Craster Parish Council

COMMUNITY TRUST
PARISH COUNCIL

Agendas & Minutes
Accounts

Minutes

Monday 30th. March 2015

Craster Village Hall 6:00pm

Present

Chair                    Bryn Owen.
Vice-Chair and Acting Clerk    John Gallon.
Parish Council Members    Pauline Baird, Margaret Brooks, Michael Craster, Elizabeth Pearson, Alan Punton, Joyce Shaw, Martin Smith.

Members of the public    Mr H Cummings.

Questions from the public.      None.

1774.     Declarations of Interest.  None.

1775.    Apologies for absence.    Cllr. Richard Pearson.

1776.     Ratification of minutes of the meeting held on 15th. January 2015.
Bryn Owen opened by explaining that this special meeting had been called in order to ratify the issues and actions taken at the February meeting as it had become clear that the February meeting was invalid.  This was due to the fact that it was not called in accordance with our Standing Orders.  
The January Minutes were accepted as a true record and signed accordingly.

1777.  Ratification of Proposal re defibrillator.
It was proposed by Joyce Shaw and seconded by Martin Smith that the Parish Council makes a contribution of not more than £1000 towards the installation of the defibrillator subject to the availability of other funding.  The proposal was carried unanimously.  Martin Smith will be the lead contact for the Parish Council in regard to the defibrillator with Alan Punton as his deputy.

1778.    Ratification of Proposal re Internal Auditor.
Bryn Owen explained that he and John Gallon had spent some time in researching the requirements governing the appointment of an internal auditor for the Parish Council.  These requirements were governed by various Acts and Statutory Instruments, the key point being that any internal auditor would need to exclude themselves from key financial decisions by the council in order to maintain their independence.  The correspondence submitted by Cllr. Richard Pearson before the meeting makes similar points.  Following discussion it was agreed that it was not sustainable for Martin Smith to be appointed internal auditor on a permanent basis but that the Parish Council needed to take short-term action in regard to the closure of the current Financial Year.  It was proposed by Joyce Shaw and seconded by Michael Craster that Martin Smith be appointed as internal auditor only for Financial Year 2014/2015 during the term of which appointment Martin will not take part in any financial decisions or issues.  The proposal was carried by 8 votes to none.

1779.    Ratification of Proposal re Parish Meeting.
It was proposed by Martin Smith and seconded by Michael Craster that the Parish Meeting will take place on Tuesday 30th. June 2015, time and venue to be advised.  The proposal was carried unanimously.

1780.    Appointment of Parish Clerk
Michael Craster referred to his paper circulated before the meeting and outlined the proposed process for appointment of a new Parish Clerk who would also be Parish Clerk for Embleton and Clerk to the Joint Burial Committee.  The Clerk will charge hours worked to the Parish on whose behalf the work was done, and to the Burial Committee, as appropriate.  Where tasks are common to both Councils the costs will be divided equally.  There are currently 2 candidates.  There was discussion about which Councillor should be the second Craster representative to join Michael Craster on the selection board.  It was agreed that it would be most sensible to have someone who had experience of the work of both the Parish Council and the Burial Committee.
It was proposed by Alan Punton and seconded by Joyce Shaw that the Parish Council endorsed the paper submitted by Michael Craster and that the second Craster representative should be Elizabeth Pearson.  The proposal was carried unanimously.

The next Meeting will be on Thursday 16th April 2015.