CYNGOR CYMUNED DINAS POWYS COMMUNITY
COUNCIL
MINUTES of a Meeting of the Finance and General
Purposes Committee held in the Old Library, Parish Hall, Dinas Powys, on
Tuesday 19th January 2010.
PRESENT: Cllrs. K. Hatton, S. T. Thomas, Mrs. V. M.
Hartrey, Mrs. M. R. Hayley, Mrs. J. Jones, Mrs. C. Mirza-Davies,
Mrs.
N. A. Foxwell and Mrs. G. Smith.
21. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
- Cllrs. Mrs. R. Reeves and V. Driscoll.
22. CONFIRMATION
OF MINUTES – The Minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee
Meeting held on Monday, 5th October 2009 having been previously
circulated and subsequently approved by the Monthly Meeting of Council were
signed by the Chairman.
23. DECLARATION
OF INTERESTS – Cllr. Mrs.
V. M. Hartrey
declared an interest in the Dinas Powys Music Festival discussed under any
other business. Cllr. Mrs. G. Smith declared an interest in the Bethesada
Community Choir.
24. MATTERS ARISING FROM
MINUTES.
The Clerk advised
that he had undertaken some enquiries as to current rates of return for on
demand funds placed on deposit. The best
rate at 2.85% gross p.a. was with Tesco including a 1.49% bonus for 12 months
only. The Committee AGREED - THAT
a decision on the matter should be
deferred until interest rates increased as current returns were so small as to
not warrant the administrative costs of managing a separate deposit facility.
25. FINANCIAL
POSITION OF COUNCIL AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2009 AND
FORECAST TO 31ST MARCH 2011
The Clerk had previously circulated an up to date actual (to the 31st
December 2009) and forecast
(to 31st March 2011) cash flow statement which showed closing
forecasted bank balances of £29,622
as at 31st March 2010 and
£44,370 as at 31st March 2011.
Cllr. K. Hatton
circulated a detailed variance analysis to Members of the Committee and noted
that whilst during 2009/2010 considerable monies had been expended on a number
of projects this was more than offset by income received and cost savings in
areas such as insurance, salaries, pension costs and utility charges, etc. The end result was a potential surplus of
circa £10K for the year 2009/2010. For 2010/2011 a projected surplus of circa.
£21K was apparent before allocating funds to major repairs/renewals projects
and assuming a 1% increase in the precept.
The Committee
formally thanked the Clerk for his efforts in achieving cost reductions and
savings in expenditure by undertaking in-house work that might otherwise have
been contracted out.
26. 2010/2011 GRANT
APPLICATIONS INCLUDING CREATIVE RURAL
COMMUNITIES
The Clerk confirmed
that the Council had been awarded a grant of £14,268 from Creative Rural
Communities to assist with the funding of new kitchens. The Clerk also advised
that a 2009/2010 cash grant application to the Vale could still be submitted
for the sum of £3,725 leaving the Council potentially only £1,626 to find from
its own resources.
The Committee also
reviewed other potential large expenditures and AGREED – THAT a 2010/2011 Cash Grant application to the Vale
should be submitted to cover 75% of the cost of the new roof for the Old
Library and replacement ceiling lights in the Parish Hall (circa. £7K cost
incl. VAT) along with £1K for damp proofing the Parish Hall kitchen (if found
to be necessary).
The Committee AGREED to recommend that the kitchens
replacement project be commenced immediately and that the new roof and lighting
be recommended subject to 75% grant approval and approval of final
quotes/specifications.
27. TO CONSIDER PRECEPT
FOR 2010/11
The Committee
discussed the required Precept for 2010/2011 and the requirement for continuing
phased capital expenditure designed to protect the fabric of the Parish and Lee
Halls along with the need to maintain adequate reserves. Upon the
Motion of Cllr.
S. T. Thomas
and
seconded
by
Cllr. Mrs. N. A. Foxwell, the Committee AGREED
a 3% Precept increase (equivalent to approx.75p for each Band D household).
28. APPLICATIONS FOR
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
a.
Follow Your Dreams (Special
Needs Children)
Committee RECOMMENDED – THAT the application decision be deferred pending a
review of the accounts for this charity which Cllr. S. T. Thomas thought might
have a commercial element.
b.
Eisteddford
Genedlaethol Cymru - 31st July-7th August 2010 –
Blaenau Gwent
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £200.00.
c.
British Heart
Foundation Cymru
Committee RECOMMENDED
– THAT the application be NOTED.
d.
Victim Support Cymru
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £50.00.
e.
Bethesda Community
Choir - Community Christmas Concerts 2009 -9th/10th/11th
and 12th December 2009.
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £200.00.
f.
NSPCC -_ChildLine
Service
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £100.00.
g.
Macmillan Cancer
Support
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £100.00.
h.
Llangollen
International Music Festival – 5th-11th July 2010
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £50.00.
i.
Dinas Powys Music
Festival
Committee RECOMMENDED
a donation of £300.00 but the
Clerk to obtain a copy of the strategy for this year’s festival and up to date
accounts.
j.
Kidney Wales Foundation - Walk
for Life 2010 –
Sunday, 28th March 2010
Committee RECOMMENDED a
donation of £25.00.
29. RAMBLER’S ASSOCIATION -
ANNUAL RENEWAL
The Clerk referred
to a membership renewal demand received for the Ramblers Association in the sum
of £40.50. The Clerk was requested to
confirm that membership provides insurance cover benefits for walks organised
by the Council (postscript - no cover provided - it has to be purchased
separately).
30. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
The Clerk referred
to a letter from the Guide Dogs who requested fund raising support through the
Council organising a Get Together Event. The Committee AGREED - THAT the Clerk should obtain the advertised
fundraising pack for further consideration of this worthy cause.
In recognition of the Clerk’s successful efforts during the current financial year in achieving financial savings and successfully progressing important projects, the Committee unanimously recommended a one off bonus payment of £300. The Committee noted that the three other members of staff had been paid the usual £100 Christmas bonus.
The Clerk advised
the Committee that the NJC agreed 2009/2010pay award for Clerks was 1%
backdated to the 1st April 2009. The Committee
AGREED to recommend that pay for all Council staff be
increased by 1% effective from the 1st April 2009.
31. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
– Thursday 13th April 2010 at 6.30p.m.