October 2020 Minutes
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of North Kelsey Parish Council held at the Village Hall, North Kelsey on Tuesday 13th October 2020 at 6.30pm. The meeting was also held online, at 6.30pm on 13th October 2020.
Those present at the Village Hall: Councillors D Weir, R Smith, Cllr P Bryan ( chair) L Barker, H Burrows, M Williams.
In attendance: J Waite (Clerk) 1 member of the public.
Those present by electronic meeting Zoom: Cllr S March.
1To receive apologies and reasons for absence Ref 20/323
Cllr T Turner Cllr P Howitt Cowan
2 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 – being any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests. Ref 20/324
Cllr M Williams – Disclosable Pecuniary Interest - Grass cutting contract.
3 To approve draft minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council, held on 8th September 2020. Ref 20/325
Resolved to approve as a true record.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr P Bryan.
Votes for approval 4
Votes against 2
Resolved to approve as a true record.
4 Public Questions Ref 20/326
The building developer for application 140779 has removed the existing fence and replaced it with a new one closer to the road. There is now no space for the flower box, and the 30mph sign belonging to the Parish Council is now missing.
Item 6 – Financial Matters was moved up the agenda, as meeting time may over run due to email correspondence.
6. Financial Matters Ref 20/327
Payments to be made by direct debit.
None.
Payments to be made by BACS.
Salaries £355.77
Clerks Expenses and Disbursements £30.90
M Williams – Grass cutting £844.80
D Hunt – village flower box expenses £30.00
LALC Training £72.00
Payments to be made by cheque.
None
Resolved to approve payments.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr L Barker. All in favour.
5 Clerk’s report Ref 20/328
The email address to contact the Clerk is clerk.northkelseyparish@gmail.com
The Chair and Clerk responded to email questions from Cllr Burrows:
Zoom meeting details and link are available from the Clerk if required for a meeting being held this way. If a resident has a question or concern they need to contact the Clerk, and if any Councillor is approached by a resident they need to direct to the Clerk, in line with section A statement 1 of the Parish Council Communications Policy.
(i) The point of contact for the parish council is the Clerk, and it is to the Clerk that all correspondence for the parish council should be addressed.
Guidance was circulated by the Clerk before this meeting regarding the following points, and additional explanation given at the meeting. The Clerk also reminded Councillors that items to be discussed at a meeting should be the business of the Council, not items for information, Section B statements 2 and 3 of the communications policy.
(ii) Items for information should be kept to a minimum on an agenda.
(iii) Where the Clerk or a Councillor wishes fellow Councillors to receive matters for “information only”, this information will be circulated via the Clerk.
1) Meeting structure:
• role of chair and clerk – circulated before meeting.
• co-option process – discussion on close personal friendship / interests and the need for Councillors to follow the Code of Conduct and not to risk bringing the Council into disrepute. Additional guidance circulated at the meeting. Correspondence from LALC about this matter was circulated to all councillors on 28th July 2020 and 6th August 2020.
• welcome to residents – If residents wish to introduce themselves at the start of the meeting please speak to the Chair or the Clerk.
• time of meeting – it was discussed to move the start time from 6.30pm to 7.00pm.
Votes in favour of moving to 7.00pm, - 2
Votes in favour of remaining at 6.30pm, - 4.
Resolved not amend Standing Orders with a new meeting time.
• timescale for minutes and agenda – it was agreed that draft minutes would be circulated to all Councillors 2 weeks after a meeting, with the agenda being published 3 clear days before a meeting, in line with Standing Orders. Chair to proof read minutes before circulation for spelling / typing errors only – all matters regarding accuracy to be dealt with at the following meeting.
2) Role of clerk
• working hours, - The Clerk works 6 hours per week.
• line management and oversight – this is done by the Council as a whole, not individual councillors.
• circulation of correspondence and letters – these are sent out by email to all councillors if relevant or for information. Items on addenda are not forgotten – Councillors need to remember that most offices are still on furlough or working from home with limited resources and answers are taking longer than normal to come back from inquiries. Councillors are updated about progress at each meeting.
• role and responsibilities – circulated before meeting.
3) Public liability insurance and employee liability insurance
• documentation and storage of proof – The Clerk holds copies of these documents.
• procedure for annual checking at renewal time – review in May 2021.
