WOOBURN & BOURNE END PARISH COUNCIL

WOOBURN & BOURNE END PARISH COUNCIL

Extra-ordinary meeting of the Finance and Gener= al Purposes Committee

Wednesday 3^rd March 2010 at 7.30pm i= n the Council Chamber at Wooburn

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= Present: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Cllr D Airley (Chairm= an)

Cllrs Mrs Gould, Reeves, Mrs Witney (Clerk)

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Public Gallery: &= nbsp; 3 members of member of the public

MINUTES

Part I

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46/09 Apologies for Absence

Apologies received f= rom Cllr Mrs Marshall.

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47/09 Declarations of Members interests

47.01 Cllr Reeves declared an interest on Part II agenda item 13 – Confidential = HR Matters.

47.02 Correspondence was received from BALC and Monito= ring Officer at WDC in connection with Code of Conduct (as requested at previous meeting) and was noted.

48/09 Public Speaking

1 member of public s= poke re agenda item 6 - External Auditors report and agenda item 8 Standing Orders/Financial Regs.

49/09 Minutes

The Clerk apologised= for not including the minutes of 9^th February 2010, they will be included for approval on next agenda.

Resolved: The minutes of the Extra-ordinary = meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on 3^rd Febr= uary 2010 were approved, Proposed by Cllr D Airley, seconded by Cllr Reeves. Cllr Mrs Gould was not present at = this meeting.

50/09 Clerk’s Report

Members were asked t= o decide whether Council require the Clerk to provide a report on progress of actions minuted from the last meeting (for each Committee and Council meeting) and = on correspondence received into office in response to comments made by Council= lors at a recent Full Council meeting. Resolved: Clerk’s report to remain an agenda item, Proposed by Cllr Mrs Gould, seconded by Cl= lr Reeves.

51/09 External Auditor’s Report = 211; Annual Return 2008/9

Item A= - Internal Auditors matters arising, items 1 t= o 5, of the External Auditor’s comments were addressed at the F&GP Committee meeting held on 18^th November 2009. Items 6 & 7 are to be addresse= d in Part II. Item 8 onwards were addressed as follows:

Item 8, Resolved: Reasons= for awarding tenders will be more transparent in future, each proposal will rec= ord the pros and cons, Proposed by Cllr Mrs Gould, seconded by Cllr Reeves, all agreed.

Item 9, Resolved: Internal Auditors investigation and Clerk’s response to Mr Cooper noted. =

Item B of the External Auditor’s comments –= ; The Council should formally minute the review of effectiveness of internal audi= t in future (Section 2, Box 6). Deferred: Members present were no= t on F&GP for year ended 31 March 2009.&nbs= p; This item is to be referred to next Full Council meeting, as previous members of F&GP (Cllrs Ap= pleyard and Mrs Langley) would be able to provide clarification. Resolved: Cllr Mrs Gould proposed that a mee= ting is arranged for all new Councillors to meet with the Internal Auditor in order that he can explain the Internal Auditor process, seconded by Cllr Reeves. =

Item C= of the External Auditor’s comments ̵= 1; the Council should review the level of fidelity guarantee cover to confirm that= it is appropriate in relation to the risks faced by the Council. The Clerk explained that the level= of fidelity cover should be higher to cover the maximum amount at any one time= in the bank account, as Reserves are high the Internal Auditor advised that th= is should be no less than £400,000.&nbs= p; Resolved: All agreed to increase fidelity co= ver to £400,000 with immediate effect, Proposed by Cllr Mrs Gould, seconded = by Cllr Reeves. Clerk to advise insurance company.

Item D of the External Auditor’s comments –= ; The Council should review the consistency between the recording off assets in a= sset register and the insurance schedule, and should ensure that all Council own= ed assets are given an appropriate valuation, e.g. a nominal value of £1 should be used for community assets. Resolved: £1 to be put in asset column= for 2010, Proposed by Cllr D Airley, seconded by Cllr Reeves, all agreed.

