January 2021 Minutes
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of North Kelsey Parish Council held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 12th January 2021 at 6.30pm
Meeting viewed online by electronic format Zoom on Tuesday 12th January 2021 at 6.30pm
Those present at the hall : Cllr L Barker, Cllr R Smith ( chair ) , H Burrows, M Williams, D Hunt.
Those present via zoom : Councillors D Weir. S March.
In attendance: J Waite (Clerk)
1To receive apologies and reasons for absence Ref 20/355
Cllr P Bryan – delayed and may join later, 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 20/356
Cllr M Williams – Disclosable Pecuniary Interest - Grass cutting contract.
3 To approve draft minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council, held on 8th December 2020. Ref 20/357
Resolved to approve as a true record.
Proposed Cllr D Hunt. Seconded Cllr H Burrows. All in favour.
4 Public Questions Ref 20/358
A resident has contacted Cllr D Hunt asking about grave yard records. Councillors D Hunt, M Williams and H Burrows have given permission for their phone numbers to be given out on the facebook page and website to make communication easier.
5 District Council Report Ref 20/359
No report received.
6 Clerk’s report Ref 20/360
The email address to contact the Clerk is clerk.northkelseyparish@gmail.com
There is currently 1 casual vacancy for the council – the Clerk has received no nominations.
No requests for Covid support have been received from residents.
Council facebook page to help promote council meetings and information accessed by many residents, items to be included can be emailed to the Clerk. New photos are needed to update on the site. Councillors requested litter picking post be updated to include North Kelsey Moor.
A resident has emailed about the broken fence between their land and the wildlife area at the park. A number of logs have been thrown onto their land and they would like them removing and putting back in the wildlife area. Clerk to arrange this.
New website has now been published https://north-kelsey.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/
There is still information needing to be up dated and published, the Clerk asked those councillors involved in other groups around the village to ask for information they want adding.
As previously agreed, (page 082 min ref 20/197 item 7, Tuesday 12th May 2020) extra hours for the Clerk time to set up new website – 9 hours now owed.
Resolved to add 9 extra hours to January salary payment.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr S March. All in favour.
Items for inclusion to the website such as school phone numbers and website details, local groups, etc were discussed.
Cllr P Bryan joined the meeting.
Community engagement ideas – £500 grant from councillor funding at WLDC has been received for an event to be held post lockdown.
Caistor Lions are hoping to receive grant funding and would like to donate benches to the village – possibly for either the village green or playing field.
Personnel committee – council discussed the issue of setting up a personnel committee and agreeing terms of reference. It was decided not to do this at the present time, and to appoint councillors as needed when issues arise. The annual review has not yet been arranged for the clerk, and the Clerk requested that this is moved forward, as it has been discussed for 3 monthly meetings now with no arrangements made.
It was resolved to hold a short meeting after this meeting closes, without the clerk present for Councillors to raise any issues they felt necessary to the Chair, Cllr P Bryan.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr DHunt. All in favour.
Clerk has contacted the firm offering to make a welcome sign for the village to ask about size and designs possible, and the inclusion of a notice board. They are to submit a design and also a quote for a second sign / noticeboard for North Kelsey Moor.
7. Financial Matters Ref 20/361
Payments to be made by direct debit.
There is a credit of £1621.04 on the water bill, due to the issues with the meter reading. Clerk to contact Wave to have this money repaid to the council.
Payments to be made by BACS.
Salaries £314.04
Clerks Expenses and Disbursements £40.39
JB Rural Services – playing field fencing £480.00
Payments to be made by cheque.
None.
The expenses claim includes the Zoom monthly membership of £14.39 paid by the Clerk.
Resolved to approve payments.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr L Barker. All in favour.
Budget update figures and the final precept were discussed.
Resolved to set precept for 2021/22 at £18000.00, with a zero increase on last year.
Proposed Cllr M Williams. Seconded Cllr R Smith. All in favour.
Review of clerk hours and payscale will be arranged once annual review has taken place.
Handyman position – discussion of type of jobs / need for a village handyman was held but councillors felt that at the present time it was better to continue to look for volunteers from residents in the villages to conduct activities such as litter picks, and for councillors to continue to tidy the cemetery and wildlife area rather than employ someone. It was agreed to add volunteer activities to the next agenda, and look at issues where councillors could ask residents to help out.
Proposed Cllr D Hunt. Seconded Cllr M Wiliams.
Votes for - 6
Votes against - 2
Resolution carried.
8 Planning applications and decisions received Ref 20/362
No applications discussed
9 Parish matters – To receive any report or consider any appropriate action Ref 20/363
a) Cemetery - a quote to cut the hedge on the left hand side of the cemetery, bordering Mr Patricks land has been received, at £175.00 plus VAT. A further attempt will be made by the Clerk to contact Mr Patrick as to permission, then the contractor will be asked to cut the hedge.
Proposed Cllr R Smith. Seconded Cllr S March. All in favour.
Wreath containing plastic and no biodegradable materials were placed in the cemetery over Christmas. The sign put up by the clerk has been removed. It was proposed to have a permeant sign made, as only eco wreaths as permitted. Cllr Bryan will remove Christmas wreaths at the end of January, in line with cemetery policy.
Proposed Cllr P Bryan. Seconded Cllr D Weir. All in favour.
Litter was collected in the cemetery by the clerk and Cllr Bryan but this is an ongoing problem.
b) Grounds Maintenance - the 30 mph road sign on Carr Road has been replaced and the pothole on Easthall Road is to be filled in. Issues to be reported – Cemetery Lane road surface subsidence, potholes on West Street and Church Street. The hedge belonging to Clarendon property is over growing the pavement. Litter in the area surrounding the village and on the playing field is still an issue. Cllrs D Hunt and M Williams volunteered to deal with this.
c) Play Area - The mole problem is starting to come under control.
A quote of £500 plus VAT has been received to cut the playing field hedge. All other contractors contacted did not submit quotes.
Proposed to accept this quote.
Proposed Cllr S March. Seconded Cllr R Smith.
Votes for - 7
Votes against - 1
Resolution carried and quote accepted.
d) Wild Life Area – covid response grant is in process of being submitted.
WL Green Spaces fund – project may not meet the criteria.
Woodland Trust will donate trees to this type of project, and although it was not felt appropriate for this project council could apply for trees to go on the playing field and for other areas of the village.
10 To receive general comments from members for consideration on the next agenda. Ref 20/364
Expenses policy
Annual leave policy
Safe guarding policy
Plan volunteers list
Problems with pavements
11 Date and Time of next meeting –
Tuesday 9th February 2021 at 6.30pm
Meeting closed 9.05pm.