4) Contact details of councillors for residents and each other – GDPR prevents these details being published without consent. All council matters should be referred to the Clerk.
Additional email item moved to closed session.
There are currently 2 casual vacancies – the Clerk has received 1 nomination.
Mrs Debbie Hunt spoke to council as to why she wishes to be co opted.
Proposed to co opt to council.
Proposed Cllr P Bryan. Seconded Cllr R Smith. All in favour.
The approach from a resident about the Parish Council public liability insurance being used to cover 2 road signs advertising the event has been declined by the insurance company, as the event is not a Parish Council event.
The LALC members access details are to be circulated to all councillors.
Clerk will book a further 3 places on the on line councillors training.
Proposed Cllr P Bryan. Seconded Cllr l Barker. All in favour.
LCC have several systems in place for residents who need help in the current Covid 19 lockdown and these details are on the notice board, website and can be obtained from the Clerk. There is a face book page for the village offering support.
Council facebook page to help promote council meetings and information has been created, Clerk asked councillors to check the link was working and then this can be published for residents.
Clerk has completed the LCC training for the new LCC websites and now has the passwords to access the build site. The process of moving all information across can now start. Council have previously agreed to cover any extra hours of work this requires – page 082 Min Ref 20/197 item 7.
Council have been given a knitted poppy wreath for the Cemetery War Memorial this year.
Grass Contractor given new key for playing field, so the second lock can now be removed.
Councillors P Bryan, M Wiliams and the Clerk now all have keys to the playing field. Cllr Bryan also has the spare keys for the notice board and the Cemetery Chapel.
Quantum Air Fibre Access 2 Fibre Presentation – Clerk has been contacted by this company wishing to do a presentation to the village about installing faster broadband. Clerk to ask WLDC about their roll out of this several years ago, as it is thought that the Parish was included then. Councillors felt that if a presentation is to be held it would be better to wait until current restrictions are lifted and have an open meeting for residents to attend.
7 Planning applications and decisions received Ref 20/329
Application 141701 – no comments or objections
Application 141485 – no comments or objections
Application 141742 – no comments or objections
Standing Orders suspended – 2 hour meeting limit reached. Councillors agreed to complete this agenda.
8 Parish matters – To receive any report or consider any appropriate action Ref 20/330
a) Cemetery – A report from the site meeting held on 12th September 2020. Look at quotes to get the old gravestones secured and the dyke needs clearing out. Contact the hedge owner again, as this is now very over grown.
b) Grounds Maintenance - The benches on the village green need revarnishing. Winter planting of the flower boxes to go ahead, Cllr Hunt to purchase plants.
Proposed Cllr P Bryan. Seconded Cllr R Smith. All in favour.
The 30 mph road sign on Carr Road is still missing - contact LCC again.
c) Play Area - the hedge is now ready for cutting – look for quotes. Clerk has contacted and had site meeting with new firm of mole catchers – quote to follow. The contractors for the fencing have still not submitted quotes – look for new quotes. A list of dates to be circulated for people to sign up and help with painting play equipment.
d) Wild Life Area – no other issues to report.
9 To receive general comments from members for consideration on the next agenda. Ref 20/331
Mid year budgets
Precept estimates
Clerk hours and pay review – to be done in closed session
Meeting dates for 2021
Community engagement
10 Date and Time of next meeting –
Tuesday 10th November 2020 at 6.30pm
Meeting closed 9.15pm.
Moved to Closed Session.
---------------
Minutes of the Closed session of the Parish Council Meeting of North Kelsey Parish Council held at the Village Hall, North Kelsey on Tuesday 13th October 2020 at 9.15pm. The meeting was also held online, at 9.15pm on 13th October 2020.
Those present at the Village Hall: Councillors D Weir, R Smith, Cllr P Bryan ( chair) L Barker, H Burrows.
Those present by electronic meeting Zoom: Cllr S March.
1To receive apologies and reasons for absence Ref 20/332
Cllr M Williams. J Waite ( Clerk )
2 To receive declarations of interest under the Localism Act 2011 – being any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests. Ref 20/333
None.
3 To resolve a response to email raising concern about working relationships within the council. Ref 20/334.
It was resolved that no further action to be taken on this matter.
Meeting Closed 9.30pm.