Ruskington Parish Council

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of Ruskington Parish Council held remotely on Tuesday 27 April 2021 at 7.00pm via Microsoft 365 Teams.

One member of the public was in attendance. (The applicant for co-option.)

At the request of the Chairman a one-minute silence was held in Remembrance of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Following this, the Chairman welcomed the delegates and member of the public to the meeting and welcomed Cllr Menday to the Council following their co-option at the last meeting. As there were no comments or questions from the member of the public, the Chairman opened the meeting at 7.03pm.

1.  Apologies for absence.

All Members were present at the meeting.

2. Declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.

Cllr Conway and Cllr Cunningham declared an interest in agenda item 25 below as both were involved in the management of the library.

3. To approve as a correct record the notes of the ordinary meeting held remotely on Tuesday 30 March 2021.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve the notes of the ordinary meeting as accurate minutes. Proposed by Cllr Cunningham, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved with 7 for and 3 abstentions.

4. Financial Matters

Information had been circulated by the RFO prior to the meeting.

   4.1. To consider approval of payments made since the last ordinary meeting held on 30 March 2021.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve all payments made since the last meeting. Proposed by Cllr Ditch, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved with 9 for and 1 abstention.

   4.2. To consider approval of payments made in April 2021.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve all payments made in April 2021. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved with 9 for and 1 abstention.

   4.3.  To consider approval of the bank reconciliations since the last meeting held on 30 March 2021.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve the bank reconciliation. Proposed by Cllr Fryer, seconded by Cllr Cunningham, and approved with 9 for and 1 abstention.

   4.4.  To review the financial reserves following recommendations by the Finance & Policy Committee following a meeting held on 20 April 2021.

Cllr White gave an overview of the recommendations made at the Finance and Policy meeting held on 20 April 2021. The RFO had circulated an amended copy of the reserves to show the recommendations.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve the reserves following the recommended amendments by the RFO.  Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Fryer and approved unanimously.

   4.5. To consider renewing the contract with the Pest Controller for one year, commencing 1 June 2021, at a cost of £1,000.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to renew the contract for one year as this remained cost effective. Proposed by Cllr Cunningham, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved unanimously.

   4.5.  To consider expenditure for storage cupboards for the parish office for the operatives’ office and the secure storage of archived folders at a cost of £649 excluding VAT.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to approve the purchase and expenditure for the storage at a cost of £649 excluding VAT. Further storage to be purchased as required following a review of the Council’s document retention policy. Proposed by Cllr Conway, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously.

5. To receive the Clerk’s report.

This had been circulated prior to the meeting. As an update, the Clerk advised that the internal auditor had collected the financial documents for the audit and hoped to provide a report in time for the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on 4 May 2021. The contractor has been contacted regarding the boundary fence at Parkfield but no date for the work was known. The Clerk would chase this up.

6. To receive an update on the co-option to Ruskington Parish Council and co-opt as required.

The applicant was present at the meeting and Council asked a few questions. The Chairman considered if the vote should take place in closed session.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to move the vote for the co-option into closed session. Proposed by Cllr Fryer, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously.

The Chairman invited the candidate to stay for the meeting if they wished to do so.

At this point in the meeting, the candidate left the meeting.

7. To consider a new date and agree a venue for holding the Annual Parish Meeting due to current pandemic restrictions on public meetings.

Action: Due to the restrictions remaining in place, the Annual Parish Meeting would be held later in the year and within government and LALC guidelines. The grounds of the Parish Office to be the venue with the option of using the Winchelsea Centre if the weather was inclement. 

8. To review, and adopt as required, the following policies: -

   8.1.  Risk Assessment

   8.2.  Risk Management

   8.3.  Draft policy for Data Retention and Disposal.

Action: Following discussion, all three policies would be peer reviewed and presented for adoption at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on 4 May 2021, if available.

