Oakham Town Council Meeting 14th January 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Oakham Town Council Votes For Council Tax Increase of 2% 2016 - 2017
Residents of Oakham will not be pleased to learn the Parish Council, Oakham Town Council have increased their council tax demand by 2%, as most of the money the Town Council collects is spent on Administrating the council I voted against the increase.
Last year the increase of 1.5% to top up reserves.
This year it is said money is needed for the Neighbourhood Plan that cost is less than we pay to water hanging baskets.
We are also told £10,000 is required to cover costs of the cemetery which Rutland County Council appear to have abandoned.
The third thing is the rent lost because the Council is leaving the old fitness centre in Princess Avenue empty.
I voted against the increase, The deputy Mayor Adam Lowe said he wanted to see a much bigger rise. Suggestions were 8% Oakham Town Council really needs to take a lot at its administration costs and drastically cut them.
Be prepared for much larger increases in coming years.
Last year the increase of 1.5% to top up reserves.
This year it is said money is needed for the Neighbourhood Plan that cost is less than we pay to water hanging baskets.
We are also told £10,000 is required to cover costs of the cemetery which Rutland County Council appear to have abandoned.
The third thing is the rent lost because the Council is leaving the old fitness centre in Princess Avenue empty.
I voted against the increase, The deputy Mayor Adam Lowe said he wanted to see a much bigger rise. Suggestions were 8% Oakham Town Council really needs to take a lot at its administration costs and drastically cut them.
Be prepared for much larger increases in coming years.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Cllrs Joyce Lucas and Stan Stubbs show support in email for Oakham Deputy Mayor Cllr Lowes Conduct
The fall out from last night meeting.
Cllr Lowe has sent all members accept me very odd email. Two Cllrs have responded and copied me their support for his conduct at last nights meeting.
It is really time this people departed our council.
Hi Adam,
You have total my total support over your actions at last nights meeting,and I agree with everything you have said. You are not the one who should apologise. Now watch this space.
Regards
Cllr Stan Stubbs
On Thu, Jan 14, 2016 at 8:17 AM,wrote:
Well-done Adam....You know you have my FULL backing on this one.
PLEASE, everyone, read the Rutland Times and see how much time and effort went into the Surgery.
Regards
Joyce
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Adam Lowe
Sent: 14 January 2016 07:23
To: Alf Dewis
Cc: Stan Stubbs; Joyce Lucas; Jasmine Hopkins; Vince Howard; Michael Haley; Michael Elliott
Subject: Council Meeting
Alf
I make no apologies for my actions at the meeting on Wednesday.
In fact I am totally fed up giving ground and moving aside to accommodate some people as it is.
I will not sit or stand by whilst any Councillor insults me and more importantly my wife.
Cllr Brookes unguarded, maverick, thoughtless, fact less comments clearly touched a nerve.
To challenge without reason and state that the events offering did not or he could not see how the money, £150, was used and his indication yet again that the figures did not stack up were bordering on slander yet again.
The receipts are all there as proof as to where money was spent, and what this Councillor, and maybe others should be aware, is that my wife is the person who obtained the receipts when she purchased the food and drinks for both these events, so Cllrs Brookes comments were an attack on Mrs Lowe's credibility and honesty.
What this Councillor and perhaps Council are also blissfully unaware of is exactly how some of us are community spirited enough that we or I do put my hand in my pocket to subsidise what we do at these events and the mulled wine was not served from bottles, it has to be heated and kept warm and OTC does not have that capability so I purchased two 5 lt. pump flasks at £20 each so I know there were two, it was not heated using Council electric or time it was Mrs Lowe's again.
There was a shortfall on the sponsor ship, the £25 did not come from the Council.
The suggestion we roast chestnuts was only achieved because I purchased the equipment and went to considerable lengths to ensure that good and excellent ideas went from drawing board to actually happening.
Now this sounds like a defence, it is not it is advisement that in the future how are we to raise our profile and achieve eventful events if the good will and generosity of the genuine Councillors has all the life breath and enthusiasm sucked from it, as I am beginning to realise just what a complete fool I have been in believing that I can ever turn around or deliver a Town Council that is anything less than a dysfunctional laughing stockthanks to the attitude of some of the members or member of the 'New Guard', I would rather be member of the 'Old Guard', to coin Cllr Brookes phrase, any day. Cllr Brookes has divided this Council using this terminology, well I stand tall and proud and state I am who I am and what I do is for one purpose, promote Oakham.
