Godalming Town Council

I hereby summons you to attend the Policy & Management Meeting to be held in The Council Chamber, Bridge Street, Godalming on 31st of July, 2008 at 7 15 PM.
Louise Goodfellow, Town Clerk.

▼ Show/hide Invitees

• SW Cosser (Chairman)
• T Martin (Vice-Chairman)
• JM Poulter .
• PMA Rivers .
• PJ Martin .
• RA Gordon-Smith .
• RJ Foxall .
• GS Barnes .
• SP Connolly .
• CM Gordon-Smith .
• JPJ Hubble .
• AK Lister .
• ML Peacock .
• NC Pinches .
• SN Reynolds .
• JR Thomson .
• JE Wheatley .
• CA Wilson .
• JE Woodham .

Agenda

1 MINUTES

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on the 17 July 2008, a copy of which has been circulated previously.

2 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

3 PETITIONS/STATEMENTS/QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The Chairman to respond to any petitions/statements/questions received from members of the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Standing Order 87.

4 DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS

To receive from Members, in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting, disclosure of any interests which are required to be disclosed by the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007 No.1159.
Members are requested to disclose, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, both the existence and nature of any 'Personal' or 'Prejudicial' interests that they may have in relation to matters for consideration on this agenda.
Personal Interests
(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (5) below, where a Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council and attends a meeting of the Council at which the business is considered, the Member must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.
(2) Where the Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council which relates to or is likely to affect a person described in paragraph 8(1)(a)(i) or 8(1)(a)(ii)(aa) of the Code of Conduct, the Member needs only disclose to the meeting the existence and nature of that interest when s/he addresses the meeting on that business.
(3) Where the Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council of the type mentioned in paragraph 8(1)(a)(viii) of the Code of Conduct, the Member need not disclose the nature or existence of that interest to the meeting if the interest was registered more than three years before the date of the meeting.
(4) Sub-paragraph (1) only applies where the Member is aware or ought reasonably to be aware of the existence of the personal interest.
(5) Where a Member has a personal interest but, by virtue of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct, sensitive information relating to it is not registered in the Town Council's register of members' interests, the Member must indicate to the meeting that s/he has a personal interest, but need not disclose the sensitive information to the meeting
Prejudicial Interests
Where a Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council that Member also has a prejudicial interest in that business where the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice that Member's judgement of the public interest. Where a Member has a prejudicial interest that Member must withdraw from the room or chamber where a meeting considering the business is being held.

5 ACCOUNTS PAID SINCE LAST MEETING

Finance Officer to report.

6 INTERNAL AUDIT AND ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2008

Members are asked to note that the internal audit for the financial year ending 31 March 2008 was completed on the 24 June 2008 (copy of the Internal Audit Report is attached for the information of Members).

Comments to note:

Item 1 An anomaly does exist in relation to the post of Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) due to historical circumstances. A further report relating to this will be given to the next meeting of the staffing Sub-Committee.

Item 3 A Risk Management policy has been adopted and the process is underway and would be reviewed annually. Not all areas have been subject to the process yet but as this is now an ongoing policy these would be encapsulated automatically. Staff training has been organised and staff will be attending training courses in the financial year 2008-09.  

Item 4 Town Council Assets had recently been revalued and photographed providing photographic records of the items.

Item 7 At revised estimate time it was agreed that the earmarked reserves of £158,858, which were considered no longer required, were transferred to the general reserve increasing the balance from £55,714 to £214,572. The general reserve now represents more than 50% of the annual precept.

Members are asked to note and approve the Annual Return, Statement of Accounts together with the Annual Governance Statement so that the audit report may be forwarded to the External Auditor, BDO Stoy Hayward, to enable the external audit to proceed (copy of the Annual Return, Statement of Accounts and Governance Statement will be tabled at the meeting).

7 HERITAGE OPEN DAYS - 13 & 14 SEPTEMBER 2008

As Members are aware the Town Council's offices together with the Council Chamber and Borough Hall will be open to the public for Heritage Open Days this year - to celebrate the Centenary of the Godalming Borough Council moving from the Old Town Hall (the Pepperpot) to new offices adjacent to the Borough Hall in 1908.

