Annual Meeting – Election of Mayor

To the Members of the Town Council of Louth:

You are hereby summoned to attend the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council which will be held on Tuesday 14^th May 2024 in the Old Court Room, The Sessions House, Eastgate, Louth at 7pm.  The business to be dealt with at the meeting is listed in the agenda below.

Please note there will be no public forum.

Mrs. L.M. Phillips

Town Clerk

Dated this 9^th Day of May 2024

AGENDA

ROBED TOWN COUNCIL

(Membership: All Cllrs.)

1. Election of Mayor (Chairman)
   Council to receive nominations and to elect the Mayor of Louth (Chairman) to hold office until the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council in 2025, followed by:
   1. Mayor to sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office
   2. Mayor’s Address – The Mayor to address and thank the Council.
   3. Vote of Thanks to the 2023/24 Mayor. (The Council will offer a vote of thanks to the Mayor for 2023/24 and the Town Clerk will present a replica of the Arms of the Town to the 2023/24 Mayor, on behalf of the Council).
   4. Reply of the 2023/24 Mayor. ( Mrs. JS will reply, giving thanks to her Consort, Deputy Mayor, Council staff Mayor’s Chaplain, Mayor’s Serjeant and others and present the Arms, for Services to the Town, to her chosen recipient.
   5. Appointment of Chaplain, The Mayor for 2024/25 will announce the arrangements they have made.
2. Election of Deputy Mayor
   Council to receive nominations and to elect Deputy Mayor (Vice Chairman) to hold office until the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council in 2025.
3. Apologies for Absence
   To receive and note apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Town Clerk at least one hour prior to the meeting.
4. Declarations of Interest
   To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act, 2011 – being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests and any written requests for dispensation received by the Proper Officer under section 22 of the Localism Act.
5. Council Minutes
   To approve as a correct record the notes of the Council Meeting held on 19^th March 2024.
6. Committee Minutes
   To confirm receipt of the minutes and adopt resolutions contained therein of the following Committee Meetings:
   1. Planning – 20^th February 2024, 19^th March 2024 and 9^th April 2024
   2. Governance and Finance – 20^th February 2024 and 9^th April 2024
   3. Community Resources – 30^th January 2024
   4. Personnel – 30^th January 2024
7. Louth Town Council Governance
   Council to confirm that Governance Documents such as Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Risk Management and Internal Controls, the Asset Register, Insurance arrangements, the Council’s Complaints Procedure, all policies relating to GDPR, the Handling of Freedom of Information Requests Policy, Media Policy and other policies and procedures were reviewed and adopted in 2023/24. (Available to view in the office).
8. Committees of the Council
   On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to re-establish Committees, as Committees of Louth Town Council and confirm membership, terms of reference and delegated authority as contained within Standing Orders:
   1. Planning Committee (P), All Members
   2. Governance and Finance Committee (G), All Members
   3. Community Resources Committee (C), All Members; and
   4. Personnel Committee (H), 7 Members (not to include the Mayor), (2023/24: JMS, SC, EB, GEH, DH, HF, JB).
9. Town Clerk
   On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to confirm delegated authority to the Town Clerk as contained within Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
10. Representation on External Bodies and Arrangements for Reporting Back
    Council to note representation as follows:
    1. Louth United Charities – Cllrs. Mrs. JS and DEW.
    2. King Edward VI Almshouse School and Educational Charity of Louth – Cllr. DH.
    3. Louth Navigation Regeneration Partnership – Cllr. Mrs. PFW with Cllrs. Mrs. JS to substitute, as required.
    4. CCTV Partnership – Cllr. Mrs. EB and Town Clerk

 

11. Council’s Membership of Other Bodies
    Council to note that Louth Town Council is a subscriber to / associate of / registered with:
    1. Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC)
    2. National Association of Local Councils (NALC)
    3. LALC Annual Training Scheme
    4. Historic Towns Forum (Free associate)
    5. The Information Commissioners Office
    6. The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management
    7. Rural Market Towns Group
    8. Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC)
12. Arrangements with other organisations
    Council to note that it has arrangements with other organisations e.g., leases/agreements in respect of:
    1. Trinity Allotments
    2. Old Mill House
    3. Land off London Road (Louth Athletics Club)
    4. Julian Bower Field
    5. Aethelheard’s Chapel
    6. Sessions House
    7. Hubbard’s Hills
    8. Flood Alleviation Scheme
    9. London Road and Mount Pleasant Allotments
    10. Land off London Road (Astro Turf Site)

 

13. Meetings of the Council
    On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to confirm that it approved it’s schedule of meetings for 2024/25 on 19^th March 2024, these to be physical meetings unless legislation allows. The Town Clerk to issue summons by email, accordingly.
14. Nominated Key Holders
    Council to note nominated key holders of The Sessions House, which role involves opening/closing up of Sessions House as required and being on call to deal with Chubb Fire and Security in the event of the building’s alarm being activated overnight or at weekends. Keyholders are currently as follows: Cllrs. JB, DH, JD, JS.
15. Bank Signatories
    Council to note signatories on its accounts are as follows:
    Lloyds Account – EB, JMS, LMC, JS, KP, DH.     NSI Account – EB, LMC, JS, DH
16. Date of Next Meeting
    Council to note that the date of the next scheduled Town Council meeting is 18^th June 2024.