2 December 2024 - DRAFT Finance Committee
Minutes of the Ruskington Parish Council Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday 2 December 2024 at 6.30pm at Ruskington Parish Office.
Present: Cllr O Ditch (Chairman of the Committee), Cllr C Bain, Cllr S Cotter, Cllr G Cox, Cllr Trolley
In attendance: Kirsty Sinclair (Deputy Clerk & RFO), Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council)
No members of the public or press were present.
The Chairman opened the meeting at 6.30pm and welcomed the delegates. Cllr Bain advised that due to work commitments he would need to leave the meeting before 8pm. The Chairman advised that if the Committee agreed, the closed session could be brought forward to ensure HR matters were considered before Cllr Bain (Chairman of the HR Committee) had to leave the meeting. This would be considered later in the meeting.
1. To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.
All Councillors were present at the meeting.
2. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.
Cllr Cotter declared an interest in agenda items 11 and 12 (staff pay and staff pensions) as she was related to a member of staff. Cllr Cotter would leave the meeting whilst these matters were considered.
3. To approve as a correct record the notes of the last meeting held on 1 October 2024.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to approve the notes of the meeting as accurate Minutes. Proposed by Cllr Cotter, seconded by Cllr Ditch and approved with three votes in favour and two abstentions (councillors had not been present at the previous meeting).
The Chairman signed the Minutes.
4. To receive the financial reports up to 31 October 2024.
The reports had been circulated prior to the meeting. The RFO explained the information, provided an overview, advised on the expenditure that had not been allocated in the annual budget, and answered questions. Although Council had an underspend of £4,392.00 on the current year’s budget, reserves were very low due to unbudgeted expenditure. The high electric bills for the parish office were discussed and the RFO advised that this was being investigated.
5. To consider the auditor for undertaking the internal audits for 2024-2025 for recommending to Council at its meeting on 10 December 2024.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that LALC be asked to allocate an internal auditor for the 2024-2025 internal audits. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Cotter and approved unanimously.
At this point in the meeting the Chairman asked the Committee to consider bringing forward the closed session to allow HR matters to be considered before Cllr Bain had to leave the meeting.
6. To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss the staffing matters below.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to exclude the public and press to discuss the confidential matters below. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Cox and approved unanimously.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 6.54pm and Cllr Cotter left the meeting.
The meeting re-convened in at 6.55pm. The Clerk and RFO presented information to the Committee then left the meeting at 6.58pm.
7. To consider staff pay for FY 2025-2026. (Information previously circulated, including the increase in employer NI contributions from 1 April 2025).
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to approve the staff pay for 2025-2026 for recommending to Council. Proposed by Cllr Bain, seconded by Cllr Ditch and approved unanimously.
7.1. To consider the RFO’s pay scale FY 2025-2026.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that the RFO advance to SCP 33 of the NJC pay scale points into LC3 (below substantive range). Proposed by Cllr Ditch, seconded by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
8. To consider council’s contributions to pensions for all eligible staff for FY 2025-2026.
The information had been circulated prior to the meeting.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council to not increase its contributions to staff pensions in FY 2025-2026, to enable reserves to increase. Pensions would be reviewed for 2026-2027 with a guarantee to raise the employer contribution to 17%, and possibly 20% if the budget allowed. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Cox and approved unanimously.
At this point the closed session ended. Cllr Bain left the meeting at 7.44pm. The Clerk and RFO returned to the meeting at 7.44pm and Cllr Cotter returned to the meeting at 7.55pm.
The meeting re-convened as a public meeting at 7.55pm.
9. To review current bank charges and consider alternative banking options for recommending to Council at its meeting on 10 December 2024.
The RFO advised that bank charges for the Council’s current account had risen. Research had been undertaken to find alternative banking options suitable for a parish council, but none was found. The RFO had shared this information prior to the meeting and recommended that Council continue to bank with Lloyds Bank.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to continue its banking with Lloyds Bank. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Cox and approved unanimously.
10. To consider/ agree the budget requirements for FY2023-2024 for recommending to Council at its next meeting on 10 December 2024.
Information had been circulated prior to the meeting by the RFO and was also displayed at the meeting. This was discussed in detail and the RFO answered questions. Items for future projects, as previously agreed by Council, were considered for including in the budget: to improve the path in the Garden of Remembrance (this had not been undertaken in 2024), to improve the three entrances to Horseshoe Hollow, the expenditure for clearing the south field ditch at Parkfield playing fields, and to purchase the decals the parish office windows and parish van. It was also considered that reserves would need to increase.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the draft budget to Council at its meeting on 10 December 2024, and to recommend the following to Council: -
- To purchase, one self-closing gate for Parkfield play area (this had received an amber warning in the 2024 ROSPA inspection) at a cost of £890, for fitting by the Caretaker for Buildings and Play Areas. The other gates to be included in future budgets.
- To purchase a noticeboard for the exterior office wall at a cost of £442.74 incl VAT (as a replacement for the one in the Winchelsea Centre carpark which lets in water).
- Not to renew the subscription to the LALC training scheme for 2025-2026 as all the training attended in 2024 was external to the training scheme.
- To discontinue the Signpost magazine after its spring 2025 issue (the monthly e-newsletters could be printed on request or printed and distributed to agreed locations. Information on how to obtain the newsletters could be shared using QR codes.)
- Not to renew the licenses for the radio and remove the radio from the office.
- For the Environment Caretaker to provide a recommendation for the continuation of the subscription to “God’s Acre” and explain how this benefitted his work.
Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Ditch and approved unanimously.
11. To consider/agree the precept requirements for year 2025-2026 for recommending to Council at its next meeting on 10 December 2024.
The precept calculator for 2025-2026 was not yet available. It was expected to receive this from NKDC in December.
12. To confirm the date of the next Finance Committee meeting as Tuesday 7 January 2025 at 6.30pm at the Parish Office.
Action: The Committee confirmed that the meeting to finalise the budget and precept would take place on Tuesday 7 January 2025 at 6.30pm at the Parish Office. Cllr Cox advised that he may need to send his apologies for this meeting.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.50pm.