The Town Clerk has not yet completed arrangements for the two afternoons. However, some additional expenditure is likely to be required for display materials etc. One significant item of expenditure is likely to be the hire of a lockable display cabinet to enable the display of some items of Civic Regalia and silver although currently the Town Clerk is trying to locate one that could be borrowed at no expense.

Members are asked to consider making a budget of £500 available from the New Initiatives Fund for this one-off event.

Members are also asked to consider whether or not they could volunteer to help steward the event - stewards are required for each of the afternoons of Saturday, 13 September and Sunday, 14 September.

8 NEW FLAGPOLE FOR WAR MEMORIAL

Members are asked to note that at Remembrance Sunday last year it became apparent that the flagpole at the Town's War Memorial (opposite the Phillips Memorial) is unsafe. Specifically, the internal halyard is damaged and a flag cannot be raised without the initial use of a ladder, and indeed the halyard cannot now be placed back inside the flagpole.

A risk assessment identifies that the use of a ladder in such a location is unsafe and the Town Council does not have regular access to a hydraulic platform (hire costs in excess of £100 a time). The solution identified is to replace the flagpole with one with a hinged base plate - so that any maintenance work etc. can be carried out by lowering the flagpole to the ground.

The flagpole is in Waverley Borough Council's ownership - but the Town Council is the only user. Negotiations are on-going with Waverley's officers to obtain permission to replace the flagpole but it seems unlikely that this would be undertaken at Waverley's expense.

Therefore, Members are ask to agree that up to £1,000 be spent (from the agreed health & safety budget) on the purchase and installation of a new flagpole at the Town's War Memorial.

9 IMPREST ACCOUNTS FOR SENIOR STAFF

Increasingly senior members of the Town Council's staff find themselves making significant payments on behalf of the Town Council using personal debit and or credit cards, effectively subsidising the Town Council before reimbursement is made. The Town Clerk has taken advice from the Surrey County Association of Parish & Town Councils (SCAPTC) who have confirmed that; "it is not good practice these days for clerks or any other member of staff to be expected to use their own credit cards on official business".

The solution identified by the Town Clerk and the Finance Officer, and endorsed by SCAPTC, is to make imprest advances to the staff concerned enabling them to hold up to £500 of the Town Council's funds and meet operational and other necessary expenses from that sum - submitting vouchers and seeking regular reimbursement.  The full sum of £500 (less any outstanding reimbursement) to be repaid to the Council, or deducted from a final salary payment, when the officer leaves the Council's employment.

The following amendment to paragraph 6.4 of the Town Council's financial regulations would be required (amended/added words in bold & italics)

"The RFO may provide imprests to officers for the purpose of defraying operational and other expenses. Vouchers for payments made shall be forwarded to the RFO with a claim for reimbursement:
a)The RFO shall advance imprests up to a maximum of £500 for the purpose of defraying operational and other expenses to officers named by the Policy & Management Committee.
b)The RFO shall maintain a petty cash float of a maximum of £100 for the purpose of defraying operational and other expenses. Vouchers for payments made from petty cash shall be kept to substantiate the payment.
c)Income received must not be paid into the petty cash float but must be separately banked, as provided elsewhere in these regulations.
d)Payments to maintain the imprests and petty cash float shall be shown separately on the schedule of payments presented to Council under 5.2 above."
Members are asked to agree that:

·imprest advances up to £500 may be made to enable officers to defray operational and other expenses;

·financial regulations are amended, as above, to give effect to this change; and

·advances of £500 each are made to the two officers named in the confidential schedule (attached for the information of Members).

(Members are asked to note that it is unlawful for the Town Council to have a corporate credit card.)

10 GRANT AID - ALLOCATIONS FROM THE NEW INITIATIVES FUND

Hospital Hoppa
£5,000 is applied as a contribution to the Hospital Hoppa service.

A grant of £5,000 was made towards the service in each of 2007, 2006 and 2005. However, on 29 November 2007 (Minute 493-07 refers) when £5,000 was agreed as a grant to Hospital Hoppa Members stressed that no future funding was guaranteed and that they wished to receive more information from Hoppa about their services, take-up of those services and any future developments.

11 DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Policy & Management Committee is scheduled to be held on Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 7.15 pm in the Council Chamber or at the conclusion of the Planning & Environment Committee, whichever is the later.

12 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Brought forward by permission of the Chairman.  Requests to be submitted prior to commencement of the meeting.