Finance & General Purposes Committee Agenda

HARWICH TOWN COUNCIL
The Guildhall, Church Street, Harwich, Essex CO12 3DS
Tel: 01255 507211
email: info@harwichtowncouncil.co.uk

A meeting of the
FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE
to be held at

The Guildhall, Church Street, Harwich

 on

Thursday 28th September 2023 at 7pm

Public Question Time:
15 minutes will be available for members of the Public to ask questions in relation to items on the agenda only.

AGENDA

 

1. Apologies for absence
To receive apologies for absence
2. Declarations of members’ interests
To receive any ‘pecuniary’ or ‘Other Registrable’ interests relating to items on the agenda
3. Minutes of last meeting

To approve as a correct record the Minutes and Confidential Minutes of the meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on Wednesday 20th June 2023 (circulated separately)
4. Matters arising from the minutes

• MIN F06/23 – To provide an update on graffiti removal at the skate park

• Min F11/23 – To provide update on the portrait of the King acquisition enquiries made regarding size of print and relevant costings associated.

• Min F12/23 – To confirm new photocopier lease has been agreed with the provider for a term of 5 years and new copier is now installed.

• Min F13/23 – To confirm the Hill School Site drain repair has taken place and no further costings were required.
5. Matters arising from previous minutes

• F46/22 – To confirm Asst. Clerk has commenced CiLCA qualification and note that total cost is £675 plus £420 for SLCC registration (including EMA online submission tool).

• F79/22 and F06/23 – To confirm external decoration of the Guildhall is now complete and the additional cost incurred due to additional unforeseen carpentry works, to be expended from the Building Maintenance EMR, was £1260.  There was also £96 additional scaffolding costs (due to a VAT calculation error) and an additional £150 on the Crest refurbishment, both to be expended from the Building Maintenance budget.  Some savings were made on materials, bringing the total project cost to £10308.
6. Grant requests

To consider requests for grant funding as listed in the attached schedule.
7. Estates Supervisor Report

To receive a report of activities and works since previous meeting.
8. Independent Review of the Accounts

Cllr D Smith to report findings following an independent review of the accounts and bank reconciliation on 12th September 2023.                  .
9. Banking & Investment Review

• To adopt Investment Strategy for Harwich Town Council.

• To review the council’s banking and investment arrangements and consider investments for recommendation to Full Council.
10. Leisure Season Analysis 2023

To receive analysis for the 2023 season.
11. CCTV at the Skate Park

Ref: MIN F17/23 – To update members on the enquiries made to TDC regarding CCTV installation at Dovercourt Skate Park.

To consider next actions to include submitting proposal and request for deployment of mobile camera at a cost of up to £260.
12. St George Cross

To consider the purchase of replacement flag for the Guildhall, to be expended from the FGP General budget.
13. Training

• To adopt Councillor Training & Development policy.

• To approve cost of £120 for Clerk to undertake FiLCA qualification.  Cost to be expended from the Training budget.

• To approve the cost of purchasing the latest edition of Local Council Administration (£137) and Town & Parish Councils VAT Guide (£29.50) to be expended from the Training budget.
14. Skatepark Floodlights

To consider options for replacement lighting at the skatepark with costs to be considered under confidential business.

1.    To replace with 4x Halogen lights

2.    To replace with 4x LED lights

3.    To replace all 8 lights with LED light fittings
15. Charter fire protection

 To consider additional protection for the 1604 Royal Charter at a cost of up to £450 to be expended from the Civic expenditure budget.
16. Matters received in the post or information raised by members

Letters of thanks/acknowledgement for grants received from:

• Electric Palace, The Ark Centre and The Harwich Festival

Evaluation forms for grants received from:

• CVST, LV18
17. Matters to be reported

• To note expenditure of £120 authorised under delegated authority for the supply and installation of 1x three-hour non-maintained emergency exit light at bldg. 4 of the Hill School Site, following annual inspections (ref: F101/22), to be expended from the Repairs & Maintenance budget.

• To note expenditure of £195 authorised under delegated authority for the supply and installation of 1x 50w LED floodlight and 1x 24hr pin controlled timeclock at bldg. 1 of the Hill School site, to be expended from the Repairs & Maintenance budget.

• To note expenditure of £48 authorised under delegated authority for the labour only cost in replacing LED batten light in the Asst. Clerk’s office, to be expended from the Maintenance & Consumables budget.

• To note expenditure of £140 for the supply and installation of 2x LED emergency light bulkheads, authorised under delegated authority, to be expended from the Fire & Safety budget.

• To report completion of annual skatepark inspection and to note minor remedial works to be carried out with costs authorised under delegated authority.
18. Date for next meeting
The date of the next meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee is Tuesday 12th December 2023 at 7pm or at the rise of the Planning Committee, whichever is later, at The Guildhall Church Street, Harwich.
19. Exclusion of public and press
Pursuant to Sub-Section 2 of Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the meeting is closed to the press and public for the transaction of the under-mentioned business:• Skatepark Floodlights• Utilities Contracts• Cloud Phone Contract Renewal

• Roofing Repairs
20. Skatepark Floodlights

To consider quotations for chosen option for replacement lighting at the skatepark.
21. Utilities

To agree supplier and contract period for the following utilities:

• Guildhall Electricity and Putting Green Electricity (current tariff ends 31/10/23)

• Archive Suite Electricity and Hill School Site Electricity (current tariff ends 31/3/2024).
22. Cloud Phone Contract Renewal

To consider new contract for telephone and broadband services for the council.
23. Roofing Repairs

To consider quotation for repairs to/replacement of Guildhall roof.

Dated:  22nd September 2023                                                              

Ms Lucy Ballard

Clerk to the Council

 

 

 

  

 

APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT FUNDING

FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES MEETING 28th September 2023


Applicant Name:Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST)Contact:
Tracy Lawrie

Communities Manager
Purpose of Grant:
To provide a shelter to those making use of the community allotment plot at the Long Meadows site.Benefits:
Shelters users from the elements.  Hope to encourage more users to work on the plot.
Total cost of project:
£1050
Grant Requested:
£1000Funds from other sources:
£50 – raised by the allotment groupWill explore the Tudwick Foundation 

 


Applicant Name:Harwich & Dovercourt Rugby ClubContact:
Andy Bray

Club Chairman
Purpose of Grant:
1. To provide a Friendship bench and 2. training costs for 10x new coachesBenefits:
1. Enable people to seek friendship and talk over worries.2. to help improve youth numbers 
Total cost of project:
TBC
Grant Requested:
1. TBC2. £750Funds from other sources:
£250 – Own resources 

 

 


Applicant Name:Harwich Quay New Years Eve FireworksContact:
Andy Tannock

Administrator

 
Purpose of Grant:
To put on a fireworks display.Benefits:
Free to view display and raise the town’s profile
Total cost of project:
£10500
Grant Requested:
£2500Funds from other sources:
They have in excess of £12k in the bank 

 


Applicant Name:The Pharos Trust – LV18Contact:
Tony O’Neill

 

 
Purpose of Grant:
To finance the purchase of paint coatings to refurbish the exterior of the vessel.Benefits:
Will enhance the visual aspect and prolong the future of this nationally important historic registered vessel.  Further enhancing tourism to the town.
Total cost of project:
£9980
Grant Requested:
£499Funds from other sources:
Voluntary labour£500 – Harwich & Dovercourt Rotary (application pending) 

 

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