MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE FINANCE, POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Held on 10th September 2007

Present: Cllr A Howard (in the Chair)

Cllrs Mrs I Daw, Mrs M Morgan, Miss H Parkhurst, P K Prince, Mrs M Rolls, R B Shields, MBE

Town Clerk

In Attendance; Cllrs B Dobbs, E Rolls, Mrs J Taylor

10. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Cllrs Mrs C Lewis (personal) and G Richards (personal).

11. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Cllr A Howard declared a personal interest in minute 13, item 4, due to being a member of Lincolnshire County Council.

Cllr A Howard declared a personal interest in minute 13, items 1 and 66, due to being a member of East Lindsey District Council.

Cllr A Howard declared a personal interest in minute 13, items 6, 7, 12 and 65 due to his business interests in Mablethorpe.

12. MINUTES

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2007, having been previously circulated, be signed by the Chairman as a correct record thereof.

13. STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE AS AT
3 SEPTEMBER 2007

Members considered the statement of income and expenditure as at
3 September 2007.

The Clerk pointed out that there may be a slight shortfall in anticipated income due to the number of burials not being as high as anticipated and because the income from the CCTV Partnership had ceased.
It was agreed that the Clerk should investigate what the budget of £500 for bus shelters was allocated for.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the statement of income and expenditure as at 3 September 2007 be noted and approved.

14. GRANTS POLICY

The Clerk presented a report on the grants and financial contributions made by the Council to local organisations. It was noted that the existing arrangements did not include any provision for publicity for the availability of the funds nor for the contributions made by the Town Council to the organisations.

Members of the Committee considered that the Council should adopt a policy for awarding grants, together with criteria for applications. It was also considered important to ensure there was extensive publicity for the scheme.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the Town Council be recommended to establish a working group to develop a grants policy to be reported back to the next meeting of this Committee.

15. SELECTION OF MAYOR

The Committee considered a report on the arrangements for selecting councillors for succession to the office of Mayor.

It was agreed by the Committee that there were benefits to having a protocol for the selection of Mayor. However, there was extensive discussion about how seniority should be recognised, whether broken service should be counted and how past mayors should be dealt with. The Committee also considered it important that the Councillors should be well prepared for holding the position of Mayor.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the Town Council adopts a protocol for the selection of Mayor based upon the seniority of service of councillors and based on the following principles:-

(i) That unbroken service be used to prepare a list of seniority.
(ii) That the initial list be prepared with those councillors currently serving, who have not held the position of mayor, taking seniority over past mayors.
(iii) That past mayors be included on the list, having regard to the term served since holding the office.
(iv) That any councillors elected following the preparation of the initial list be placed at the bottom of the list.
(v) That any mayor leaving office after the preparation of the initial list be placed on the list as having been elected on the date of completion of their year in office.
(vi) That any councillor, having reached the top of the list, may decline nomination but remain at the top of the list for the subsequent year(s).
(vii) That any councillor selected to hold the office of Mayor be first appointed Deputy Mayor for the preceding year.
(viii) That the Deputy Mayor be the Chairman of one of the Town Council’s standing committees.
(ix) That a job description for the position of Mayor be prepared.

16. DISPLAY CABINET

The Chairman referred to a number of items of memorabilia which the Town Council owned, including a spare mayoral chain. He considered it would be appropriate for this to be put on display within the office.

The Clerk informed the Committee that suitable display cabinets were available costing from £400 upwards. It was noted that, whilst there was no specific budget provision in the current financial year, there was a fund allocated for replacement/refurbishment of the mayoral chain which could be utilised.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the Clerk be authorised to purchase a suitable secure cabinet up to a maximum cost of £1,000 for the display of the Council’s memorabilia.

17. PUBLIC FORUM

The Chairman pointed out that since this item had been raised there had been some public participation at the last Council meeting. However, it was considered important that the Council should make every effort to publicise the public forum to engage with the residents. It was noted that other Council’s received publicity in the local press.

Members of the Committee suggested that councillors should use every opportunity to invite the public to take advantage of the public forum.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That in addition to the statutory Annual Parish Meeting, an informal public meeting be held each year at which the Town Council can

present a report on its activities and provide an opportunity for the public to contribute.

18. STANDING ORDER 81

The Clerk presented a report on the current arrangements for authorised signatories required to sign cheques. It was agreed that there should be more than two councillors authorised to sign the cheques.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the Council’s Standing Order 81 be amended as follows:-

(a) Every cheque drawn on the Council’s bank account shall be signed by two of the following members of the Council:

Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Chairman of the Finance, Policy and Development Committee
Vice Chairman of the Finance, Policy and Development Committee

(b) To confirm the agreement of the details shown on the cheque with the counterfoil and the invoice or other similar documentation, each signatory shall also initial the cheque counterfoil.

19. QUALITY COUNCIL

The Clerk reported that to progress the Council’s aim of becoming a Quality Council it was necessary for the Clerk to be accredited. The qualification for accreditation was administered by the Society of Local Council Clerks, the cost of the course was £70.00. It was also considered that membership of the Society of Local Council Clerks would benefit both the Clerk and the Council in achieving quality status.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved:
(i) That the Council fund the accreditation course fee in the sum of £70 and the subscription to the Society of Local Council Clerks in the sum of £170 per annum plus a one off joining fee of £15.

(ii) That budget provision be made in future years for the annual subscription.

20. CLERK’S CORRESPONDENCE

(i) Preparing for Winter – details of an initiative by the County Council to provide information to older people in the community about preparing for winter.

21. MATTERS FOR URGENT DISCUSSION

(i) Question regarding progress on inviting the Mablethorpe Development Officer to a meeting of the Town Council.

(ii) Observation that there were no identity badges for Town Councillors attending the Bathing Beauties Festival.

(iii) Details of the achievements of local teenager, James Povah, becoming the county under 18 tennis champion. The Mayor to send a letter of congratulation.

(iv) The Clerk to report that about half the blue lights on the Sutton-on-Sea foreshore are inoperative.

(v) Suggestion that careful consideration be given to the budgets when preparing for next year to take account of the cost of becoming a Quality Council.

(vi) Thanks expressed by the Chairman of the Acre Gap sub-committee for the signs erected at the entrances to the site.

(vii) Details of the availability of tickets for the Mayor’s Tea Dance to be held on Friday 26 October 2007.