31 October 2017 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING OF POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE
TO:All Members of the Policy & Resources Committee
Cllrs B Austin, D Bretherton, D Butler, N Champken-Woods (Deputy Chairman), N Dixon, D Dodds, M Dyer (Chairman), H Fickling, C Jones and P Lambert Ex Officio (Voting) Members – T Wyse (Town Mayor) and L Emery (Deputy Mayor)
To: All other Members for information
VENUE: Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall
DATE: Tuesday 31 October 2017
TIME: 6.30 pm (maximum two hours)
Graham Hunt
Clerk of the Council
Date: 25 October 2017
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3. Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4. Investment Portfolio
(a) To receive an annual report from Rupert Baron and Andrew Hess of Rathbone Brothers plc.
(b) To appoint an additional Councillor as a trustee on the Rathbones Investment Account.
5. Citizens Advice
To receive a presentation from Jon Bright, Director of Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South & Vale on their work in Thame.
6. Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 1 August 2017.
7. Financial Update
a) Budget Summary: To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.
7a. P&R Budgetary Control to 30-09-17
b) Balance Sheet: To note balance sheet as at 30 September 2017.
8. Financial Overspends
To note that there are no budget lines greater than £100 overspent to report this quarter.
9. Investment Update
To note the summary of the investment performance.
9. Portfolio Performance Summary
10.Fixed Term Deposits
To note that in line with the Investment Strategy, and specific past resolutions re Treasury Management, that:a) the Council has transferred the £50,000 that matured on 6 October 2017 (9 months at 0.7%) into the 32 day notice account at 0.32%.b) the Council has transferred the £100,000 that matured on 23 October 2017 (12 months at 1%) into the 32 day notice account at 0.32%.c) the Council has transferred an additional £100,000 from its current account (0.01%) into the 32 day notice account at 0.32%.d) the Council is progressing a further £100,000 transfer from its current account into a 12 month fixed term deposit at United Trust Bank at 1.45%.
The Council now has £450,000 in its 32 day notice account which will mean careful cash flow management (especially in February/March and July/August when spare funds are their lowest).
Interest rates (currently at derisory levels) will be watched closely and the opportunity taken to transfer into higher return deposits should there be a better offer that materialises.
11. Reports from Representatives on External Organisations
11. Reports – External Organisations
To receive reports from the nominated representatives on:
a) Barns Centre (Cllrs Butler and Dodds)
b) Citizens Advice (Cllr Austin)
c) Health Hub (Cllr Champken-Woods)
d) NALC (Cllr Dyer)
e) Red Kite Family Centre (Cllrs Emery & Wyse)
f) Thame Business Forum (Cllr Dyer)
g) Thame & District Day Centre (Cllr Midwinter)
h) Thame & District Housing Association (Cllr Butler)
i) Thame Youth Memorial Trust (Cllr Lambert)
j) 21st Century Thame (Cllr Emery and Fickling)
k) Welfare Trust (Cllr Champken-Woods)
12. Internal Audit
To receive the First Interim Internal Audit Report 2017-18.
12a. Internal Audit First Interim Report 2017-18
13.Terrorism Policy
To consider adopting a new Terrorism Policy.
14. Insurance Strategy
To review and adopt the revised Insurance Strategy.
14. Report – Insurance Strategy
15. Excess Charge Tickets
To approve in principle the online payment of Excess Charge Tickets via the Town Council website.
15. Report – Parking Fine Payments via the Council’s Website
16. Thame Museum Building Improvement Project
To receive a written update.
16. Report – Thame Museum Building Improvement Project
17.Town Council Website
To receive a verbal update on the integrated business solution for the Town Council’s website.
18. Upper Chamber Acoustics
To receive a written update.
18. Report – Upper Chamber Acoustics
19. War Memorial
To note that at the Budget Working Group meeting on 10 October 2017 it was proposed to thoroughly clean (in line with War Memorial / Civic Society best practice) the War Memorial in advance of Sunday 11 November 2018, which will mark the centenary of the end of the first World War. Any further refurbishment works (along with the addition of missing names) will be scheduled with the Thame Remembers project for completion by 2021.
20. Memorial Bench at Southern Road Recreation Ground
To receive any relevant update from Cllr David Bretherton
21. Land Disposal
a) To note that two separate requests received from residents to purchase public open space land on Pickenfield have been declined as in the opinion of the Town Clerk (in line with para 3.9 of the Land Acquisition and Disposal Policy) the requests did not meet the criteria for land disposal by the Council.
b) To note that a further request has been received with regard to the purchase of land to the rear of 54 Cromwell Avenue. In this case the Town Clerk does believe that a small triangle of land may meet the criteria. The Asset Manager is establishing further details, which may include a survey of local residents, before bringing to the Committee for further discussion.
22. Free Use / De-Minimis Delegated Authority
To note that the Town Clerk, through De Minimis delegated authority, has granted the following:
a) Portable sound system temporarily loaned to the Fire Service.
b) £500 contribution allocated from Localism Reserve to help solve long term flooding issue on footway in Lea Park.
c) Insurance cover for Speed Indicator Device operation in Moreton.
d) TAL provisional Upper Chamber dates for 2018 / 19 / 20.
e) Town Hall stairs for art event as part of art crawl.
f) Use of the Chamber at Charity Rate for Oxfordshire NHS
23. Memorial Policy
To note that work is underway on establishing details for a potential Memorial Policy, to help ensure consistency.
24. Compliments & Complaints
To note the report.
24. Compliments & Complaints 30.09.17
25. Parking Attendant
To note that Roberta Silva, Saturday Car Park Attendant commenced employment on 17 August 2017.
26. Maintenance Assistant
To note that replacement recruitment for a Maintenance Assistant is now underway.
27.For Information
a) CCTV Q1 & Q2 updates.
b) Christmas closure – to note the Town Hall will be closed from 4.30pm on Friday 22 December 2017 and will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2 January 2018.