PEASEDOWN ST JOHN PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of a Finance Committee meeting held on Monday 3rd October 2005 at 8 p.m. in the Cricket Clubhouse
Present: Cllr. Mrs. F M Butt (Chairman) and Cllr. J W Goring (Vice-chairman)
Cllrs. Mrs. M A Button, Mrs. M Kennedy and R W G Butt (SO43).
One member of the public.
Public Session
Mr. Provest mentioned the fact that, while he was studying the latest transport plans for the greater old Avon area, he noticed that they were looking to establish super buses on prime routes. He could see the A367 being one of those routes and one of the improvements they would make would be the fitting of high-class bus shelters with automatic electronic bus frequency information fitted in them. He could see this practice as another chance for double taxation to rear its ugly head and felt that this committee should keep an eye on progress. He promised to monitor the situation for the Council. Chairman thanked Mr. Provest for his good detective work.
These minutes, having been previously circulated were taken as read, agreed a true record and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising.
This document was tabled and a little time was allowed for its perusal. Members were content to see that at the half way point in the year 52% was still left of the planned spending.
Cllr. Mrs. Kennedy, who is the temporary Editor of the Newsletter, asked if she could receive help by re-constituting the Magazine Committee. Members felt that the committee has been disbanded and could not be resurrected without Council's endorsement. It was however proposed that Cllr. Mrs. Kennedy should ask some of the "old" committee to join her as a Newsletter Advisory Group until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2006.
She had also looked into advertising and felt that, while the Peasedown Pages was taking the majority of the possible village advertising it would be difficult to compete.
Another general discussion took place and the Chairman said that she would suggest to all Committee Chairmen that they should seriously look at doing thing differently this time around. She felt that committees should be looking at possibly keeping jobs in house and being more specific when awarding contracts so the Council knows exactly what it is going to get from a contractor.
Clerk asked the committee for a proposal on which to base the application for an extra signatory to cheques and a change in signing instructions. He said that Council had agreed that Mrs. Hartley should be added to the list but the bank needs a formal resolution to carry out the Council's request.
It was agreed: -
that: "Nat West Bank plc be requested to continue to act as bankers for this Council. That Mrs. Amelia Hartley is registered as an authorised signatory and all current signatories are re-affirmed.
The bank is requested to note the new signing instructions thus: - either the Clerk or Assistant Clerk must sign all cheques plus any two of the other authorised signatories".
All agreed.
The committee agreed to ask the press and public to leave due to the confidential nature of the following item and the Clerk quoted the usual ruling from the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. The Clerk was then asked to leave the meeting.
The committee calculated the Clerk's tax-free gratuity according to the formula and with figures as tabled in accordance with Part VI of the Local Government (Discretionary Payments) Regulations 1996.
The committee further agreed to recommend to the full Council that it should make an additional gift/honorarium (figure as tabled) in recognition of the long service of the Clerk.
It was agreed that both these amounts should be transferred, when necessary, from the Halifax Bonus Gold account.
Meeting closed at 9 p.m.