Finance & Policy Minutes (Signed) 16-11-2020

Minutes of a Meeting of the Finance & Policy Committee held on Monday 16th November 2020 at 7:00pm via Zoom

Attendance:
Councillor M Jeffreys (Chairman)                                                             Councillor J Borda
Councillor A Appleby                                                                                    Councillor R Hood
Councillor A Drummond                                                                              Councillor C O’Neill

Also Present: Debbie Baines – Town Clerk, Cathy Whitaker – RFO, Julie Ashton – Minute Assistant, 1 Member of the Press and 3 Members of the Public.

F/20/11/1 Chairman To Announce That Proceedings Are Being Recorded And Advise That All Participants Will Be Muted By The Host Of The Meeting Who Will Unmute The Individual The Charman Has Invited To Speak
The Chairman opened the meeting and announced that proceedings are being recorded and to advise that all participants will be muted by the host of the meeting who will unmute the individual the Chairman has invited to speak.

F/20/11/2 Apologies For Absence
No apologies were received. Cllrs Bowen and Kerby were absent.

F/20/11/3 Declaration Of Member’s Interests And To Remind Councillors Of The Need To Keep Up To Date Their Register Of Member’s Interests And To Consider Any Requests Received For Members Dispensation
Cllr Borda declared a nonpecuniary interest in item 14 Correspondence (Churches Together)

F/20/11/4 To Confirm The Minutes Of The Meeting Held On 19th October 2020 And Any Matters Arising
Members received the minutes of the Finance & Policy Committee meeting held on 19th October 2020 and the following was agreed:

F/20/11/4.01 Resolved
That the minutes of the Finance & Policy Committee meeting held on 19th October 2020 be adopted and signed as a true record by the Chairman of the Finance & Planning Committee.

It was noted that a presentation from Discover Newmarket had been postponed until the next meeting.

F/20/11/5 Public Open Session
Resident, Ian Young spoke regarding councillor attendance at the Remembrance Day Service. The Mayor confirmed that Cllrs Drummond and Hood were in attendance to represent SCC and that he would be taking up the matter of councillor attendance at the event.

F/20/11/6 Submission Of Schedules Of Payments For Information CB1 – CB4 For (October 2020)
Members reviewed CB1 – CB4 and the following was agreed:

F/20/11/6.01 Recommendation
That the ratification of the schedules of payments for the period 01/10/2020 – 31/10/2020 (Cash Book 1 – 4) be received and adopted.

F/20/11/7 To Confirm The Bank Statement Balances & Related Bank Reconciliation Have Been Signed By The Chairman Of F&P Committee
The Chairman of the Finance & Policy Committee confirmed scrutiny of the bank reconciliations relating to the end of 31/10/2020 (month 7) for the Town Council’s Current, Petty Cash, Salaries and Barclaycard Cashbooks.

F/20/11/8 To Receive The Income And Expenditure For October 2020
Members received and noted the income and expenditure for October 2020.

F/20/11/9 Partner Funded PCSO Services
It was noted that the current SLA would expire 31st March 2021 and could either be renewed or terminated. Both options were considered taking the costs, lack of meetings to give direction and the civil parking enforcement now in place into account. The following was agreed:

F/20/11/9.01 Recommendation
That the SLA for the PCSO not be renewed and the contract be terminated.

F/20/11/10 Draft Budget Proposal
The draft budget for the F&P Committee for 2021/2022 was considered and the following was agreed:

F/20/11/10.01 Recommendation
That the draft budget for the F&P Committee for 2021/2022 be approved.

F/20/11/11 Town Council Constitution – To Review Policy Documents
The Corporate Strategy was reviewed, it was agreed that the Mayor would write an introduction regarding a commitment to implement the NNP Community Actions and report back at the next meeting.

The IT Website and E-mail Policies were reviewed and it was noted that they overlapped with the Social Media Policy. Merging the policies would be looked at and be brought back to the Committee.

A new Policy for a Protocol for Online Meetings was considered and the following was agreed:

F/20/11.11.01 Recommendation
That the Protocol for Online Meetings Policy be adopted.

F/20/11/12 Public Consultation – Committee on Standards in Public Life
A Working Group consisting of Cllrs Jefferys, O’Neill and Appleby would meet to prepare a response to the NALC Consultation and report to the November meeting of full Council.

F/20/11/13 Health & Safety
The monthly Health & Safety reports for October 2020 were received and noted.

F/20/11/14 Correspondence
An e-mail received from Ellis Whittam, the council’s health and safety and human resource advisors announced that their company had been acquired by the Marlowe Group.

Cllr Borda declared a nonpecuniary interest in the following item and did note vote.
The request for funding for the Churches Together Drive in Carol Service 12th December 2020 at 3:00pm at the Rowley Mile Carpark was considered and the following was agreed:

F/20/11/14.01 Recommendation
That NTC supports the request for funding for the Churches Together Drive in Carol Service 12th December 2020 and agreed to provide a grant of £1,000 from the Events budget.

F/20/11/15 Date of next meeting
Monday 14th December 2020 via Zoom.

F/20/11/16 Items for the next agenda
• Discover Newmarket.

Meeting closed at 7:32

 

 

Signed ______________________________ Date _________________________