 9.  To review and adopt the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the following roles and committees: -

        a. Chairman of Council  - No amendments required.

        b. Vice-Chairman of Council -  No amendments required.

        c. Finance and Policy Committee – No amendments required

        d. Environment Policy – Amend to state: “The Chairman or a representative to sit on the Finance & Policy Committee”.

         e. Planning Committee - Change to state: “The Chairman or a representative to sit on the Finance & Policy Committee”.

          f. Recreation Committee – Amendment 1: “The Council has delegated powers to the Committee to approve requests to use the sporting facilities.”  Amendment 2:  “The Chairman or a representative to sit on the Finance & Policy Committee”

          g. Delegates to Outside Agencies – Amend to remove the HVCS.

          h. HR Committee - Amend to state: “The Chairman or a representative to sit on the Finance & Policy Committee”.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to adopt all the Terms of Reference subject to the agreed amendments being made. Proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Fryer and approved unanimously.

10.  To elect members to the Emergency Planning Committee.

Cllr Cunningham provided a background to the Community Emergency Plan. Currently Cllrs Cunningham, White and Cox were the only delegates on the committee. Both councillor and non-councillor members were required for the committee and the Plan required a review and update.

No new members were elected.

   10.1.  To elect a Chairman for the Emergency Planning Committee.

No chairman was elected. Cllr Menday requested further information and a copy of the plan.

Action: The Clerk to share the link to the Emergency Plan with Cllr Menday and Council.

11.  Recreation Committee - Cllr White, Chairman of the Recreation Committee: -

     11.1. To consider a resident’s request to play tennis at the MUGA and agree access to the Pavilion storeroom.

The storage, setting up and clearing away of the tennis equipment was still being investigated by the Recreation Committee. Cllr White requested the Recreation Committee members respond to his emailed proposal.

     11.2. To consider re-opening the changing rooms at the Pavilion for use by the football teams.

No decision was available. Cllr White requested Recreation Committee members to respond to his email about this matter.

     11.3.  To consider a barrier for the entrance to Parkfield car park to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Action: Further quotes were required and costs for a security firm made known before the matter could be resolved.

12.  To consider planting a tree in the Memorial Garden in remembrance of the Duke of Edinburgh - Cllr Conway, Chairman of the Environment Committee.

Action: The Council RESOLVED for the Environment Committee to recommend the best type of tree to be planted in the Memorial Garden; for the local Duke of Edinburgh candidates to be involved in its planting, and for an inscribed plaque be erected. Proposed by Cllr Conway, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously.

13. Planning applications: 

Cllr Cunningham, Chairman of the Planning Committee asked for any questions on the planning information previously circulated, and advised that a property developer had written to the Council regarding proposed plans for 42 Manor Street which could lead to the loss of protected trees and amenity land.  No planning application had been received from NKDC in conjunction with these plans so no comments could be made. 

   13.1. To re-consider names for roads on the Flaxwell Fields development at the request of NKDC.

NKDC had advised that two of the road names submitted by the Council were similar to ones in use in Metheringham, and therefore alterative names were requested.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to submit the previous road names as the post codes would be different, plus the following: Kesteven Way; Legion Way and Centurion Way. Proposed by Cllr Cunningham, seconded by Cllr Fryer and approved unanimously.

14. Correspondence - for information only (Circulated to Councillors prior to the meeting).

  a. Visitor - Compliments on the key workers bench and the village

  b. LCC – Public consultation survey for a Zebra crossing on Rectory Road, Ruskington

  c. Resident - Inaccurate information on the plaque under the village map on High Street North

15. To receive Councillors’ reports for information only and items for inclusion on the next agenda.

Cllr Fryer advised that a window display may be a better way for the Council to display its information and he had commenced research into this.  This would be an agenda item at the next ordinary meeting.

Cllr Cox advised that the Community Speed Watch had 18 volunteers, all the equipment had arrived and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) had agreed the locations. A date for the training was awaited and there were 25 communities on the waiting list. Cllr Cox asked if there was any way the training could be expediated.

Cllr Trolley had noticed some of the speed limit repeater signs around the village needed adjustments and had asked the handyman to do this.

Cllr Trolley reported the increasingly amounts of dogs off-lead at Parkfield playing fields on Sunday mornings.

Cllr Menday asked about a dog socialisation area – the Recreation Committee are researching this.

16. To receive District and County Councillors’ Reports – for information only.

Cllr Boston advised that:

• He would write to the LRSP and the next County Councillor regarding the Community Speed Watch training.
• During the pandemic NKDC had distributed over £28million in Covid Support Grants to small businesses; 15,000 calls had been made to vulnerable residents by NKDC staff, and Covid Ambassadors had been deployed to support local businesses and shops.
• The National Centre for Craft and Design was undergoing a £12million re-fit.
• The precept for a band D property had been kept at £174.90 for the year 2021-2022.
• Purple lidded bins for the separate recycling of cardboard and paper would be available from September 2021.