Oh and to demonstrate how really foolish I am, to ensure that next year Julie and I could decorate the Town Tree with-out hinderance and to the top with-out asking a local builder who we happened to see with his digger and bucket in town I had only last week ordered a long reach combination ladder at a cost of £150 for future use, and I have order roof bars to carry it, which will cost £130. The advert at christmas where I made a unilateral decision to pay £36 for a Town Council good will message because I saw it as opportunity for uplifting our profile and the ultimate commitment and probably my last one now to the Council was I paid £199 for the first draft of the Oakham leaflet due to the fact we have no funds in the P&P and the indecision and criticism with-in our own Council generally makes trying to complete a task either fraught with threats of blogging or innuendo that The great Robbers were boys scouts compared to our gang.
The tombola prizes, they cost the Council nothing either and the majority Julie had been purchasing throughout the year in preparation and despite ME trying to pay her back she was more than happy to do her bit via this contribution.
Alf in simple words the will and desire to do something for this Town is being destroyed by Clrs Brookes continued attacks on all this Town and people who do try and make a difference, we are blogged and slandered if we do nothing and again if we try and do the right thing.
Why would anyone on this Council want to put themselves forward to promote the Town Council with all the knifes at the ready to stab one in the back, not sure I do and in May it will be interesting to see who wants to take on P&P when it is plain and simple whipping post.
Regards
Adam Lowe
After reading this email I could be forgiven for thinking there is another Martin Brookes
and I was attending a different meeting from Mr Lowe.
At no point did I make any allegations against him or his wife I simply required clarification
of poorly described expenditure.
Fortunately we can video these days and the events of last night can be seen below.
Cllr Lowe has sent all members accept me very odd email. Two Cllrs have responded and copied me their support for his conduct at last nights meeting.
It is really time this people departed our council.
Hi Adam,
You have total my total support over your actions at last nights meeting,and I agree with everything you have said. You are not the one who should apologise. Now watch this space.
Regards
Cllr Stan Stubbs
On Thu, Jan 14, 2016 at 8:17 AM,
Well-done Adam....You know you have my FULL backing on this one.
PLEASE, everyone, read the Rutland Times and see how much time and effort went into the Surgery.
Regards
Joyce
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Adam Lowe
Sent: 14 January 2016 07:23
To: Alf Dewis
Cc: Stan Stubbs; Joyce Lucas; Jasmine Hopkins; Vince Howard; Michael Haley; Michael Elliott
Subject: Council Meeting
Alf
I make no apologies for my actions at the meeting on Wednesday.
In fact I am totally fed up giving ground and moving aside to accommodate some people as it is.
I will not sit or stand by whilst any Councillor insults me and more importantly my wife.
Cllr Brookes unguarded, maverick, thoughtless, fact less comments clearly touched a nerve.
To challenge without reason and state that the events offering did not or he could not see how the money, £150, was used and his indication yet again that the figures did not stack up were bordering on slander yet again.
The receipts are all there as proof as to where money was spent, and what this Councillor, and maybe others should be aware, is that my wife is the person who obtained the receipts when she purchased the food and drinks for both these events, so Cllrs Brookes comments were an attack on Mrs Lowe's credibility and honesty.
What this Councillor and perhaps Council are also blissfully unaware of is exactly how some of us are community spirited enough that we or I do put my hand in my pocket to subsidise what we do at these events and the mulled wine was not served from bottles, it has to be heated and kept warm and OTC does not have that capability so I purchased two 5 lt. pump flasks at £20 each so I know there were two, it was not heated using Council electric or time it was Mrs Lowe's again.
There was a shortfall on the sponsor ship, the £25 did not come from the Council.
The suggestion we roast chestnuts was only achieved because I purchased the equipment and went to considerable lengths to ensure that good and excellent ideas went from drawing board to actually happening.
