STC full council meeting report 15.12.21
Today report without my personal intro and outro for one simple reason- no time to write. Maybe next time… Anyway- few minor issues, no incidents, no interesting events. Fairly relaxed meeting.
2021/083 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE.
Only one councillor missing. Since this was the last meeting this year it’s time to summarize the attendance of all STC councillors. I hope to publish an article about it in the first weeks of 2022.
2021/084 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS.
The interest was declared and the councillor left the chamber when necessary.
2021/085 TO DISCUSS ANY POLICE MATTERS AND DECIDE ANY ISSUES FOR REPORT.
CRIME FIGURES ARE ATTACHED FOR INFORMATION – (PAGES 1-6).
Once again STC Chamber was visited by guests whose visit was not announced in the agenda. I have no idea who those people were since they didn’t introduce themselves at the start of their speech. All I can say about them is that they have some knowledge about crime and knew very well few Labour Party councillors. They didn’t say anything new. We all know Shirebrook problems with youth antisocial behaviour and after-Covid rise of domestic violence. They didn’t bring any gifts (like 5000 grant funding for ASB prevention I tried to put into the town budget). They didn’t give us any advice. Basically, they told us what we know and went away.
2021/086 TO PERMIT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD.
A major part of the guest speaker speech was in this part of the meeting. As soon as the official minutes of this meeting are published, I will complete this report with their names and positions.
Since I’m recording all meetings I was able to listen to their speech a second time. There was only one new thing that I learned from it- according to one of the guests- the majority of Shirebrook youth are good kids but there are five kids in the age range 10-14 who are absolute devils (mine description- not his). Those kids led astray the rest of the group and organise all those bad events that we experienced recently. The problem at the moment is that: STC, BDC and DCC do nothing for youth in Shirebrook- they are left to themselves. There is no funding, no youth programmes, no youth club. STC blames DCC. BDC is completely out of the equation since they are more worried about cutting down trees for rich friends of the Labour Party than actual work in the community. So those good kids are under the constant influence of bad kids.
One of the councillors proposed to contact Youth Services at DCC and ask them to come to the STC meeting so we can ask for help/guidance/funding. At this point of my “career”, I know- no one will come. So I followed this councillor and asked Town Clerk to write a letter just asking for options and maybe info on how other parish councils tackle that issue.
At some point, Town Clerk reminded councillors that we will have a “precept meeting” soon. This is a very special meeting- at this meeting, the council decide on spending plans for next year. I suggested setting aside “something like 20k for youth programmes” and there were few approving murmurs. This will be the first time I will attend a “precept” meeting as a councillor and I decided to put pressure on cutting “staff wage spending” in order to find the money for youth programmes.
I’m aware that 20k is nothing since professional “youth worker” earns about 30k per year but hear me: if we cut 10% from “party and celebration” funding and an additional 10% from current leisure centre staff wages we would have more than enough money for youth programmes AND professionally trained youth worker working full time to take care of kids. Good idea, right? Well, it’s my idea so I’m 99% sure that Labour Party will reject it but maybe this time they will surprise me… You can’t blame me for hoping for the best.
2021/087 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL HAVING BEEN HELD 13TH OCTOBER 2021 – (PAGES 7-11)
Approved.
2021/088 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL HAVING BEEN HELD 25TH OCTOBER 2021 – (PAGES 12-13)
Approved.
2021/089 TO REVIEW THE MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND NOTE THE DECISIONS THERETO;
a. LEISURE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD 3RD NOVEMBER 2021 – (PAGES 14-16)
b. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING HELD 17TH NOVEMBER 2021 – (PAGES 17-18)
2021/090 TO REVIEW AND APPROVE FINANCIAL INFORMATION
a. TO AUTHORISE CASH BOOK ENTRIES SINCE PREVIOUS MEETING – (PAGES 19-27)
b. TO ADDRESS QUERIES ARISING FROM THE CASH BOOK.
There were no queries. All good in Labour spending land… 40k MONTHLY for staff wages while biggest parish council spend on same item 230k PER YEAR? Yeah- no issue. Another transaction with Glapwell nursery? Yeah- it’s run by a Labour friend so no issues there. We could spend this money locally? Naaahhh…. Labour doesn’t care about the local economy. Friends businesses are more important!
c. TO REVIEW BANK RECONCILIATION/S FOR CASH BOOK PERIOD – (PAGES 28-29)
d. TO CONSIDER AND DECIDE APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
NONE RECEIVED TO DATE.
2021/091 TO CONSIDER RESPONSES AS NECESSARY TO LISTED CORRESPONDENCE.
a. ADAM NORMAN – REQUEST TO SUPPORT PROJECT – (PAGE 30)
To this moment I’m confused about it… I listened to the recording very carefully to understand what happened here but this didn’t clear out the issue. Let me explain: Physical Activity and Sports Development Officer at BDC together with East Midlands Rail asked for match funding for a youth programme about train safety. It’s right our alley- something interesting for kids and they want just five hundred pounds matching funds- they will cover the rest. The programme will last for 15 weeks so another plus- its long term. I don’t know why but there was a discussion and request for additional information. It’s PPC ACB grant all over again- instead of jumping on a good idea STC decide to sit on fence and wait for… I have no idea what. That’s why I listened to the recording again- to understand what happened. I have no idea what decision was made. Fun, right?
b. SANDRA CURREY – REQUEST TO WAIVE BOND FEE FOR VILLAGE HALL HIRE – (PAGE 31)
This is an easier, more technical issue. Sometimes STC takes bond for village hall booking but some charity organisations have a big problem with accounting when some sums of money go out and then come back. In this instance, Derbyshire Adult Community Education asked to waive bond. Simple issue but it still has to be discussed and agreed upon.
2021/092 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND REVIEW PLANNING DECISIONS – (PAGES 32-33)
There were a couple of applications. Usually, those applications are simple changes to residential buildings but on this occasion, we had one application to change car park into “vehicle storage”. The discussed area is in the north part of town so it’s outside my “jurisdiction” and I had to visit Google maps to see where it is. Anyway- councillors from North lead the discussion and told the rest of the council what’s what. This application received a negative opinion of STC.
2021/093 TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE TOWN CLERK.
Nothing worth mentioning.
2021/094 TO RECEIVE CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS.
There was short information about coming changes to Market Square. I will write about it more in the coming months since the first visible work won’t start until autumn of 2022.
a. UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING.
b. OTHER ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION.
2021/095 CONFIDENTIAL ITEM/S – Exclusion of the Press & Public.
To resolve that in view of the confidential nature of the items to be discussed, a formal resolution be passed to exclude the press and public from the meeting, pursuant to the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 & the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, Part 1, paragraphs 11.
2021/096 CONTRACTUAL/BUSINESS MATTERS.
2021/097 PERSONNEL MATTERS.
2021/098 TO APPROVE THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON THE 26TH JANUARY 2022.
END
Sylwester Zwierzynski info@shirebrook247.com