Cllr Boston was also pleased to note the proposed zebra crossing for Rectory Road and thanked LCC and D/Cllr Wright for their work in  the improvements to Holdingham roundabout and Sleaford Rugby Club junction and considered how this would help save lives.

D/Cllr Wright reported that:-

• The separate recycling of paper and cardboard would prevent contamination and ensure 90% of paper and card would be recycled.
• He would be contacting LRSP regarding the Community Speed Watch and stickers for the bins.
• NKDC was supporting the area in the recovery phrase of the pandemic and advised that the area was doing well economically due to the size and type of its businesses.
• Leisure centres were now open again.

Cty/Councillor Storer was not present, and no report had been received. .

17. To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss the following staffing, legal, and contractual matters.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to move into closed session to discuss the matters below. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Cunningham and approved unanimously.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.53pm and the District Councillors left the meeting.

The meeting re-opened at 8.54pm.

6.. (From above.) To receive an update on the co-option to Ruskington Parish Council and co-opt as required.

Action: The Council unanimously RESOLVED not to co-opt the applicant to the Parish Council.

18. To receive an overview of HR matters by the Chairman of the HR Committee following a meeting held on 26 April 2021.

The Chairman of Council thanked Cllr White for his time as the Chairman of the HR Committee and advised that at the HR Committee meeting held on 26 April 2021, Cllr Ditch had been elected as the Chairman of this Committee.

Cllr Ditch presented an overview of the committee meeting.

19. To consider increasing the RFO’s working hours from 30 hours per week to 37 hours per week.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to increase the RFO’s working hours to 37 per week commencing on 1 May 2021. Proposed by Cllr Conway, seconded by Cllr Tonge and approved unanimously.

20. To consider increasing the pay for the Clerk by 1-4 points following successful completion of the certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), in accordance with their Contract of Employment.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to increase the pay for the Clerk, with immediate effect, by one incremental point and to remove the substantive benchmark to allow progression to the top of the L2 pay scale range. [From 27 April 2021, the Clerk will be on L2 pay point 28.]

21. To consider increasing the pay for the RFO by 1-4 points following successful completion of the Certificate in Local Council Administration, in accordance with their Contract of Employment.

Action: The Council RESOLVED to increase the pay for the RFO, with immediate effect, by one incremental pay point and to remove the benchmarks to allow progression to the top of the LC2 pay scale range. [From 27 April 2021, the RFO will be on L2 pay point 23.]

22. To consider the advice from LALC’s HR adviser regarding the rationalisation of the Council’s workforce and a possible redundancy.

Action: Following advice from the HR Adviser, a consultation with the employees would be required. They could apply for the new role or consider job sharing.  The Clerk and Chairman of the Council would be meeting with an employee to discuss a performance and capability review.

23. To consider the recruitment and advertisement of a new, full time operative.

Action: On recommendation of the HR Committee the new operative would be employed on 30 hours per week until the rationalisation of the workforce was complete.

24.  To consider the temporary use of a local contractor / agency worker to cover the grounds maintenance role until a caretaker can be employed.

Action: On recommendation of the HR Committee a temporary and self-employed contractor would be hired to undertake the environment and grounds maintenance until a caretaker could be employed.

25. To consider the Council’s employment of Ruskington Library’s cleaner following advice from an independent employment consultant.

Advice had been sought from an independent HR consultant, LALC’s HR adviser and LALC.

Action: Ruskington Parish Council would provide pay roll services only to the library for the library cleaner. The library would provide the cleaning items and line management. A meeting to be held with representatives of the library management committee and an agreement drawn up.

26. To consider a contract with an independent HR Consultancy for all matters of staffing, employment and health and safety, including insurance with a monthly cost of £123 for 36 months or £101.00 for 60 months.

Action: On the recommendation of the HR committee there was no requirement to contract an HR Consultancy.

27. To consider the recommendation for the environment warden / caretaker to wear a body video camera whilst on patrol, following advice from various agencies, and agree any expenditure.

Action: On the recommendation of the HR Committee, this was deferred until the rationalisation of the workforce had been completed and the employment of a new caretaker had taken place.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.51pm.