52/09 To appoint Internal Auditor for 200= 9/10

Committee members we= re asked to approve the appointment of Mr Barrie Dancer (Local Government Internal Auditor) as Internal Auditor for 2009/10 Annual Accounts. Resolved: Cllr Mrs Gould proposed to accept appointment of Mr Barrie Dancer as Internal Auditor for 2009/10 Accounts, seconded by Cllr Reeves, 3 in agreement.

53/09 Standing Orders/Financial Regs=

In accordance with 2= 008/9 Internal Audit report, Committee members were asked to adopt the NALC recommended Financial R= egs. and Standing Orders. Copies of Parish Council version and NALC version were supplied for comparison. The Chairman explained that an inf= ormal meeting open to all Councillors had taken place to discuss Standing Orders = (the Clerk was not present) and they had got half way through the Standing Order= s at this meeting. Resolved: Cllr D = Airley Proposed an extra-ordinary meeting is set up to discuss remainder of Standi= ng Orders, seconded by Cllr Reeves, all agreed. Cllr Mrs Gould asked for it to be = noted that she can’t make any daytime meetings.

54/09 Transfer of Account to Lloyds ̵= 1; staff BACS payment

A report and proposa= l from Clerk/RFO relating to arrangements for monthly staff salary transfers was discussed. Resolved: 1^s=
t Choice payroll to be appointed as PC’s registered BACS bureau operator for monthly staff salary payments.

55/09 Authorisation for Expenditure<= /o:p>

Committee members we= re asked to ratify expenditure of £913.91 for 2 new office windows (as agreed between Clerk and Chairman of Council for emergency security reasons) ̵= 1; expenditure to be allocated out of office maintenance/repairs budget. 3 quotes had been sought in accord= ance with Standing Orders and were presented for Committee information.   Ratified: All in agreement with quote for £913.91 from Sa= mson Windows, Proposed by Cllr Reeves, seconded by Cllr Airley.

56/09 LGS pay 2010/11

Notification regardi= ng Local Government Pay for 2010/11 and suggested letter informing staff was present= ed. It was noted that this refers to t= he annual pay award and does not affect employees who are contractually awarded annual pay increments. Resolved: Clerk to issue a basic = letter to staff indicating there will be no 2010/11 annual pay award.        &= nbsp;

Exclusion of the Press and the Pu= blic – Terms of Formal Resolution

It is resolved to exclude the press and public = on the grounds that the following items contain exempt information as defined by t= he Local Government Act 1972 Schedule 12A

Par= t II

57/09 External Auditor’s Report = 211; Annual Return 2008/9

Committee were asked= to agree response to External Auditor regarding comments raised in Part II comments of Internal Auditor’s matters arising.

Item 6= Resol= ved: Accountants notified of salary= adjustment following F&GP Committee decision on 14^th July 2009 minute numbers 21/09 and 23/09.

Item 7= Resol= ved: Full Council agreed to conduct= a thorough review of Groundstaff and Office Staff workloads and staffing requ= irements on 24^th November 2009 minute number 115/09.   Resolved: F&G= P to appoint a working party made from members of F&GP to address Internal Auditors comments in Item 7 of 2008/9 internal audit matters arising, Propo= sed by Cllr Mrs Gould, seconded by Cllr Reeves, all agreed.
58/09 Confidential HR Matters<= /span>

58.01 Committee members were asked to consider report from recent disciplinary meeting relating to staff Terms and Conditions of Employment. Resolved: Employees of the Parish Council sh= ould not be allowed to bring their dog to work – with exception of assistance/disabled dogs, seconded by Cllr Reeves, 1 abstention, carried.

58.02 Committee members were asked to approve expenditure for ad-hoc assistance with Flag Flying Days at Wooburn War Memorial. Resolved: All agreed to= make one-off payments of £10 as and when required for assistance in flying/lowering flag in absence of Groundsman, Proposed by Cllr Gould, seco= nded by Cllr Reeves, all agreed.

Part II agenda items= 13.03 & 13.04 were deferred as Cllr Reeves declared an interest and with his leaving the meeting would no longer remain quorate.

Meeting Closed at 9.40pm