Oakham Town Council meeting

The next Oakham Town Council meeting will be held on
Wednesday 9th June 2010 at 7 pm at Victoria Hall Oakham.




The public are welcome.



The agenda is quite a bit longer than previous meetings.



1. The meeting start with apologies for absence.



(i) Members decide whether to approve apologies for absence, for some strange reason we vote. I vote against because, I think it is unacceptable for a member to be away for six months and then turn up so the clock can be restarted., Cllr Swiffin was co-opted to serve his ward and yes I am sympathetic to ill health, but it was very clear he was dragged into the last full council meeting to stop a member of the public pointing out a vacancy had arisen.





(ii) We will be asked to approve the absence of Cllr Jan Fillingham who has been absent since December 2009. Yes she has been very ill, Her own statement handed out at the annual meeting said she was diagnosed with a critical illness in January 2009 and fortunately she respond to treatment. She has not been able to return to meetings. She is a Cllr for the ward I live in. This ward has not had a councillor representing them since February. The Town Council has delayed co-opting two new members. Interestingly local people have not noticed the lack of Councillors. So it makes me wonder why we need any in the first place. If members approve an extension this means Cllr Fillingham can stay off sick for a further six months.



2. We then move onto Declarations of Interest.

Members are asked to declare any interest they may have in respect to items on the agenda.



3. Members will confirm minutes of the following meeting of Oakham Town

Council:



(i) Wednesday May 5th 2010

(ii) Annual Meeting of the Council Wednesday May 12th 2010 (Appendix a(i) (not yet received)





4. Councillors Questions

I have none for this meeting because quite frankly it’s a waste of time my last questions were lost.



5. Items Outstanding from previous meetings



6. Chairman and member’s reports

This is to receive a report from the chairman on functions attended and to receive reports from members who have attended meetings on behalf of Oakham Town Council. Reports can be read out but often they are distributed to member to read later. I prefer the shorter reports long ones soon loose my interest. A report given at the last planning meeting was a perfect example it went on and on.



7. Register of Members Interests

members are asked to inform the Clerk of any changes in their Register of

member’s interests.





8. Clerks Report

Members receive a report from the Clerk.



9. Deputations by the public.

This is the public only opportunity to have their say 3 minutes each they

can ask questions or make comments relating to any item on the agenda

they can not come along and verbally attack a councillor,



10. This is an interesting item Co-option of two new town councillor for

Oakham South East.



This will be interesting. I am not sire how this is to be conducted. So far all

I have been told is: A number of letters have been received applying for the

Two vacant seats in Oakham South East. These will be copied to you all

And sent out Friday with days and times for interviews. It may well be that

Interviews take place over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday

Depending on the number of applicants. The Chairman has asked that if

This is the case interviews on Wednesday will commence at 6.00pm. This

Will then allow a short time for members to discuss the merits of the

Candidates prior to the decision being taken during the council meeting.



I think this is why co-opting is such a bad procedure All Councillors are

Expected to take part in the interviews we don’t know when or how these

Are to be conducted. It another Oakham Town Council farce.



11. Councillors will nominate representatives to a list of outside bodies.

I have not been asked if I would like to be involved in any of 17 bodies

I find Cllr Mrs Fillingham is our representative on at least 5 I hope she

Wont be consider for any this year as we have not been represented

For six months.



12. We will discuss tendering for the toilet cleaning contract.



13. Nest Swing at Royces Recreation Ground

This has been removed the council now has to consider an alternative if

We can afford it. A suggest was given at a meeting myself, Cllr Sharon

Spencer and Cllr Mark Woodcock attended with Kompan on site on last

Thursday.

14. Public access to the office

To discuss issues relating to public Access to the office and to decide on a

Appropriate course of action.



I am hoping this is a item I asked to be included to improve the security for

Staff and not a motion to restrict access to the public. I know how that

Effects things.



15. Internal Auditor’s Report



16. Internal Auditor to appoint one for the Financial Year 2010 -2011



17. Internal Audit and Policy and Procedure Working Group

To appoint members and agree terms of reference for a working group:



(i) Liaise with the Internal Auditor on an Audit Plan and other issues for 2010 – 2011 and report back to council with its recommendations.





(ii) Conduct a review of all of the Council’s current policies and

Procedures including its Standing Orders and to report back to council with its recommendations.



I am pleased to see the above especially after receiving an email from a local government person stating most of the standing orders were out of date. I hope who ever conduct s the review scraps the entire list of orders and uses the current model that is available to all parish councils.



Maybe we finally we will see the removal of appropriate dress.



18. Insurance Schedule



19. Delegations of power

To discuss and decide whether to delegate decisions on planning applications until the next meeting of the council to the Assistant Clerk, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the planning committee and any other nominated members.



I certainly won’t be approving this



20. Waiver of Rent

to decide whether to waive the rent due for 2010 – 2011 from the elm Close Leisure Gardens Association.



Don’t know who they are I am guessing they manage one of the allotments.



21. Schedule of payments



22. Statement of accounts



23. planning applications



24. Exempt item



in accordance with section 1(2) of the public bodies (admissions to meetings) Act 1960, and in accordance with standing order 61, to decide whether to exclude th public and press during consideration of item 25 on the agenda due to the confidential nature of the matter to be discussed.



25 Grievance



Continuation of poorly handled case involving a false allegation made against me and supported by Councillor Alf Dewis. I am wondering if the Committee has allowed Mr White to speak to his union yet.