December 2019

Notes of a meeting of Finance & Policy committee held on 16th December 2019 in the Bracebridge Heath Community Library at 20:46

Present: Cllrs Barr, Callan, Kilcoyne, Manders, Moran, Parr, Walker
In attendance: Mrs S Knowles, Clerk to Council. 
No members of public were present

1. To receive apologies and accept valid reasons for absence– Nil

• 2. To receive members’ declarations of disclosable pecuniary, non-disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests in relation to any agenda item- 
• Cllr Manders declared other registerable interests in relation to parish council grants received from the Church of St John the Evangelist and St John’s Primary Academy.
• Cllr Kilcoyne declared an other registerable interest in relation to the parish council grant received from the Church of St John the Evangelist.

3. To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 21st October 2019- It was RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance & Policy committee held on 21st October 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chairman.

4. To consider staffing matters–
a. Homeworking allowance - It was RESOLVED: That a homeworking allowance be paid to the Clerk to Council from April 2020.
b. Clerk’s membership of the Society for Local Council Clerks –

Cllr Kilcoyne declared a non-registerable interest in matters relating to membership of the SLCC at 20:52

It was RESOLVED: That payment for the Clerk’s membership of SLCC be approved.
c. Approval of and payment for additional hours worked – It was RESOLVED: That the clerk be paid for additional hours worked.

5. To consider employer pension contribution rates from 2020 to 2023 – It was RESOLVED: That Council accepts and confirms the pension contribution rates from April 2020 to 2023.

6. To consider employee mobile phone contracts– It was RESOLVED: That a new 18-month mobile contract is accepted at £11 per month.

7. To consider committee budget 2020-2021 - It was RESOLVED: That a recommendation be made to Full Council that the Finance & Policy committee budget is set at £102,658.41.

8. To consider the 2020-2021 precept– It was RESOLVED: That a recommendation be made to Full Council that the precept be set at £160,376.41.

9. To review the 2019-2020 budget – Concerns were raised regarding the budget for Events. The committee agreed that this budget would be overspent but recognised that this would be offset by underspends in other budget headers.

10. To consider applications for Parish Council grants – It was RESOLVED: That committee session be suspended to enable Cllr Kilcoyne and Manders to speak about the application.

Committee session was suspended at 22:02 and resumed at 22:05

• Church of St John the Evangelist – The application was not valid.
• Phoenix United – It was RESOLVED: That a grant of £750.00 be given to Phoenix United.

It was RESOLVED: That committee session be suspended to enable Cllr Kilcoyne and Manders to speak about the application.

Committee session was suspended at 22:13 and resumed at 22:14.

It was RESOLVED: That a grant of £500.00 be given to St John’s Primary Academy (under S137, Local Government Act 1972).

11. To consider annual appointment of the internal auditor– It was RESOLVED: That Council appoint Mr Lingard as the internal auditor for 2019/2020.

12. To consider the Parish Council website– A verbal report was given.

13. Items for the agenda of the next committee meeting – Nil.

Cllr Barr left the meeting at 22:17

14. Items of a confidential nature to be debated in the absence of the press and public. {As per the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings Act) 1960} It was RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information (commercially sensitive), as defined in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

15. To consider wayleaves and easements for Red Hall Farm Lane- IIt was RESOLVED: That the clerk be given authority to act in line with the legal advice given by Council’s solicitor.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 22:30
Signed_______________________________Chairman 17th February 2020