November minutes - DRAFT
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF TETNEY PARISH COUNCIL
Held at St. John's Methodist Chapel schoolroom on the 20th November 2024
Present: -
Councillors: S. McMillan (Chair) Y. Fletcher J. Kerman R. Lukehurst R. Coles M. Anderson A. Winslow
Clerk: S. Booth
Public: 0
90/24 CHAIR'S WELCOME
Cllr McMillan welcomed everyone to the meeting. He explained the building was a no smoking venue and where the fire exits were located.
91/24 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
All Councillors present. A special dispensation of absence for 6 months was given at the last meeting to Cllr Taylor due to personal circumstances.
92/24 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
a) To record declarations of interest by any member of the Council in respect of the agenda items
listed below. Members declaring interests should identify the agenda item and
type of interest being declared. None.
b) To note dispensations given to any member of the Council in respect of the agenda items
listed below. None.
93/24 MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING held on 10th October 2024
Had been previously circulated. Proposed by Cllr Fletcher and seconded by Cllr Lukehurst to accept the Minutes. All in favour. Resolved to accept minutes.
"These be adopted as a true record".
94/24 OPEN FORUM
None.
95/24 TO RECEIVE EXTERNAL REPORTS
a) ELDC - The Meridian Leisure centre in Louth will be closed for annual maintenance from 9/12 - 20/12 inclusive and Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. An ELDC "Beat your winter worries" drop event with the Sustainable Warmth Team to be held on 27th December, 10am-2pm. all welcome. The £55,000 donation to Tetney Playing Field & Village Hall Association for play equipment has been withdrawn by Lincs Land Developers due to the severe planning conditions ELDC have imposed on the proposed development scheme. A play area will now be built at the development site with a management team maintaining the area paid for by the residents of the new builds.
b) LCC - No report.
c) Outside representatives –St John's Chapel are holding a Christmas fair on Saturday 7th December from 2pm, all welcome.
FOTPS- Christmas fair to be held on Friday 29th November from 3.30pm. Letter sent to parents explaining the head has taken a leave of absence due to personal reasons and the school will be run by the next most senior member of staff in his absence.
Village hall - Volunteers and open day on Saturday 23rd Nov, 10am-4pm, all welcome to visit and see the new improvements or get involved and help, refreshments on offer.
96/22 PARISH COUNCIL MATTERS
a) To discuss moving the flagpole within Jubilee Gardens - 1 quotes received. Item to be deferred to January and quotes to be chased up.
b) To discuss Christmas fair - Saturday 30th November, lights switch on at 5pm, fair immediately afterwards in the hall. Cllrs Coles and Kerman and the Clerk to set up tables at 3pm. Stallholders to arrive at 3.15pm. Cllr Fletcher to meet and greet the children who won the school design a Christmas tree competition at 5pm and switch the lights on. Thanks to Cllrs Cole and Winslow for judging the Christmas tree design competition. Prizes of £10 gift vouchers to be presented at school and letter to winning children's parents giving permission to attend the event sent via school.
c) To discuss Christmas meal - Quotes for providing the meal were received from The Plough Inn and The Crown & Anchor. Invites have been sent out, Crown and Anchor at Tetney Lock to cater (£14/meal) Christmas dinner with trimmings and christmas pudding. To be held on Wednesday 11th December, 12 noon, St. John's Chapel. Christmas cards to be made by Chapel member. Table flower arrangements to be made/donated by Mrs J Hind. Cllr Winslow proposed purchasing chocolates as a gift to each of the guests as in previous years, seconded by Cllr Coles, all in favour. Resolved to purchase a chocolate gift for the invitees. Cllr McMillan proposed spending upto £200 to cover the surplus cost of the meals, seconded by Cllr Anderson, all in favour. Resolved to spend upto £200 to cover the cost of the meals.
d) To approve grounds contract schedule re-wording - Deferred to January to allow Clerk to research spray certificates and reword the timescale of weed-killer use to "as per manufacturer's instructions."
e) To approve retrospectively the purchase of a parish mobile phone - Due to the clerk ending her landline contract a new parish mobile phone and contract was needed. Clerk has taken out a Tesco 2 year contract at £8/mth, with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 500mb of data. Cllr Fletcher proposed to accept mobile phone contract retrospectively, seconded by Cllr Kerman, all in favour. Resolved to approve mobile phone contract.
97/24 FINANCIAL REPORT- To approve finances
Expenses for Oct/ Nov 24
Staff Wages/Pension/Expenses(£151.85) £3108.53* (see 98/24)
RBL Remembrance Wreath donation £ 25.00
Apex Engineering Shutter repair £ 168.00
Receipts for Oct/Nov 24
Mr/s Todd Cremation plot £ 235.00
Mr/s Rutherford Burial plot £ 300.00
Mr/s Stanton Cremation plot £ 135.00
Mr/s Adams Cremation plot £ 135.00
Serenity Interment fee (Donovan) £ 165.00
Serenity Add. Inscript. (Donovan) £ 115.00
Bank balances as at 11/11/24
HSBC 793 £ 5,099.84
HSBC 386 £ 18,230.21
HSBC Money Market £ 13,505.51
Proposed to accept finances by Cllr Lukehurst, seconded by Cllr Kerman, all in favour. Resolved: To accept finances.
98/24 EXTRAORDINARY ITEMS (for information purposes only)
Flytipping of garden waste is still occurring despite a sign.
Vandalism damage to the shutter at the toilets, reported to Police and repaired by Apex Engineering.
*Contractor asked for his remaining payments to be made in advance due to exceptional personal circumstances - this was agreed on a one-off basis.
Cllrs Fletcher, Kerman, Lukehurst and Winslow attended the Remembrance Sunday service at the War Memorial, Cllr Kerman laid the wreath on behalf of the Parish Council. Cllrs Fletcher, McMillan and Coles attended the War Memorial on Remembrance Day and re-laid the wreath.
1 Tonne winter grit/salt bag due to be delivered mid December from LCC Highways.
99/24 NEXT AGENDA ITEMS
Precept, Co-option, Grounds Contract, flagpole, cemetery fees review, installation of path to benches at crossroads.
100/24 FUTURE DATES
*Monday 13th January 2025
Thursday 13th February, in the Chapel school room at 7.30pm.
Thursday 13th March 2025
*new date.
101/24 To resolve on whether the Council will move into closed session - The Council decided to go into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (admission to meetings) Act 1960 due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed in relation to the following matter:
a) Clerk pay increase from April 2024 - Pay scales effective from April 2024 just finalised by NJC. Cllr McMillan proposed raising the Clerk's pay in line with the NJC recommendations and issuing back pay accordingly, seconded by Cllr Coles. All in favour. Resolved to increase the Clerk's pay by the NJC recommended amount.
Meeting closed at 8.50pm.