Now this sounds like a defence, it is not it is advisement that in the future how are we to raise our profile and achieve eventful events if the good will and generosity of the genuine Councillors has all the life breath and enthusiasm sucked from it, as I am beginning to realise just what a complete fool I have been in believing that I can ever turn around or deliver a Town Council that is anything less than a dysfunctional laughing stockthanks to the attitude of some of the members or member of the 'New Guard', I would rather be member of the 'Old Guard', to coin Cllr Brookes phrase, any day. Cllr Brookes has divided this Council using this terminology, well I stand tall and proud and state I am who I am and what I do is for one purpose, promote Oakham.
Oh and to demonstrate how really foolish I am, to ensure that next year Julie and I could decorate the Town Tree with-out hinderance and to the top with-out asking a local builder who we happened to see with his digger and bucket in town I had only last week ordered a long reach combination ladder at a cost of £150 for future use, and I have order roof bars to carry it, which will cost £130. The advert at christmas where I made a unilateral decision to pay £36 for a Town Council good will message because I saw it as opportunity for uplifting our profile and the ultimate commitment and probably my last one now to the Council was I paid £199 for the first draft of the Oakham leaflet due to the fact we have no funds in the P&P and the indecision and criticism with-in our own Council generally makes trying to complete a task either fraught with threats of blogging or innuendo that The great Robbers were boys scouts compared to our gang.
The tombola prizes, they cost the Council nothing either and the majority Julie had been purchasing throughout the year in preparation and despite ME trying to pay her back she was more than happy to do her bit via this contribution.
Alf in simple words the will and desire to do something for this Town is being destroyed by Clrs Brookes continued attacks on all this Town and people who do try and make a difference, we are blogged and slandered if we do nothing and again if we try and do the right thing.
Why would anyone on this Council want to put themselves forward to promote the Town Council with all the knifes at the ready to stab one in the back, not sure I do and in May it will be interesting to see who wants to take on P&P when it is plain and simple whipping post.
Regards
Adam Lowe
After reading this email I could be forgiven for thinking there is another Martin Brookes
and I was attending a different meeting from Mr Lowe.
At no point did I make any allegations against him or his wife I simply required clarification
of poorly described expenditure.
Fortunately we can video these days and the events of last night can be seen below.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Oakham Deputy Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe Storms Out Of Meeting After Question About Expenditure Video
Oakham Deputy Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe Storms Out Of Meeting After Question About Expenditure
At tonight's meeting I raised a couple of questions and asked for a explanation of listed
expenditure. Cllr Lowe explained two in a very satisfactory way.
Then I started to ask about a number of petty cash payments listed as Christmas Light
Switch on items. Totally around £130.
I wanted to know what was purchased as I had seen mulled wine and was told there
were some mince pies and sweets.
I did not expect the reaction I got from Cllr Adam Lowe. It was shocking. Before
I could finish what I wanted to say Cllr Lowe interrupted and said he was fed up
with me suggesting he was stealing. I had not done that or ever suggested that.
He decided to leave the meeting ranting and as he departed he repeated his allegation
he made against me at Christmas.
After the meeting the Mayor Alf Dewis suggested my unfinished questioning
of the expenditure was implying dishonesty.
This is not the case as a Cllr we are accountable for all public money spent and
I was simply trying to get a break down of some very poor description of expenditure.
Something is very wrong when a Cllr is not permitted to scrutinise how tax payers
money is spent.
At tonight's meeting I raised a couple of questions and asked for a explanation of listed
expenditure. Cllr Lowe explained two in a very satisfactory way.
Then I started to ask about a number of petty cash payments listed as Christmas Light
Switch on items. Totally around £130.
I wanted to know what was purchased as I had seen mulled wine and was told there
were some mince pies and sweets.
I did not expect the reaction I got from Cllr Adam Lowe. It was shocking. Before
I could finish what I wanted to say Cllr Lowe interrupted and said he was fed up
with me suggesting he was stealing. I had not done that or ever suggested that.
He decided to leave the meeting ranting and as he departed he repeated his allegation
he made against me at Christmas.
After the meeting the Mayor Alf Dewis suggested my unfinished questioning
of the expenditure was implying dishonesty.
This is not the case as a Cllr we are accountable for all public money spent and
I was simply trying to get a break down of some very poor description of expenditure.
Something is very wrong when a Cllr is not permitted to scrutinise how tax payers
money is spent.
At the end of the video a Cllr can be heard laughing out loud I find it difficult to
understand what is funny.
