FGPC 2020 Minutes

Deeping St James Parish Council

The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, Peterborough PE6 8HD

e-mail: clerk.dsjpc@btconnect.com

Tel: 01778 343266

Webpage: parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/deepingstjames

Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum

The minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting held on Thursday 19 November 2020 at 8.00pm using the virtual meeting ID and passcode below:

Meeting ID: 964 3943 1783 Passcode: 115068

Present: Councillors Bowell, Dilks, Gilbert, Halls, Hosking, Shinkins-Hoppe, Stevens, Thomas, one member of the public, the Parish Clerk and the Assistant Clerk.

The Parish Clerk took the minutes.

36.21 To receive apologies of absence.

Apologies had been received and were accepted from Councillor Halls.

37.21 To receive any declarations of interest.

None declared.

38.21 To adopt the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 22 October 2020.

Agreed as true copy to be signed at a later date.

39.21 To receive and consider reports on the parish council’s income and expenditure figures to date.

Noted.

40.21 To receive a report of the parish council’s current financial position.

Noted.

41.21 To consider a Lone Worker Policy.

The policy prepared by Councillor Bowell which had been considered at the July committee was considered again as was the model template provided by the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils. It was proposed seconded and Resolved that the LALC model policy should be adopted, included within the staff handbook and that a procedure should be put in place to ensure it is adhered to.

42.21 To receive an update regarding the Barclays bank account.

The Clerk advised that Barclays still required Councillor Gilbert to visit a branch to verify documentation despite this having been completed at a Peterborough branch in May 2019. It was agreed that the Clerk should try once more either by letter or telephone to explain this. Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe also offered to visit her local branch to discuss the matter face to face.

43.21 To receive an update regarding the website upgrade required to comply with the accessibility regulation requirements.

The Clerk had received confirmation from the company recruited to do this work was well under way and would be completed before the deadline of 31 December 2020 when Lincolnshire County Council would be closing the current webpage.

44.21 To receive the quotation for the grass cutting contracts for 2021/22 received from the current contractor for the Highway verges, Woody Heights and the Riverbank

The Current Contractor had quoted a 5% increase on the current year’s charges. It was agreed to recommend to full council that this should be accepted for Woody Heights and the Riverbank and also for the Highway verges providing Market Deeping Town Council were also in agreement as this was a joint contract split 50/50

45.21 To receive and consider the preliminary budget for 2021/22 in preparation for precept setting.

The Clerk advised that all committee budgets were in place and those that had been considered at the October committee meeting, however there were still some budget headings that needed to be considered. It was agreed that the Clerk and Councillor Bowell should work together on these and prepare a preliminary budget for all to agree.

It was Resolved to move 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. The member of the public left the meeting.

46.21 To receive an update regarding staffing matters.

Independent Personnel had been obtained relating to one member of staff’s ill health absence leading to discussions with the Lincolnshire Pension Fund and an occupational health report being requested.

It was Resolved to move out of closed session

35.21 To agree the date of the next meeting – To be arranged when required.