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Minutes of the Minutes of the Finance & General Purposes Meeting Held Wednesday 20th February 2008
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE HELD ON WEDNESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2008 AT 7.00 P.M. AT THE TOWN HALL, GREAT WESTERN HOUSE, 9 DEVON SQUARE, NEWTON ABBOT
PRESENT Councillor D Corney-Walker (Chairman) Presiding
Councillor Mrs D. Watts (Vice-Chairman)
Councillors Mrs C. Bunday
H.L.J. Cole
C. Davieson
Miss J. Fry
Mrs A Fry
Mrs G Gaskell
M. Hocking
D. Howe
R Leeper
Mrs G Leeper
K.C. Lewis
Mrs S Maddicott
C Parker
K. Purchase
K Smith
A D Vizor
In attendance: Cheryl Marshall, ChildLine Services Manager, ChildLine South West
Representatives of the Press: John Balment – Mid Devon Advertiser
405. APOLOGIES
None.
406. MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on 16th January 2008 were received and signed as correct record.
Arising from minute 360(b)(iii) – Other financial matters – the Mayor referred to the community day spent at Bradley Leat and thanked all the Members, residents and community groups who had attended and made the day such a success.
407. INTERESTS
None.
408. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
None.
409. NSPCC/CHILDLINE
The Chairman introduced Mrs Cheryl Marshall, ChildLine Services Manager, ChildLine South West to the Committee who had been invited to make an address on the progress of the service since its move from Newton Abbot to Exeter and its amalgamation with the NSPCC.
Mrs Marshall thanked the Committee for inviting her to provide an update and referred to the previous close links with the Council as the Service had operated from the next door premises in St Paul’s Square. The Committee was informed that the Service had moved to Exeter in April 2007 and that the staff of Childline had shared Members’ concerns that the service to local young people might be diminished. However, due to technology and the service offered by the NSPCC Mrs Marshall was able to assure the Committee that there had been no diminution of service. For example, the 0800 telephone system would always default firstly to a local Counsellor, i.e. Exeter, but if there were no free staff the system would hunt all offices nationally until one was available. The service was confidential and delivered 24hrs per day, 52 weeks of the year and 365 days of the year, was staffed by volunteers and had very close relationships with the police and social services. It was explained that the ChildLine service was certainly contracting prior to its amalgamation with the NSPCC which had now provided access to additional funding, new technologies such as internet and text access and experienced and skilled staff. Mrs Marshall explained that the subject of young persons’ call were varied and ranged from abuse, bereavement, bullying and boredom to concern for others and general life decisions.
It was explained that the Service in Exeter received on average 400 calls per day. However, it was estimated that the likely demand was nearer 800. Nationally there were in the region of 4000 calls per day and again the answer rate was around 50%. In that context NSPCC had secured a central Government grant of £30m over 3 years to achieve an improvement in call handling from 80% in 2009 to 100% by 2011.
At the conclusion of her request Mrs Marshall answered questions from Members including:-
Proactive approach as well as reactive;
Retention of local volunteers when service centralised;
‘Time-wasting’ calls;
Success of technology solutions instead of personal service;
At the conclusion of the presentation the Chairman thanked Mrs Marshall for her attendance and extremely interesting address which he was sure highlighted issues Members were previously unaware of. Mrs Marshall then left the meeting.
410. ACCOUNTS PAID SINCE THE LAST MEETING
(a) Accounts paid since the last meeting
The Committee noted the accounts together with the balance sheet for the month of January 2008:-
INTERNAL AUDIT
31st January 2008
Opening Balance Business Call Account/Current Acc £ 44,269.00
ADD Misc. Income £ 6298.49
TOTAL INCOME £50,567.49
LESS:
Expenditure £20,314.88
TOTAL EXPENDITURE £ 20,314.88
BALANCE 31st January 2008
Business Call & Current Account: £30,252.61
Balances as at 31st January 2008
Current Account 100.00
Business Call Account 30,152.61
Treasury Account 60,000.00
Petty Cash Account 75.17
Total Reserves £ 90,327.78
Alliance & Leicester 170,000.00
(Reinvested to 03.06.08– interest accruing £5667.63)
--------------------
Total: £260,327.78
(b) Other financial matters
None.
411. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
The Committee gave consideration to notes of the Informal meeting of the Council (previously circulated) held on 11th February to discuss proposed revision of the Council’s committee structure.
Arising from a lengthy and detailed debate on proposed changes to the Council’s committee structure it was
RESOLVED that the Council at its meeting to be held on 12th March 2008 be requested to consider the following:-
(a) the proposed structure as set out in the Clerk’s report be adopted but that there should be no limit on the numbers of Members of committees or sub-committees;
(b) (a) above be reviewed after a period of 12 months;
(c) the Clerk submit detailed terms of reference for each committee and sub-committee to the Council;
(d) the Clerk submit to the Council a revised calendar of meetings to reflect the decision in (a) above.
Councillor M Hocking requested that his name be recorded as having voted against the above resolution.
412. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES ON OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS
None.
413. CORRESPONDENCE
(a) Unitary Council proposals for Devon - The Committee noted a press release (previously circulated) regarding current position with proposals for consideration of a Unitary Council for Exeter. Councillor K C Lewis reported that he would be attending a meeting of the Devon Association of Parish Council where the Unitary issue was to be discussed. The Committee advised that the Council’s previously agreed policy was to support the status quo.
(b) Street Naming & Numbering – Consideration was given to a request (previously circulated) to apply the name ‘Kings Court’ for the development of eight flats at Kings Street, Newton Abbot.
RESOLVED that Teignbridge District Council be informed that the Town Council had no objection to the proposed name of ‘Kings Court’ for the development of eight flats at Kings Street, Newton Abbot subject to their being no conflict with the naming of other new developments in the area.
414. LATE CORRESPONDENCE
The Clerk reported a letter from Teignbridge District Council setting out its final recommendations in relation to Rural and Urban id fro 2008/2009.
415. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Wednesday 20th February 2008
416. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion for the following item, on the grounds that the publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
417. CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY OF COUNCIL IT SYSTEM
Further to minute 314(b)/12/07 the Committee gave consideration to four quotations received for the supply of an IT System for the Council (previously circulated).
Arising from consideration of the quotations it was
RESOLVED that authority be delegated to the Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Finance & General Purposes Committee, to negotiate with the Company submitting the lowest quotation for the supply of an IT System for the Council.