2020-01-20 – Finance and Personnel Committee Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the Finance and Personnel Committee of Drayton Parish Council

held on Monday 20th January 2020 in the Caudwell Day Centre, Drayton, at 7pm.

Present:

  1. Pat Athawes (Chairman)
  2. Matthew Lowy
  3. Shane McAleavey
  4. Claire Woollard
  5. Graham Webb
  6. Tamsin Crane (from 19:15)

Also in attendance:

Lorraine Watling (Clerk/RFO)

Public:

None


117) Apologies for absence:

None – all Cllrs were present at the meeting.


118a) Declarations of Interest:

None


118b) Dispensations received by the Clerk:

None


119) The Minutes of the Meeting of 25th November 2019:

were approved as a true record.

  • Proposed: Cllr Athawes
  • Seconded: Cllr Woollard
  • Resolved: (unanimous by those in attendance)

120) Budget and Accounts Analysis to 31st December 2019 (9 months):

The Committee received and noted the budget position as at 31st December 2019.

ACTION: The RFO/Clerk will circulate a monthly update to the committee members from now on until the end of the financial year.

Cllr Crane arrived during the discussions.


121) Maximum s137 ‘free resource’ budget available for 2020-21:

It was noted that:

  1. The 2020 -21 budget for s137 expenditure is currently £16,622.00.
  2. The amount that can be budgeted per elector for 2020-21 is £8.32.
  3. The District Council confirmed on 9th January 2020 that in December 2019 there were 2,271 electors in the parish.
  4. The maximum budget the Council can therefore allocate in 2020-21 is £18,894.72 – an additional £2,272.72.
  5. This is not additional income and so will require to be moved from another budget.
  6. Recommendation to council: That the additional £2,272.72 budget provision is reallocated from another budget when the council undertakes the 2020-21 budget review, unless it is required before then.


122) Donation from the Abingdon Marathon organisers:

The Committee noted the kind donation of £200 being made to the council by the organisers of the Abingdon marathon.

ACTION: The Clerk/RFO will circulate an OALC information note about donations.


123) Internal Audit Update:

The Clerk asked the Internal Auditor about the timing of the approval of the annual Statement of Internal Controls. The internal auditor has confirmed that this must be done sometime during each financial year rather than after year end.

ACTION: The Council to resolve, and minute, the approval of the 2019-20 internal controls. These will then be signed by the Committee and PC Chairpersons and submitted to the Internal Auditor thereby enabling him to complete the internal audit


124) Membership of the Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Plans Alliance (ONPA):

The Chairperson reported upon a meeting of the ONPA that she had recently attended.

Recommendation to council that Drayton Parish Council becomes a Member of the ONPA – the current annual subscription is £50 for Parish Councils that have an adopted Neighbourhood Plan.


125) National Savings Bank Statements:

The committee received and noted the annual National Savings Bank Statement for the period 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2019.


126) Pond at Sutton Wick:

The Committee noted that:

  1. The District Council has confirmed that CIL money can be spent on this project.
  2. The Clerk has sought a further two quotes for the tree work required from the contractors agreed during the last Council meeting but these are yet to be received.
  3. The risk assessment has not yet been done.
  4. The letters to be sent to Thames Water and OCC have been drafted and will be despatched later in the week.

Exclusion of the Pubic and Press: In view of the nature of the business to be transacted members of the public and press are temporarily excluded from the meeting (Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s.1).


127) Village Caretaking Contract:

The Committee received and considered the quotes received for the village caretaking contract. The Clerk will distribute an anonymised summary of the quotes to all Cllrs prior to the PC meeting and bring a hard copy of each to the meeting.

Recommendation to council: That the Council offers the Village Caretaking contract to Contractor A, noting that one item will need to be confirmed during contract negotiations.


128) Grass Cutting Contract:

The Committee received and considered the quotes received for the grass cutting contract. The Clerk will distribute an anonymised summary of the quotes to all Cllrs prior to the PC meeting and bring a hard copy of each to the meeting.

Recommendations to council:

  1. That the Council offers the Village Caretaking contract to Contractor A.
  2. That the Chairman of the Millennium Green Trust be asked to supply a detailed specification of the work that needs to be undertaken at the Millennium Green, including the timings and frequency of the cuts to the various areas. This will enable the Parish Council and contractor to clearly understand the requirements of the work and to confirm that the needs of the Millennium Trust are being met.
  3. That the Chairman of the Millennium Green Trust be asked to confirm the date on which the current grass cutting contract is due to expire so that the PC can then arrange and manage the new contract.

129) Any Other Business:

  1. The Petition for consecration of additional burial ground was received, considered and signed by the Chairman and two Cllrs.
  2. ACTION: The Clerk will return the signed document to the diocesan office.

  3. There will be a meeting about s106 with two officers from the District Council on 22nd January in the Village Hall.

The date of the next meeting.

The next Finance and Personnel Committee will be held at 7pm on Monday 20th April 2020 in the Caudwell Day Centre.

The meeting concluded at 8.30pm

Signed: Pat Athawes (Chairperson, Finance and Personnel Committee)

Date: 20th January 2020