Oakham Town Council Meeting Wednesday 10th June 2015
Oakham Town Council Meeting Report 10th June 2015
Oakham Town Council met this evening, there were two welcome absences.
Cllr Stan Stubbs and our chairman Cllr Alf Dewis.
No reason was given for either absences.
I heard a whisper that Stan was ill, if that is true? I wish him well.
Cllr Alf Dewis wrote to us before he went away moaning about the length
of our last meeting. In that correspondence he made one very truthful statement.
It was his fault, he then returned to his usually dictatorship leadership issuing
nonsensical instruction.
Cllr Adam Lowe Chaired this evenings meeting and we completed
more business than the previous meeting in a lot less time.
Cllr Lowe is quite a professional when chairing a meetings. Personally
I think we should have had a vote of no confidence in Cllr Alf Dewis
and appointed Cllr Lowe as our chairman. In the past as a member of the
public I witnessed Cllr Lowe chairing in the absence of Cllr Dewis and
those meetings also run more smoothly and professionally.
Cllr Adam Lowe gave a short report about events he had attended,
he said he had enjoyed a cocktail drinks event at a army base as
deputy Mayor and it was better than the county show.
I reported on the County Show not naming the Councillor
I pointed out their appalling conduct.
I thanked Cllr Lowe and his wife for their hard work and support.
I asked for a plan in future, if the council was going to attend similar events
because it was not very clear why we were attending.
Councillor Lucas then spoke and said she had given out some
co-option info packs?
I then reported on a seminar I had attended organised by the
Rural Communities Council that is not a Council.
I forgot to mention the mountain of food they expected us to eat.
A member of public attended, I had not seen him before and hopefully
made him feel welcome, by ensuring he had the agenda and information
to follow the meeting.
At public deputations he was asked if he wanted to speak, he responded no
and said he was overwhelmed, Cllr Joyce Lucas at this point burst out
in hysterical laughter. Why? we will never know. Here's hoping he is
not a writer or journalist.
I was appointed to the Planning Sub Committee, I hope I can get some training.
At Councillors questions two were asked and answered.
One question related to unauthorised expenditure, paid to a firm of Solicitors
Part of the question I asked who authorised the payment? The response was
part was authorised by the Clerk before his leave and the other sum of nearly
£400 for additional services during his absence, we don't know. I hope the
council won't leave the matter there it needs to be investigated.
The internal auditors report was noted and the policy and procedures working
group are going to start working on the recommendations which
hopefully will ensure we won't receive another bad report.
The council accepted the annual accounts. with two Councillors including
myself voting against them. I personally find them the most poorly presented
set of annual accounts I have ever seen. I have said this in the past so
those responsible should not be to overly upset.
We moved onto the annual governance statement for 2014 - 2015
this pointed failings of the previous council.
A contract for personnel services arranged by Cllr Alf Dewis without consent of
the full council will be terminated.
Oakham Town Council Meeting Report 10th June 2015
Oakham Town Council met this evening, there were two welcome absences.
Cllr Stan Stubbs and our chairman Cllr Alf Dewis.
No reason was given for either absences.
I heard a whisper that Stan was ill, if that is true? I wish him well.
Cllr Alf Dewis wrote to us before he went away moaning about the length
of our last meeting. In that correspondence he made one very truthful statement.
It was his fault, he then returned to his usually dictatorship leadership issuing
nonsensical instruction.
Cllr Adam Lowe Chaired this evenings meeting and we completed
more business than the previous meeting in a lot less time.
Cllr Lowe is quite a professional when chairing a meetings. Personally
I think we should have had a vote of no confidence in Cllr Alf Dewis
and appointed Cllr Lowe as our chairman. In the past as a member of the
public I witnessed Cllr Lowe chairing in the absence of Cllr Dewis and
those meetings also run more smoothly and professionally.
Cllr Adam Lowe gave a short report about events he had attended,
he said he had enjoyed a cocktail drinks event at a army base as
deputy Mayor and it was better than the county show.
I reported on the County Show not naming the Councillor
I pointed out their appalling conduct.
I thanked Cllr Lowe and his wife for their hard work and support.
I asked for a plan in future, if the council was going to attend similar events
because it was not very clear why we were attending.
Councillor Lucas then spoke and said she had given out some
co-option info packs?
I then reported on a seminar I had attended organised by the
Rural Communities Council that is not a Council.
I forgot to mention the mountain of food they expected us to eat.
A member of public attended, I had not seen him before and hopefully
made him feel welcome, by ensuring he had the agenda and information
to follow the meeting.
At public deputations he was asked if he wanted to speak, he responded no
and said he was overwhelmed, Cllr Joyce Lucas at this point burst out
in hysterical laughter. Why? we will never know. Here's hoping he is
not a writer or journalist.
I was appointed to the Planning Sub Committee, I hope I can get some training.
At Councillors questions two were asked and answered.
One question related to unauthorised expenditure, paid to a firm of Solicitors
Part of the question I asked who authorised the payment? The response was
part was authorised by the Clerk before his leave and the other sum of nearly
£400 for additional services during his absence, we don't know. I hope the
council won't leave the matter there it needs to be investigated.
The internal auditors report was noted and the policy and procedures working
group are going to start working on the recommendations which
hopefully will ensure we won't receive another bad report.
The council accepted the annual accounts. with two Councillors including
myself voting against them. I personally find them the most poorly presented
set of annual accounts I have ever seen. I have said this in the past so
those responsible should not be to overly upset.
We moved onto the annual governance statement for 2014 - 2015
this pointed failings of the previous council.
A contract for personnel services arranged by Cllr Alf Dewis without consent of
the full council will be terminated.
