to exclude the press and public from a meeting in respect of confidential or other information which is prejudicial to the public interest.

 

Members considered the report in relation to the current position of lease arrangements following investigation in 2017/18.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that Gainsborough Town Council confirm that their position to West Lindsey District Council regarding Sandsfield Lane South Play area and South Parade play area is that they no longer wish to pursue transferring ownership to the Town Council and seek to cease ongoing interest in the sites seeking formal acknowledgement of such from West Lindsey District Council.

 

RESOLVED to clarify West Lindsey District Council position in relation to Sandsfield Lane North play area and get a definitive answer from Thonock and Somerby Estates as to whether the Town Council can transfer the lease of the play area only.

 

 

10. GRAVE DIGGING COSTS (Paper I)

 

Members considered the report in relation to fees to be levied.

 

RESOLVED to appoint Samuel Jacob Anubis as the Council’s grave digging contractor employed on a grave by grave basis.

 

 

11. MEMORIAL TESTING & BURIAL SOFTWARE ISSUES (Paper J)

 

Members considered the Councils position in relation to Memorial testing and burial computer software.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL to make a budget virement from General Reserves to General Cemetery Memorial Testing of £2,565 to increase the annual Memorial Testing budget to £6,565, allowing for external testing of 1,500 memorials in addition to previously agreed software procurement and installation.

 

RESOLVED that a full report of remedials and associated costings be brought back to Committee post testing activity.

 

Note: Councillor Clarke voted against the above two resolutions.

 

RESOLVED that future memorial remedial costs are built into the budgeting process across the next five years

Further consideration of a replacement burial system should be made in the near future, this should be incorporated into wider IT review in an effort to reduce the need for external hosting fees.

 

 

RESOLVED to revoke Standing Order 10.a.xi and allow press and public to re-join the meeting.

 

 

12. FEES FOR ALL DAY USE OF SITES (Paper K)

 

Members considered requests for all day use of sites from organisations and recommendations from Community Services Committee for waivering of fees.

 

1. Levellings – Acis & Disabilty Network

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMED TO MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE that Committee supports use of the Levellings site for both Acis & Disability Network events and to waiver the fee other than a refundable key and site deposit.

 

Councillor Key proposed and amendment that both Acis & Disabilty Network pay a nominal amount of £30 for the use of Levellings for their events, seconded by Councillor Clarke.

 

Councillor Boles proposed the recommendation, no seconder was forthcoming.

 

At the request of Councillor Boles a recorded vote was taken as follows: –

 

For: – Councillors Clarke and key

Against: – Councillor Boles

Abstained: – Councillor Velan

 

RESOLVED to charge both Acis and Disability Network £30 for the use of Levellings for their events in August.

 

 

1. Roses – Lincolnshire County Cricket – Youth programme

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE that Committee supports waivering the fee for Lincs County Cricket in association with Gainsborough Trinity Foundation for use of Roses for delivery of their 8 week All Stars junior cricket programme in Summer 2019.

 

Councillor Boles proposed the recommendation, seconded by Councillor Velan.

 

Councillor Key proposed an amendment to charge Lincs County Cricket £2 per week for the hire, total of £16, seconded by Councillor Clarke.

 

At the request of Councillor Boles a recorded vote was taken as follows: –

 

Amendment

For: – Councillors Clarke and Key

Against: – Councillors Boles and Velan

 

Chairmans casting vote was Against. Proposal FAILED.

 

Substantive

For: – Councillors Boles and Velan

Against: – Councillors Clarke and Key

 

Chairmans casting vote was For. Proposal PASSED.

 

RESOLVED that Committee supports waivering the fee for Lincs County Cricket in association with Gainsborough Trinity Foundation for use of Roses for delivery of their 8 week All Stars junior cricket programme in Summer 2019.

 

A Member did note that it was ironic that Gainsborough Trinity Foundation is the only organisation in Gainsborough willing to support the development of junior cricket.

 

Councillor Velan requested that criteria be drawn up for waivering hire fees for organisations for future requests.

 

RESOLVED REFER TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE to produce a fee charging structure for use of the sites on an all-day basis, and to produce a matrix of criteria in order for organisations to be eligible for hire fees to be reduced/waivered.

 

 

13. ASSET DISPOSAL

 

The Clerk updated Members on the intention to dispose of redundant / end of life equipment and removal from the asset register following removal of redundant items from the Marshalls Bowls ‘shed’.

 

 

 

The meeting concluded at 9.37pm