06-20-23 TC MINS

 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF LOUTH TOWN COUNCIL
HELD IN THE OLD COURT ROOM, THE SESSIONS HOUSE, LOUTH

ON TUESDAY 20^th JUNE 2023

 

Present                                        The Mayor, Cllr. J. Simmons (JS) (in the chair).

 

Councillors:      Mrs. E. Ballard (EB), M.R. Barnes (MRB), L.M. Cooney (LMC), S. Crew (SC), J. Drake (JD), L. Frost (LF), D. Hobson (DH), G.E. Horton (GEH), M. Lamb (ML). Mrs. J. Makinson-Sanders (JMS), P. Starsmore (PS), Mrs. P.F. Watson (PFW), Mrs. K. Parsons (KP).

 

Councillors not present: J. Baskett (JB) and H. Filer (HF).

 

The Town Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips and the Town Clerk’s Assistant, Miss S. Chitauro, District Councillors D. and R. Jackson and one member of the public were also present.

• Apologies for Absence
  Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. JB and HF.
• Declarations of Interest/Dispensations
  Mrs. JMS, DH and GEH – Items 11 and 16 as District Councillors.
  Cllr. Mrs. EB – Item 15 as a Warden of King Edward VI School.
• Minutes

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 16^th May 2023 as a correct record.

• Committee Minutes
  It was RESOLVED to confirm the receipt of minutes and adopt resolutions contained therein of the Planning Committee meeting held on 25^th April 2023.

• Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) 2022/23
  a) It was RESOLVED to receive the report of the internal auditor.
  b)         It was RESOLVED to receive the Balance Sheet for the year ended 31^st March 2023 and
  approve signing by the Chairman and Responsible Finance Officer.
  c)          It was RESOLVED to receive the Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31^st
  March 2023.
  d)         On the recommendation of the Governance and Finance Committee, it was RESOLVED to approve
  completion of the Annual Governance Statement (Section 1 of the AGAR) for the financial year 2022/23
  and place ticks in all boxes except number 9 where n/a was placed and approve for signing by the
  Chairman and Town Clerk.
  e)         On the recommendation of the Governance and Finance Committee, it was RESOLVED to approve the
  Accounting Statements (Section 2 of the AGAR) for the financial year 2022/23 and authorise signing
  by the Chairman.
  f)          It was noted that the period for ethe exercise of public rights must include the first 10 working
  days of July, must be at least 30 consecutive working days long, must commence as soon as reasonably
  possible after approval of the AGAR and with this in mind, and following a recommendation from the
  Governance and Finance Committee approve that the period for the exercise of public rights should be set
  from Thursday 22^nd June 2023 to Wednesday 2^nd August 2023.
• Co-option
  JS read out letters of application from applicants hoping to be co-opted onto the Council. Councillors then received presentations from two of the applicants.  It was RESOLVED to move into closed session to discuss confidential details of a personal nature.  After moving back into open session, it was RESOLVED that Mrs. P.F. Watson and Mrs. K. Parsons (KP) should be co-opted onto Louth Town Council into Priory Ward and St. Mary’s Ward respectively.  It was also RESOLVED that the third absent candidate should be contacted and asked to attend a future meeting to discuss his application for Councillor.

 

 

• Annual Town Meeting Minutes 2022/23
  It was RESOLVED to receive the minutes of the Annual Town Meeting held on 18^th April 2023 and it was noted that there had been a proposal raised by a member of the public. It was further RESOLVED that the proposer should be invited to a future meeting to expand on his ideas further.

• Working Groups
  It was RESOLVED to re-establish the following working groups to the Council and approve the remit and updated membership as follows.
  1. Events Group: Cllrs. JS (Chair TC), SC (Vice TC), PS, DH, ML, JD, and JB.
  2. Past Mayors: Cllrs. Mrs. EB, JB, DH, GEH, Mrs. JMS, JS and Mrs. PFW.
  3. Floral Enhancements / Lovely Louth: Cllrs. SC, KP, PS, ML and MB.
  4. Speed Awareness Working Group: Cllrs. JS (Mayor), PS, MB, LF, SC (Deputy Mayor), ML, GEH,
     and Mrs. EB.

NB: Cllr. MB left the meeting at 8.45pm.

1. Louth Environment was deferred pending proposal and agreement of suitable remit.

NB: Cllr. GEH left the meeting at 8.48pm

• Louth Food Festival
  a) It was RESOLVED that Cllrs. SC, ML, PS, LF and Mrs. EB should be put forward as volunteers to
  assist ELDC with marshalling the Louth Food Festival which would take place on Lincolnshire Day, 1^st
  October 2023.

1. b) The Council considered running a Lincolnshire Day Poem competition in schools as part of the Food Festival and it was RESOLVED that Louth Town Council should instead look to arrange a Lincolnshire themed colouring competition in partnership with Morrisons.

• Land at Julian Bower
  It was RESOLVED to approve the renewal of a grazing licence with the previous user.

 

• Partnership Working – Tree for King Charles III
  It was RESOLVED that the Town Clerk attempt to make arrangements for a tree to be planted in Westgate Fields to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III. It was noted that the Tree Officer at ELDC had already indicated that ELDC would purchase and permit a tree to be planted (tree at ELDC’s expense), that ELDC would also permit a plaque to commemorate the occasion to be erected with the tree (at Louth Town Council’s expense) and that enquiries as to the availability of suitable dignitaries to attend would also be made.
• Lincolnshire Police
  It was RESOLVED that the Council should write to the Police Commissioner and Chief Constable, copying in Victoria Atkins MP to outline concerns about proposals to reduce PCSO numbers and the Council’s hopes for fairer funding.
• LALC Management Committee
  It was noted that on 16^th May the Clerk had been nominated to act as representative on the Association’s Management Committee. It was also noted that the LALC County Committee on which Cllr. JB had represented the Council for the past four years was to disband and the above was to take over.  It was RESOLVED that the Council would ratify the nomination of Cllr. JB to the above, as well.

• Council Photograph
  It was RESOLVED that arrangements would be made for a Council photograph to be taken to mark the new Council’s term of office.

 

• King Edward VI Almshouse, School and Educational Charity
  It was RESOLVED that Mr. Leonard should continue as a trustee at the King Edward VI Almshouse, School and Educational Charity on behalf of Louth Town Council.

• Tree Planting and Community Orchard Scheme
  The Council received and noted correspondence on the above from the South East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership, Climate Change and Environment Officer.
  

• Next Meeting
  It was noted that the next scheduled meeting of the Town Council would take place on 19^th September 2023.

 

The Meeting Closed at 9.27pm.

 

 

 

Signed_______________________ (Chairman)                Dated_________________________