Monthly meeting of the Council - 14th December 2009, Agenda/Minutes

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Minutes

AGENDA, MONTHLY MEETING OF THE COUNCIL, 14TH DECEMBER 2009

All Members of Didcot Town Council are summoned to attend the Monthly Meeting of the Council on Monday 14th December 2009 at Didcot Civic Hall commencing at 7.30pm.

Admission of the Public and Media

Members of the Public and Media are welcome to attend in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meeting) Act 1960.

Public Participation

Public Participation will be in accordance with Standing Order No. 11.

The business to be transacted at the meeting will be:-

1. Apologies

2. Declarations of Interests – Members are reminded to declare any personal or prejudicial interests on any item on this agenda in accordance with Didcot Town Council’s Code of Conduct

3. Adoption of the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 9th November 2009 (attached); including questions on the minutes as to the progress of any item.

4. Adoption and agreement of Committee reports and recommendations:

(a) Finance and General Purposes Committee (budget) – 23rd November 2009 (attached, note that the recommended budget is attached to the report at item 7)
(b) Planning and Development Committee – 25th November 2009 (attached)
(c) Special Meeting of the Arts and Grants Committee – 9th December 2009 (to follow)

5. Mayor’s Announcements

6. Financial Statement

(a) To receive a report and agree cheque run payments for 10th November 2009 (attached) and 2nd December 2009 (attached).
(b) To receive a report of all payments in November 2009 (attached).

7. Budget for financial year 2010/2011 and precept upon the rating authority - report attached

8. Application for Borrowing Approval – report attached

9. Correspondence – for information

10. Questions to the Leader concerning the business of the Council in accordance with Standing Order 16


Dominic Stapleton
Town Clerk
9th December 2009

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MINUTES

297. PRESENT

Councillors:

Officers:

298. APOLOGIES

Councillors Mrs J Murphy (personal), Mr B Griffiths (personal) and Mrs S Crowther (business).

299. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Members were reminded to declare any personal or prejudicial interests on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct. Members were also reminded to review their register of members’ interests.

(a) Councillor Mrs M Davies declared a personal interest in Minutes 304 and 305 and as she is a Town Council nominated member of the Civic Hall Management Committee.

(b) (i) Councillor Mrs L Hood declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Minute 296(a) of the Special Meeting of the Arts and Grants Committee held 9th December 2009 as she is the chair of the Didcot Arts Forum.
(ii) Councillor Mrs L Hood also declared a personal interest in Minute 305 as she is a Town Council nominated member of the Civic Hall Management Committee.

(c) Councillor Mrs E Hards declared a personal interest in Minute 304 as she is Chair of the Trustees of the Citizens Advise Bureau (CAB), and stated that if Council entered into debate regarding the CAB element of the budget then her interest would become prejudicial and she would leave the meeting.

(d) Councillor Capt J Flood declared a personal interest in Minutes 304 and 305 as he is a Town Council nominated member of the Civic Hall Management Committee.

(e) Councillor Mr A Thompson declared a personal interest in Minute 296(a) of the Special Meeting of the Arts and Grants Committee held 9th December 2009 as he is a Town Council nominated representative of Didcot Arts Forum.

(f) Councillor Mrs M Flood declared a personal interest in Minute 305 as she is a Town Council nominated member of the Civic Hall Management Committee.

(g) Councillor Mr P Hayward declared a personal interest in Minute 305 as he is a Town Council nominated member of the Civic Hall Management Committee.

300. MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 9th November 2009 be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

Referring to Minute 272(c), Finance and General Purposes Minutes, and in response to a question the Chair of Finance, Councillor Mr P Hayward, stated that it would be incorrect to involve an individual in a Working Group to review Standing Orders who was not part of a political group.

In response to a further question referring to Minute 272(c), Councillor Mr P Hayward stated that the best way to proceed in dealing with the important issues facing Didcot and the Town Council would be to specify where they want to proceed as a whole, in looking to better the town.

301. ADOPTION AND RECOMMENDATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) Finance and General Purposes Committee (budget) – 23rd November 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein, excluding Minute 281 which is dealt with at Minute 304, be approved.

(b) Planning and Development Committee – 25th November 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

Councillor Mrs L Hood left the meeting for the next item.

(c) Special Meeting of the Arts and Grants Committee – 9th December 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

Councillor Mrs L Hood returned to the meeting.

302. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

13/11/09

Friday

Oxfordshire Carers Forum AGM

Mayor & Escort

19/11/09

Thursday 5.30pm

TRAIN Celebration and Awards Presentation

Mayor & Escort
25/11/09
 Wednesday 6.30pm Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council Reception Mayor & Escort
26/11/09

 Thursday 4.00pm – 9.00pm Annual Didcot Christmas Street Fair Mayor & Escort
28/11/09

 Saturday evening Charity Music Variety Show, Civic Hall Mayor & Escort
6/12/09

 Sunday 2.30pm Annual Carol Service, Oxfordshire Federation of Townswomen’s Guilds

Mayor & Escort
9/12/09

 Wednesday lunchtime Dinner at Didcot Girls School Mayor & Escort
10/12/09
 Thursday evening Didcot Town Council Carol Concert Mayor & Escort

303. FINANCIAL STATEMENT

RESOLVED that the cheque run payments for 10th November 2009 amounting to £31,385.99 and 2nd December 2009 amounting to £19,759.46 be authorised and that the list of payments made between 1st November 2009 and 30th November 2009 amounting to £101,651.28 be received (for cheque payments) and authorised for all other payments.

