FPPC August 2023 Minutes
DEEPING ST JAMES PARISH COUNCIL
The Institute, 38 Church Street, Deeping St James, PE6 8HD
E-mail: clerk@deepingstjames-pc.gov.uk
Tel: 01778 343266
Webpage: //deeping-st-james.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk
Facebook: Deeping St James Parish Council
Parish Clerk: Julie Fortnum
The minutes of the Finance, Policy and Personnel Committee meeting held in the meeting room at the Institute 38 Church Street Deeping St James PE6 8HD at 8.00pm on Tuesday 15 August 2023.
Present: Councillors Bowell, Gilbert, Hosking, Shinkins-Hoppe and Smith.
The minutes were taken by the Parish Clerk
24.16 To receive apologies of absence.
Apologies had been received from Councillor Halls and were accepted.
24.17 To receive any declarations of interest.
None declared.
24.18 To adopt the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 13 June 2023.
Agreed and signed.
24.19 To receive the Clerk’s report.
The agreed amendments (minute 24.12 13 June 2023) to the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations have been completed and the documents have been updated on the webpage
The banking mandate in respect of the Unity Trust bank account has been amended to remove the name of a former Parish Councillor.
The banking mandate to remove the names of 4 former Parish Councillors, 1 former Parish Clerk and a current Parish Councillor’s incorrect name plus to add the names of Councillors Gilbert and Hosking to the Barclays bank accounts has been completed and is ready for signing by the new signatories Councillors Gilbert and Hosking and the current signatories Councillors Shinkins-Hoppe and Stevens. Councillors Gilbert and Hosking will also need to provide two forms of identification.
All signatures were obtained at the meeting
A request was logged with Unity Trust Bank who act as the Parish Council’s Programme Administrator for the commercial multipay card from Lloyds Bank Corporate Card Services to increase the limit on the card from £500 to £2000 as agreed by the committee at the meeting on 13 June 2023 (minute 24.12.2). The advice received was to request this in writing on company letter headed paper signed in accordance with the banking mandate – currently Councillors Bowell, Halls and Shinkins-Hoppe are signatories. The letter is ready for signing.
The letter was signed at the meeting.
An application to open a savings account with Unity Trust has been completed and the application form is available to be signed by the authorised signatories – Councillors Bowell, Halls and Shinkins-Hoppe.
The application form was signed at the meeting.
An application to add Councillors Gilbert and Hosking as authorised signatories on the Unity Trust bank account has been completed and needs to be signed by both of them and the current authorised signatories – Councillors Bowell, Halls and Shinkins-Hoppe. Councillors Gilbert and Hosking will also need to provide to forms of identification.
The application was signed at the meeting.
Despite having three grass cutting contracts with Deeping St James Parish Council neither EnvironmentSK Limited nor South Kesteven District Council have been in contact with the Parish Council to inform them of the change in management and administration of this company - that the work it undertakes is returning in-house – neither have any invoices been received for work completed. The Clerk has emailed grounds maintenance services at SKDC, copying in all three District Councillors, requesting a formal explanation is issued. The recommendation from the Clerk would be that a new contractor is sought for the grass cutting contracts for April 2024.
24.20 To receive a report of the current financial position.
A report had been circulated to the members of the committee prior to the meeting advising that the bank balances as t 9 August 2023 was £213,002.28 which included general reserves of £51,179.22 and earmark reserves of £100,145.30
24.21 To receive a report on the income and expenditure against budget for the period 1 April 2023 to 9 August 2023.
A report had been circulated to the members of the committee prior to the meeting and no concerns were raised.
24.22 To consider the following policies deferred from the meeting on 13 June 2023 -
1.Risk management
2. Health and safety
Councillor Gilbert stated that the changes put forward by Councillor Bowell and the Parish Clerk looked fair and reasonable so proposed they should be adopted, seconded by Councillor Hosking and RESOLVED
24.23 To consider replacing the following Deeping St James Parish Council policies, adopting the National Association of Local Councils models for the following -
1. Complaints Procedure
2. Equality and Diversity
3.Training and Development
4. Social Media and Electronic Communications
5. Publication Scheme
6. Data Protection Policy and Data Protection Policy for HR related data
Councillor Gilbert proposed that the National Association of Local Councils standard policies are adopted replacing Deeping St James Parish Council’s current ones and that they should only be amended when NALC revise them. This was seconded by Councillor Hosking and RESOLVED
24.24 To consider purchasing a mobile phone for the office staff to use.
Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe advised that the Clerk and Assistant Clerk were increasingly using their personal phones Council related business especially when organising events and arranging deliveries but also to take photos. The usage was estimated at an 80/20 spilt.
The Clerk’s concern was the responsibility of having two phones to look after, remembering to switch on/off and use correctly.
It was noted that the three maintenance personnel receive £5 per month towards mobile phone costs so that they are contactable whilst out and about in the parish and also as a safeguard because of them being lone workers.
After some discussion as to what mobile phone/s would be most suitable Councillor Gilbert said that some phones take dual sims and if set up with a different ringtone this could be a cheap simple answer. The Clerk was asked to investigate if her phone could accommodate a dual sim and if so, she would trial this and report back. If not, the committee would consider other options.
24.25 To consider continuing with the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils Internal Audit Service for the financial year 2023-24.
The Clerk advised that although this audit service had been more time consuming than with using previous auditors it had been very professional and thorough plus the cost of £380 was reasonable for the work undertaken and the benefit obtained. With this knowledge it was proposed seconded and RESOLVED to continue using the service for the financial year 2023/24
24.26 To date of the next meeting was agreed – 8pm Tuesday 17 October 2023