POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
28th January 2008

Committee Members Present: Cllrs J Tucker, Mrs B Brown, Mrs S Boakes, D Brown, B Garlick, D Keeley, Miss A Moloney,

Council Members Present: Cllr J Atkins & Mrs D CrookMrs S Hunter (Town Clerk)

Members of the Public Present: Mr J Boyes, Mr P Hickmott.

1. Apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr C Block, C King, L Withey.

2. Declaration of interest

Cllr Crook Chair of Community Assoc, Cllr Miss A Moloney Community Assoc, Member Secretary.

3. Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2008

3.1 Item 13.2 The Fire escape steps will be finished (yellow Paint) as soon as the weather permits and there is no one using the upstairs hall.
3.2 The Budget increase will be 0.89p for a band ‘D’ property for Snodland Town Council precept.

4. Open Forum

4.1 Cllr Tucker informed the meeting that a Town Council by election had been requested to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Mrs Karen Grayhurst. The by election would take place on the 13 th March
4.2 Mr Hickmott referred to item 7 on the agenda, and said any donation to Age Concern would be much appreciated.

5. Financial Review April – January 2008

Capital Reserves: £54747
General Reserves: £71704
Bank reconciliation was presented to the Committee.
A meeting would take place in the near future with TMBC & Berkeley Homes, to finalise the agreement regarding the play equipment for the Woodlands Development. The money STC have paid for the play equipment will then be placed back into our Capital Reserve.
The final bill from EDF energy for the Covey Hall Street Lighting project, has now been received and it will now be possible to obtain the remainder of the grant from TMBC.
The committee agreed that a full bank reconciliation should be presented to the meeting in future, in the meantime the single copy of this report would be circulated to Councillors present and this item would then be taken later in the meeting.

6. Audit Trail – Petty Cash (from Chq 013925 to date).

Cllr Tucker previously has agreed the cash sum in the office. Cllr Garlick took receipt 07/077, This was for a toaster for the downstairs kitchen in the Devonshire rooms, and it has been recorded correctly in the petty cash book.

7. Requests for donations

Requests had been received from:

7.1 Age Concern – RECOMMENDATION to give £100.
7.2 Volunteer Centre – RECOMMENDATION to give £100.
7.3 Medway Valley Partnership – The committee declined to give a donation.

8a. Upgrade of the Cemetery footpaths (Grant Received)

Confirmation of a grant from TMBC for the upgrade of the Cemetery
Footpaths for 2008, for a sum of £3500 has been received. STC will have to match fund.

8b. Devonshire Rooms

The Devonshire Rooms needs money spent on them. The clerk will write to South East Water Company, to see if they would allow us to pursue the route of the Building becoming a ‘Trust’ or ‘Charity’. STC could then apply for grant funding to improve the building. If the water company allows this the title deeds would need to be amended.

9. Snodland Newsletter

The Snodland newsletter was discussed. The proposal was made that this be circulated through Town Talk twice a year at a cost of around £130 per issue
RECOMMENDATION –To go ahead with the Snodland Newsletter.

10. Conference Link

Cllr Garlick has provided a working ‘ model’ of what we can achieve with a conference link. STC now meet the DDA with the current working link, however a Far superior quality can be achieved with an approximate cost of about £600.
Cllr Garlick will obtain costings between now and the next meeting.

11. Street Lighting

Cllr Keeley and the clerk have identified fifteen columns that can be upgraded and handed to KCC. The clerk will compare the number of lamp columns to be changed with the number of lamp columns at Covey Hall to give some idea of the likely cost to STC of transferring the lights.

12. Sub Committee for Potyns

Cllrs J Atkins, Barbara Brown and Chris King are the sub committee for Potyns.
The hand over of the land is imminent and the clerk will arrange a meeting of the sub committee in the near future.

13. Internal Auditors Report

The report had four recommendations two of which would not have been if the auditor had asked the clerk the relevant questions. The other two points concerned the use of ‘ear marked reserves’ which will be addressed this year, and the other was regarding the bond, suggesting that we look to see if we can obtain a better interest rate. There were no major concerns.

14. Costings for work previously agreed

We have received notification of the cost for works previously agreed for the museum, railway signals & roof: Potyns for the bar to prevent the locking posts being raised by ‘youths’, and the guttering at the all weather pitch.

15. Kent Key Kink

A cost of £25 per annum is required now, if we want to be informed of our burglar alarm being set off at the cricket meadow. RECOMMENDATION – to subscribe to key link.

16. Consultation on orders & Regulations relating to conduct of local authority members.

This document will be in the office for perusal.

17. Snodland Partnership

TMBC is looking to change the way it gives money to the Snodland Partnership.
A more flexible approach as to revenue instead of capital is being investigated, as revenue expenditure is less restrictive. STC could look to fund with revenue if the projects the Partnership propose allow this.
Cllr Atkins hopes the Partnership will look kindly on the Town Council when the need to fund the extension of the cemetery arises.
RECOMMENDATION – That funding from STC to Snodland Partnership be more flexible and allow both Revenue and Capital contributions according to the priorities set by the Partnership.
To prepare a list for the Snodland Partnership of those projects that STC would hope that the Partnership would include in its priorities for funding.

18. Any other items which the chairman has decided are urgent owing to special Circumstances.

The estimated cost of the election to replace Mrs Grayhurst will be £3080. The Town Council can decide whether or not Poll cards should be issued. Poll Cards would cost the Town Council around £800.
RECOMMENDATION – Not to have Poll Cards and so reduce the expense.
Candidates can be responsible for there own leafleting.

19. Revisit the Financial Review

Cllr Atkins questioned the way recovered VAT was shown on the report. The clerkassured him this was correct for our accounting programme, and the internal auditor is happy with this.
The clerk will contact Smurfit Townsend Hook to see if they have anywhere to store the Gym equipment, as they have not yet completed their land sale and until they do so, the new building at Potyns is unable to go ahead.

The Chairman moved that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.