WATERINGBURY PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Finance & General Purposes Committee Meeting Tuesday
23rd November 2016 7.30pm
Present:
Cllr R Tripp (Chairman) Cllr M Wells (Vice Chairman)
Cllr M Cayzer Cllr D Marks
Cllr C Talbert Cllr D Stones
Cllr Lin Simons Cllr J Evans
Mrs S J Cockburn – Clerk to the Council
Mrs C Byron – KM correspondent
No members of the public
1 Apologies for absence – None Mrs C Moreland was not present
2 Declarations of Interest – Cllr Stones declared an interest in discussions as a member of the Village Fete Committee
3 Draft Budget 2017/2018 – Administration
Councillors discussed salaries. It was agreed to implement any rise that was agreed by the National Association of Local Councils & the Society for Local Council Clerks with central Government. Any rise would be come from surplus.
Donations – the following were agreed
Wateringbury Scouts £500
Youth Club £200
Wateringbury WI £300
Royal British Legion £200
Heart of Kent Hospice £100
Crossroads Care £300
Community Rail Partnership £100
Citizens Advice Bureau £100
Cllr Evans raised the question of Insurance cover and suggested council look at a possible co-operative with other Parish Councils to save money Cllr Evans had seen details of a co-operative in Cornwall and agreed to pass on contact information to the Clerk.
Cllr Evans referred to a previous question about the garage in the playing fields, but had not received any information.
The Chairman stated the Clerk was at present using her personal computer for Council business and asked Councillors to consider a budget of around £1500 towards the cost of a laptop, with joint access by The Clerk, Chairman and Vice Chairman. The Chairman had taken advice from Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council to use Microsoft iCloud. Data must be stored within Surope After discussion it was agreed to investigate this but not necessarily use all of the £1500. Cllr Wells stated that KALC had a transparency fund for buying computers. The Clerk was asked to look into this.
General Purposes – Cllr Evans queried the cost of £525 per year for cutting the grass in the Drayhorse car park
Cllr Evans queried the cost of £850 for fertiliser for the WSRA field maintenance budget stating there were cheaper types on the market.
The budget of £1600 for next year’s fete was raised and after discussion it was agreed but this would be last year the Council would include it in their budget.
Cllr Evans asked if the number of play inspections were a legal requirement.
Cemetery – Cllr Evans queried the cost of waste collections by Veolia and asked for a comparison with other contractors.
Cllr Wells stated that although the Financial Arrangement with Parish Councils would cease as from April 2017 Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council were conducting a review of funding for open churchyards. This would not affect the budget for 2017/18. The Clerk was asked to write to Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council stating the parish’s interest in any future funding
Street Lighting – budget agreed
PART 2 – CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS
Due to confidential business to be discussed by the Council any members of the public and press present were asked to leave
Drayhorse Meadow – Councillors discussed the licence due for renewal in February 2017. The Chairman had prepared a draft of a Request for Offers and Head of Terms
After discussion it was agreed that Council invite interested parties to submit written offers for the lease before the 23rd December 2016, but not later than the 30th December 2016. Offers should be in the region of £500 per calendar month. The Parish Council was not committed to accept the highest or any bid for Drayhorse Meadow and will not enter into correspondence concerning its decisions.
Cllr Cazyer suggested Council consider a 21yr lease should any interested party request it.
It was suggested that bulk viewings offered to interested parties should be 1 in a morning and one in an afternoon, to be agreed with the existing tenant
Attached is the final of the Request for Offers and Head of Terms sent to all interested parties
There being no further business the Chairman thank everyone for coming and closed the meeting at 9.50pm
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