03 November 2020 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE
POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE
TO: All Members of the Policy & Resources Committee
Cllrs B Austin, D Bretherton, N Champken-Woods, D Dodds, M Dyer (Chairman), L Emery (Deputy Chairman), H Fickling, S Francis, C Jones and J Tipping
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Midwinter (Town Mayor) and P Cowell (Deputy Mayor)
To all other Members for information
VENUE: This meeting will be held virtually in accordance with The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.
URL: https://zoom.us/j/598240993
Meeting ID: 598 240 993
Password: Please contact the Town Council to obtain the meeting password, which will be issued around 2 hours before the meeting start time.
You must be on the electoral role to join this meeting. Exceptions will be made for representatives, agents and authorities.
DATE: Tuesday 3 November 2020
TIME: 6.30 pm (maximum two hours)
Cassie Pinnells
Deputy Clerk of the Council
Date: Wednesday 28 October 2020
AGENDA
1 Apologies for Absence
2 Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3 Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4 Investment Portfolio
To receive an annual report from Rupert Baron and Thomas Weston-Davies of Rathbone Brothers plc.
5 Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 18 February 2020.
6 Financial Update
- Budget Summary: To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.
- Balance Sheet: To note balance sheet as at 30.9.20
6a. PR Budgetary Figures to September 2020 [PDF]
6b. Balance Sheet at 30.9.20 [PDF]
7 Financial Overspends
To note the following financial overspends against budget line items (greater than the agreed de minimis of £100 / 5%) have been recorded since the last meeting
- Staff Conference/seminars is overspent by approximately £1845. The over spend resulted from the away day, facilitated by an independent company, for office based staff. The team discussed objectives, threats, opportunities, 5 year plan, actions etc.
- Vehicle Insurance & Van Hire is overspent by £3250 due to Coronavirus
- Corona Sundries (121) Janitorial, health & safety, advertising, publicity, subscriptions, telephone, maintenance resulting in a total overspend by approx. £5880
All of the above will be covered initially by underspends elsewhere and ultimately from the General Reserve Fund. They are all factored into the predicted outturn as part of the budget setting process.
To note that overspends are forecast against the following budget lines, as part of the predicted outturn for budget setting purposes:
- 4008/101 – Staff Training
- 4036/202 – Maintenance – dog bin emptying
- 4026/102 – Town Hall Maintenance
- 4014/102, 4014/202, 4014/204 – Electricity to Town Hall, Depot & Southern Rd
- 4029/101 – Photocopier
- 4028/101, 4028/121 – Vehicle Insurance claim & Van Hire
- 4021/121 – Telephones
- 4034/101 – Computers & Software
8 Investment Update
To note the summary of the investment performance.
8. Portfolio Performance Summary [PDF]
9 Reports from Representatives on External Organisations
To receive reports from the nominated representatives on:
- Barns Centre (Cllrs Deacock and Dodds)
- Citizens Advice (Cllr Austin)
- Health Hub (including Community Hub Pilot) (Cllr Champken-Woods)
- NALC (Cllr Dyer)
- Red Kite Family Centre (Cllr Emery)
- Thame Business Forum (Cllr Dyer)
- Thame Senior Friendship Centre (Cllr Midwinter)
- Thame & District Housing Association (Cllr Emery)
- Thame Youth Memorial Trust (Cllr Tipping)
- Thame Youth Projects Group (Cllr Tipping)
- 21st Century Thame (Cllr Fickling and Francis)
- Welfare Trust (Cllr Champken-Woods)
9. Reports – External Organisations [PDF]
10 Free Use / De Minimis Delegated Authority
To note that the *Town Clerk and Acting Town Clerk, through Free Use / De Minimis delegated authority, has granted the following:
- *Free use of the Upper Chamber for Thame Community Land Trust Public Consultation on 4 & 5 September 2020
- Free use of the Upper Chamber for Thame Youth Projects consultation on 27 & 29 October 2020.
- Free use of the Upper Chamber for Lord Williams School on 23 November 2020.
11 Emergency Response Plan
To review and approve the unchanged Emergency Response Plan.
11. Emergency Response Plan 26.10.20 [PDF]
12 Residents Car Parking Permits
To review and approve the proposed increase for Residents Car Parking Permits in the Upper High Street Car Park.
12. Report – Residents Parking Permits [PDF]
13 Kebab Van
To consider amendments to the Kebab Van Licence.
13. Report – Kebab Van Licence [PDF]
14 Grants
To consider administering the Council Grant Award Scheme for 2020/21.
To note that the Thame History Fair due to take place in July 2020 was postponed due to CoVID. The grant award will remain with the Museum as a restricted fund until the event can take place.
15 CCTV
To consider replacement cameras for the town centre CCTV.
16 Compliments & Complaints
To note the reports.
16a. Compliments & Complaints October 2019 – March 2020 [PDF]
16b. Compliments & Complaints April 2020 – September 2020 [PDF]
17 Museum
To note due to the recent ingress of rainwater, particularly over the weekend of 3 & 4 October, a small amount of scaffolding had been erected to gain access to parts of the roof and dehumidifiers installed in the museum. Repair work is being progressed with Town Council Officers.
18 Insurance
To note the Cricket Club have reported water damage to the bar and bar store of the Cricket Club Pavilion as a result of a leak from an internal pipe in the eaves of the building. Investigations are taking place to check the building warranty, alternatively a claim for the cost of repairs will be made via the Council’s insurance company.
To note minor damage was caused to a parked vehicle after being hit by one of the Council’s ride on mowers as a result of the operative having to take avoiding action when an unobservant pedestrian stepped out in front of the mower. The Council’s insurance company have been informed.
19 Staffing Update
To note that at the Personnel Committee meeting held on 13 October 2020 it was approved that for a six month interim period Cassie Pinnells will be Acting Town Clerk and Karen Slater will be Acting Responsible Financial Officer.
To note that additional responsibilities have been delegated to the Asset Manager, Information Centre Officer and Office Administration Officer to assist during the six month interim period. Interviews for a part time Community Project Officer will take place in November. The post will be for an interim period of six months.
20 For Information
- To note the CCTV Half Yearly Report: 1 April 2020 – 31 Oct 2020.
- To note the Thame Youth Projects Annual Report following receipt of Town Council funding.
- Christmas Closure – to note that the Town Hall will be closed from 1pm on Thursday 24 December 2020 and will reopen at 9am on Monday 4 January 2021. The usual provision of notices / emergency telephone number will continue, and some officers may choose to work on the closure days.