1 July 2025 - DRAFT Finance Committee
Minutes of the Ruskington Parish Council Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday
1 July 2025 at 6.00pm at Ruskington Parish Office.
Present: Cllr O Ditch (Chairman of the Committee), Cllr Bain, Cllr S Cotter (arrived at 6.34pm), Cllr D Conway, Cllr B Harrison, Cllr Trolley
In attendance: Kirsty Sinclair (Deputy Clerk & RFO), Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council)
Apologies: Cllr G Cox
No members of the public or press were present.
1. To elect a Chairman for the remainder of the civic year.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to elect Cllr Ditch as the Chairman of the Finance Committee for the ensuing civic year. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
2. To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.
Cllr Cox had been unable to attend the meeting and had sent valid apologies.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to accept Cllr Cox’s apologies. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
3. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.
No declarations were made at this time.
4. To approve as a correct record the notes of the last meeting held on 29 April 2025.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to approve the notes of the last meeting as accurate Minutes. Proposed by Cllr Bain, seconded by Cllr Trolley and approved with four votes for and two abstentions. (Councillors had not been present at the previous meeting.)
The Chairman signed the Minutes.
5. To review the accounts and schedule of reserves at the end of the first quarter of the financial year and agree any recommendations for making to Council.
At 6.34pm Cllr Cotter arrived at the meeting and declared an interest in agenda item 14. (Related to a member of staff.)
The RFO gave an overview of Council’s finances and reserves. Council was working within its budget, and no expenditure had been taken from the reserves. The transferral of £10,000 from the Lloyds Bank current account to the Dudley Building Society savings account had been made. The financial information was scrutinised in detail and the RFO answered questions.
6. To consider community projects for the CIL money awarded from NKDC.
CIL to the value of £13,961.00 had been received from NKDC following housing development in Ruskington. Of this amount, Council had previously earmarked £1,617.05 for the community garden and £4,787.39 for the pavilion refurbishment, leaving a total of £7,556.56 remaining. As the CIL money for the pavilion had been approved over six months ago, this could be reallocated, which would provide an amount of £12,344.11 for suitable projects. Ideas for projects were discussed, including the Hexpave system for the creation of an overflow carpark at Parkfield playing fields, (as mentioned at the Council meeting on 10 June 2025), the upgrade to the path in the Garden of Remembrance, (this previously approved project had been delayed and the cost of materials had increased), and the pavilion renovation.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that up to £1,300 be allocated for the upgrade of the path in the Garden of Remembrance. The remainder of the money to be earmarked for the pavilion and reconsidered when the outcome of the planning application for the pavilion and carparking was known. Proposed by Cllr Conway, seconded by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
7. To review the following Council documents and agree any amendments for recommending to Council:
The policies had been available prior to the meeting and amendments had been recommended.
7.1. Risk Management Scheme.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the Risk Management Scheme to Council for approval with the amendments included. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, second by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
7.2. Freedom of Information Publication Scheme & Schedule of Charges.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the Freedom of Information Publication Scheme & Schedule of Charges to Council with the amendments included. Proposed by Cllr Bain, seconded by Cllr Harrison and approved unanimously.
7.3. Community Grant Application Form. (Grant applications are considered at the October meeting of Council.)
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend the Community Grant Application Form to Council with the amendments included. Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by CllrBain, and approved unanimously.
8. To consider the format for a report for the RFO to provide an overview of Council finances at Council meetings. This is in addition to the detailed financial information already provided.
The report was to be in addition to the monthly reports produced by the RFO using Quickbooks and was required to provide an easy-to-understand overview of the Councill’s finances with any anomalies, such as an overspends, highlighted. The report was discussed in detail and various examples were considered, including a financial report published in the LALC’s 2024-2025 Annual Report. This used a coloured “traffic light” system, whereby green meant working within budget, amber highlighted a possible adverse trend and red meant an overspend.
Action: The Committee asked the RFO to create an overview of its finances using the example shown in LALC’s Annual Report as guidance. This would be available for the Council meeting on 8 July 2025 and would be reviewed at this time.
9. To consider the expenditure of £1,560.00 for a contractor to undertake a 50% pollard (reduction) of the two sycamore trees at the entrance from Lincoln Road to Horseshoe Hollow.
This had been recommended by the Environment Caretaker to prevent the trees overhanging residential properties and the footpaths, to prevent interference with the BT line, and to reduce the sail effect of the trees in high winds. (It was proposed that the trees then be pollarded every 2- 3 years.) This was discussed in detail. It was noted that pollarding the sycamore trees may encourage vigorous regrowth.
Action: The Environment Caretaker to be asked to provide more information on why the tree work was required, and if a more economical method was possible to manage the trees. Any concerns about the trees touching the BT wires to be referred to BT who would undertake any necessary work.
10. To consider the revised expenditure for the Caretakers to improve the path in the Garden of Remembrance.
This previously agreed project had been unavoidably delayed and revised costs for the path improvement (materials, equipment hire, removal of waste) had had been itemised and supplied by the Environment Caretaker. The new cost was £2224.05
Action: This had been resolved in agenda item 6, above. The Committee was recommending to Council that up to £1,300 of the CIL money be earmarked for this project to supplement the previously approved expenditure.
11. To consider fundraising options for Council to raise money for projects - Cllr Bain.
Cllr Bain presented a detailed overview of ideas for fundraising activities, which included examples from other councils and community groups. Ideas included holding events, the hiring of Council facilities, and a lottery. Cllr Bain advised that he was happy to lead on any fundraising events, and answered questions on his proposals.
Action: Cllr Bain to make his presentation to full council on 8 July 2025. A sub-committee or working parking would be required to investigate the ideas and to plan fundraising events.
12. To confirm the date for the next scheduled Finance Committee meeting as Tuesday 7 October 2025 at 6.30pm.
This meeting would commence the budget and precept setting process for FY 2026-2027 and would include the review of all community grant applications received.
Action: The meeting was confirmed for Tuesday 7 October 2025 at 6.30pm.
13. 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 move into closed session and exclude the public and press.
Proposed by Cllr Harrison, seconded by Cllr Trolley and approved unanimously.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.07pm. Cllr Cotter left the meeting. The meeting reconvened at 8.08pm.
14. To consider a recommendation from Cllr Ditch, and a review of staff pay, for informing the 2026 -2027 budget.
Cllr Ditch presented his recommendation and this was discussed. It was noted that the HR Committee would be conducting its annual review of staff pay, job descriptions, and pension contributions at an upcoming meeting for informing the 2026-2027 budget.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that from 1 April 2026, the two staff members be moved up one increment on the NJC pay scale into pay band LC1 (13-17 substantive). Proposed by Cllr Trolley, seconded by Cllr Bain and approved unanimously.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 8.40pm.