304. BUDGET FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2010/2011 AND PRECEPT UPON THE RATING AUTHORITY

In proposing, Councillor Mr P Hayward explained that the budget tried to balance the work of the council in a difficult financial climate which had proved very challenging. He went on that it was only the loan repayment for the Civic Hall Project that would mean an increase in the precept. Councillor Mr P Hayward stated that the proposed budget would see an annual increase of £10.58 in Council Tax on a Band D property which equated to 20 pence per week. Councillor Mr P Hayward concluded by thanking the Town Clerk and the Town Council staff for their assistance in formulating the budget and the committees for their work in contributing to the budget setting process.

Details of Budget:

Planned Total Expenditure in 2010/2011 858,265
Less Income 78,835
To be funded from precept 779,440

Divided by the Tax Base 8168

Town component of Council Tax for Band D property £95.43
Town component 2009/2010 £84.85

Increase per band D property annually £10.58
Increase per band D property weekly £0.20

It was noted that the tax base had reduced from the previous year.

Councillor Mrs M Davies responded by stating that she supported the proposals with regards to the Civic Hall project, however, she would abstain when the budget went to the vote as Willowbrook Leisure Centre was still receiving a grant, there had been cuts to the Citizens Advise Bureau (CAB) grant, the Arts and Grants Committee budget and the One Stop Shop budget.

In response to Councillor Mrs M Davies’ comments, Councillor Mr P Hayward stated negotiations about the management of Willowbrook Leisure Centre and not having to provide a grant was still ongoing. The Arts and Grants Committee had recommended their own budget to take into account the expected closure of the Civic Hall for upgrade; they had also recommended the level of grant to be paid to the CAB.

In response to a question from Councillor Mr D Rouane about providing spending forecasts, Councillor Mr P Hayward stated that updated budgets are provided to committees with responsibilities for spending at each meeting. This gave members the ability to see where monies were being spent or not spent on a regular basis.

RESOLVED that Didcot Town Council adopt the Budget (see note below) for the financial year 2010/2011 as proposed by the Finance and General Purposes Committee, and:

RESOLVED that the precept requirement of £779.440 (seven hundred and seventy nine thousand, four hundred and forty pounds) be made upon the rating authority (being South Oxfordshire District Council) for the financial year 2010/2011.

Clerk’s Note: Copies of the Budget will be given to all members and copies will be available in the One Stop Shop and on the website.

305. APPLICATION FOR BORROWING APPROVAL – DIDCOT CIVIC HALL PROJECT

A report was circulated giving background to the project. It was noted that option 2 from the feasibility study had been agreed, in principle, by Council on 9th November 2009 and that the funding to cover loan repayments had been agreed in the budget for 2010/2011 at item 304.

The estimated costs for option 2 were £1,330,000, and the report explained that the repayments in the budget would mean borrowing this over a 25 year period, with the money being drawn down in stages over the current and the next financial year.

The report explained that reserves were not at a substantial level and that it would not be advisable to consider using a sizeable amount for the project.

RESOLVED that an application for borrowing approval of £1,330,000 over 25 years at a fixed rate is submitted to fund the Civic Hall refurbishment and extension, and that, subject to borrowing approval, the project proceeds as soon as practicably possible.

306. CORRESPONDENCE

There was no correspondence.

307. QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER

(a) With reference to the town’s Christmas lights, Councillor Mr T Harbour asked the Leader if the Town Council should write to the Didcot Chamber of Commerce asking them if they would consider making a financial contribution?

The Leader responded by stating that in previous years, though not recently, the Chamber of Commerce had made a contribution to the Christmas lights and saw no reason why the Town Council should not write to request a contribution.

(b) With reference to the proposed development at land adjacent to marsh Bridge Cottages, Councillor Mrs M Davies asked the Leader if the Town Council could write to Oxfordshire County Council Highways and ask if the exit could be no right turn?

The Leader said that he had discussed this with the Highways Department but they had said that it would be difficult to police, however, he saw no reason why the Town Council should not put this request in writing to them.

(c) Councillor Mr D Rouane asked the Leader if the Town Council had been consulted with regards to the proposed changes to the manning of Didcot Fire Station?

The Leader responded saying that the Town Council had been consulted and that the matter was going to the Major Issues Working Group.

The Mayor closed the meeting by wishing everybody a very happy Christmas and New Year.

The Meeting commenced at 7.30pm and closed at 8.15pm

 

Mayor

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