Minutes of a meeting of the FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE held in the Council Chamber, Drake Road, Tavistock on TUESDAY the 24th day of JUNE 2008 at 7. 15 p.m.

Present: Cllr H Smith   Chair 
Cllr Mrs D Sellis   Chair Properties 
Cllr Mrs M Govier  Deputy Mayor
Cllr M Harper
Cllr Mrs A Johnson
Cllr Mrs Ramsey
Cllr P Sanders
Cllr D Whitcomb

In Attendance:  Town Clerk
Works Superintendent 
Cllr Connelly    DCC 
Cllr Best
Cllr E Sanders
Cllr J Sellis
Cllr B Trew
One member of the press 
Two members of the public

087.  APOLOGIES

There were apologies for absence from Cllr R Pike,  Cllr Mrs J Metcalf and Cllr I C Jennings.

088.   DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
Councillors were reminded to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any item to be considered at the meeting

089.   STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 2007/2008
Mr Kemp of RBS presented the 2007/2008 accounts.  Members of the Properties Committee had been invited to stay and hear the brief, and to ask any questions they may have.  The accounts had been circulated to all Members on the 10th June to allow ample time for consideration.  Cllr Mrs Johnson said that her copy had not arrived in the post, but had only asked for a replacement copy just before the meeting.  She was thus unable to vote on the accounts.  He drew Members’ attention to:· Page 6, and that income was better than expected by some £84K, and outgoings were less due to delays in some projects.  The budgeted sums were in the reserves and carried forward to 2008/09.

· Page 13 and the operating surplus of £137K in the general fund.

· Page 15 and the ‘gain’ in actuarial estimations for the pension fund.

· Page 25 and that the operating costs of the pension fund had increased by £50K in the year, and that this was exactly balanced by contributions.  There was no cause for concern as the fund had improved (by actuarial estimation) by £95K since March 2007.  He believed that following negotiations by NALC and the Audit Commission the requirement to include FRS 17 data concerning pensions in town and parish council accounts would end in 2008.  New reporting standards relevant to town and parish councils would then be introduced.  This would simplify the accounts. 

He reminded Members of the VAT disallowance brought about by the operation of the Pannier Market.  This had been suspended for 2007/08 and the rules were now under consideration by the Treasury.  He hoped that the disallowance level would rise to £15K, which would solve the Market problem.  HMRC had said that there would be no ‘claw back’ for the last year.

Members then RECOMMENDED that the Statement of Internal Control in the accounts be adopted and signed by the Mayor and Town Clerk.

Members then RECOMMENDED that the draft Statement of Accounts be adopted and signed by the Mayor and Town Clerk.

090.   MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 27th May 2008, previously circulated and adopted by Council on 3rd June 2008, were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

091. MATTERS ARISING
There were no such matters

092.  MEETING OF THE PROPERTIES COMMITTEE HELD EARLIER THAT EVENING

Cllr Mrs Sellis reported that two matters with a financial content had been debated by the Properties Committee.  

a.  The Garden Festival.  Members had asked for the accounts to show the full costs of the event to allow them to decide if the event should take place in future years.

b.  Drains.   The cost of remedial work on drains in the Pannier Market area.  This was a requirement for the Environment Agency, and would be met from the grounds maintenance budget.

c.   Cllr P Sanders then again raised the matter of vandalism in the Meadows.  The Works Superintendent’s report described more criminal damage, and he hoped other Members would write to the Chief Constable about taking positive policing action as Cllr Trew had.  He was upset at the article from Sgt Anning in the Times advising against ‘a too zealous policy’, and driving vandals into residential areas.   Cllr Mrs Govier said that the article in the Times had been dealt with by the police chain of command after our complaints.  She had attended a meeting on Monday 23rd with all concerned.  

d.  Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960

Pursuant to Section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 it was RESOLVED that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and the press leave the meeting during consideration of confidential police matters.

e.   Members were given a confidential briefing, and Cllr Mrs Govier was deputed to contact Superintendent Sarah Sharp about matters of their concern.

f.   Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960

RESOLVED that the public and press be re-admitted to the Meeting.

093.   MINUTES OF THE TAVISTOCK TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP

Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 28th May 2008.

094.   MINUTES OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 2nd June 2008.  The Clerk would investigate why no Town Council representative had been present, and no apologies given.

095.  GENERAL FINANCE

a.   Accounts   Members considered the monthly accounts for submission to the next Council Meeting, a copy of which is at Annex A.  It was RECOMMENDED that they be passed for payment. 

b.   Internal Audit. Noted that the firm of H M Williams had been engaged to act as the internal auditors for the coming financial year.  They would commence in July and produce three reports during the financial year 2008/2009.  Cllr P Sanders made a joke about dyslexia as the firm was referred to as H W Williams in the agenda

c.  Grants.  Two grant requests had been received.  Members had a policy of agreeing grant applications during the budget setting in September, with an ability to hear ‘emergency’ applications at other times.  Neither of the applicants were aware of the new Council grant process.  The sum of £1,100 was left unallocated in the s137 Grants budget

(1).  Party on the Pitches/Parklife.  Members noted the request and RECOMMENDED that a grant of £300 be made.

(2).  West Devon Junior Life Skills.  Members noted the request and that we had granted £100 to this event for the past 3 years. They RECOMMENDED to make the grant again this year, and to include the event in the list of ‘normal’ grants authorised year by year in the budget setting process.

096.  URGENT BUSINESS BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN.

a.   Cllr Smith said he wanted Members to debate the “level of service given of councillors”.  He felt that some councillors were receiving a different level of service to others and that was wrong.   Cllr Mrs Govier asked what he meant as she felt Members were confused over what he was saying.  He explained that the aim should be that all councillors should be serviced equally and it had been mentioned to him that some were not getting this service.  The Clerk emphasized that all councillors got the same service from him and the staff.  The only difference was that some Members had e-mails and were sent some information by electronic means, while those without got printed hard copy of the same information in their mail.  Cllr Whitcomb agreed that this was indeed so and it worked for him.   All councillors got a copy of all matters.  There were no differences.  Cllr Smith mentioned that he had received a copy of the Staffing Sub-Committee after the meeting, and it was explained to him by Cllr Mrs Govier that it had been an amended page (removing Cllr Mrs Sellis’s name) and that the original agenda had been sent out well in advance as the law required.  She had been present when the documents were put into envelopes.  Cllr Mrs Ramsey was missing an agenda as well, but said that it was the first time ever and commended the Clerk on his service to councillors.  Cllr Smith then mentioned that his e-mail was a work address and some material could have been blocked.  It was noted however that it had been the address that he had chosen to give to the General Office.  Cllr Smith said that the matter could be debated at full council if Members wished as he felt Members had varying needs, in that some worked, some were retired etc.

b.   Cllr P Sanders referred to a press release given to Members that evening concerning the alcohol ban.  The legislation being considered by WDBC was a ‘Designated Public Place Order’ (DPPO), and he said that the Town Council had voted for and asked WDBC for an alcohol free zone.  Cllr Mrs Govier explained that a total ban would have affected Goose Fair, Dickensian night and other festivals.  The DPPO gave the police the required powers to control alcohol consumption in public by over 18 year olds.  DPPO’s were already in place in Bere Alston, Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe.  Members voiced concerns that WDBC had changed the wording of the Town Council’s request from ‘alcohol ban’ to ‘DPPO’ without any consultation.  They asked to be briefed on the differences between the two concepts.

Rising 8. 20 p.m.

Signed………..………………….

Dated……………………………

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