MINUTES: FINANCE & RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 6th July 2020 at 7pm via video conferencing.
Present: Cllr Mike Facey (Chairman), Cllrs Peter Clayton, Bill Hancock, Louise Parkin, Allan Matthews, Phil Harvey, Sue Harvey, Mike Murphy, Andrew Brewer with Sally Jones (RFO) and Lorna Williams Deputy Clerk in attendance.
One member of the press was present, there were no members of the public present.
Public Participation
There were no speakers.
22/20/F&R Apologies
Cllr Chris Allen
Cllr Nick Tolley
Cllr Helen Groves was absent
23/20/F&R Declarations of Interest in items on this agenda & dispensations granted
There were no declarations made.
24/20/F&R Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the Finance & Resources Committee held on 27th April 2020 were approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
The draft HR Sub-Committee minutes from the meeting held on 4th June 2020 were noted.
25/20/F&R Action List
The Action List was noted as ongoing
Motions for note/resolution
26/20/F&R To review the Council’s contributions to supporting the 67 bus service.
It was resolved that a letter should be sent to Somerset County Council to ask for a review of the contribution that is being paid by the Town Council as it is disproportionate in relation to the other parishes who benefit from the route. A review of the timetable will be requested in this letter to see whether it can be changed to enable a Burnham or Highbridge visitor a longer day visit to Wells.
27/20/F&R To note the potential costs of COVID-19
The potential costs of Covid-19 were noted and it was resolved that the additional expenditure that will occur in additional cleaning materials and PPE will be paid for by the ear marked reserve 4923 501 Property Maintenance.
28/20/F&R To consider changing the standard grant process
The following amendments to the grants policy were resolved:
1.That a maximum cap will be put on the grants of £2,500. With a caveat that if a larger grant request was put forward and it was clear that it would proportionally benefit a lot of our residents then an application over £2,500 would be considered by the Chair and RFO with subsequent referral to the Committee for approval.
2. Applicants should evidence that they are match funding to some extent.
3.To increase the requirement for the provision of accounts and that a copy of the certified audited accounts for the last two years would be requested as part of the application. In the case of smaller organisations, income and expenditure statements for the last two years certified by a qualified accountant may be submitted instead. Where such statements have not been certified, they must be signed by two persons from within the organisation who have been appointed to act as auditors.
4. That a copy of a business plan will be required when core costs are applied for detailing what activities the group has planned over the next three years and how they will be funded. Core costs should only be applied for no more than once every three years. An example of core costs would be ongoing running costs such as rent.
5. Confirmation that the group holds the following as part of the application form:
a) Adequate insurance for activities, events, staff, premises, equipment, vehicles.
b) Disclosure and barring checks must be in place for anyone working with children and vulnerable adults
c) That a safeguarding policy and/or child protection policy is in place
d) That safeguarding training is in place for anyone working with vulnerable adults and young children
29/20/F&R To receive an update on the current rapid Covid-19 grants and decide how to proceed up until the next grants meeting
It was resolved to continue with the Covid-19 grant scheme until 7th September and then revert to the standard grants process.
It was further resolved to set aside £3,000 out of the grants budget to support groups in case of a potential Covid-19 spike over the winter.
30/20/F&R To receive an update on the financial position of the Princess Theatre
The report on the financial position of the Princess Theatre was noted, the Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) provided an update that the Business Development Officer (BDO) has received confirmation that the Theatre will be receiving a £10,000 Discretionary Grant via Sedgemoor District Council. The Councillors noted that the BDO has been working really hard on reducing costs and were confident that the amount left would be covered by the Council or by a grant before the end of the financial year.
31/20/F&R Financial Reports
The financial reports were received and noted.
32/20/F&R Date of Next meeting
It was noted that the next meeting of this committee will be held on 21st September 2020 at 7pm.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 19:38