POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Minutes of a meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Radstock Lane, Earley, Berkshire on Wednesday, 13^th June 2007 commencing at 7.45 pm.

Present

Chairman – Vice Chairman Councillor M J Firmager in the Chair

1.         MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The Minutes of the meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee held on 21st March 2007 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

2.         VICE-CHAIRMAN

RESOLVED that Councillor M J Firmager be appointed Vice Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee for the ensuing Municipal Year.

3.         APPOINTMENT OF SUB-COMMITTEES & WORKING PARTIES

Consideration was given to the appointment of Sub-Committees and Working Parties for the ensuing year.  Members noted that the Health & Safety and the Public Relations Working Parties had not met during the past year.

In response to questions from Members, the Town Clerk advised that all the Health & Safety Policies were now in place and, therefore, there did not appear to be a need to appoint a Working Party.  The Public Relations Working Party had originally been formed to consider specific items which had now been dealt with.

Accordingly it was

RESOLVED that

1.                   the Health & Safety and the Public Relations working Parties only be re-constituted if the need arises

2.                   the following be appointed:-

Staffing Review Sub-Committee – Councillors D D Chopping, M Deegan, C J W Edmunds, M J Firmager, N Jorgensen and T Maher

Standing Orders Working Party – Councillors M Deegan, C J W Edmunds, M J Firmager, N Jorgensen and Jenny Lissaman

Service to Earley Award Panel – Councillors Anne Ames, D D Chopping, N Jorgensen and T Maher

Youth & Community Sub-Committee – Councillors Mrs L Chambers, M A P Deegan, C J W Edmunds, M Firmager, I Hussain, Jenny Lissaman, Carol Mitchell and N Preston

            RECOMMENDED that consideration be given to the nomination of a fifth Member to serve on the Service to Earley Award Panel.

4.         REQUESTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

4.1        Letters of Thanks

The Committee noted that letters of thanks had been received from:

·         Berkshire MS Therapy Centre

·         Berkshire County Blind Society

·         Home Start Wokingham District

·         Senior Action Group Earley

·         Keep Mobile

·         Earley Day Centre

·         Wokingham Job Support Centre

·         Age Concern Berkshire

·         Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust

·         SSPA Forces Help

5.         SUB-COMMITTEES & WORKING PARTIES

5.1        Youth & Community Sub-Committee

Consideration was given to the Minutes of the Youth & Community Sub-Committee held on 24^th April 2007, a copy of which is appended to these Minutes for the information of Members only.

In response to questions from Members as to whether items of concern discussed at the last Sol Joel Park Sub-Committee meeting and, also all PCSO related matters should, in future, be considered by the Youth & Community Sub-Committee it was

            RESOLVED that

1.         the report be received and the Recommendations contained therein be adopted

2.         the Town Clerk ask the PCSO and Youth Street Workers to make reference to the situation at Sol Joel Park in their reports to the Youth & Community Sub-Committee.

6.         AUDIT

6.1        Audit of Accounts for 2004/05

The Committee noted receipt of the final copies of the Auditors’ Reports for the financial year ending 31^st March 2005.  A copy of the Independent Auditors’ report was attached to the Agenda for the information of Members only.

6.2        Audit of Accounts for 2005/06

The Town Clerk reported that UHY Hacker Young had completed the Audit for the year ending 31^st March 2006.  A copy of its letter and completed duly audited annual return was attached to the Agenda for the information of Members only.

Councillors were requested to note the comment concerning ‘Risk Assessment’, which was being taken on board by the Town Council.  Members were, also, reminded that the Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31^st March 2006 was presented to the Town Council meeting on 16^th May 2007 and approved at Minute 10.2.

6.3        Audit of Accounts for 2006/07

Members were reminded that, at Minute 64 of the meeting of this Committee held on 21^st March 2007, attention was drawn to a letter, received from the Audit Commission, proposing extension of the appointment of UHY Hacker Young to cover 2006/07, pending a further competition in which tenders would be invited for appointment as auditors.  The Town Clerk, on behalf of the Council, had responded to say that, because of the previous performance of UHY Hacker Young, the Council was not prepared to accept the proposal.  Following an approach from the Audit Commission in response, Members resolved that the Town Clerk be requested to write to the Audit Commission expressing a number of concerns, recorded at Minute 64, and requesting details of the alternative options that would be available to the Town Council to achieve an audit of the 2006/07 accounts.

Subsequently, following a meeting with Mr Philip Hollins of UHY Hacker Young, its proposals for the 2006/07 Audit were set out in a letter.  A copy of the response from the Audit Commission and the letter from UHY Hacker Young were attached to the Agenda for the information of Members only.

RESOLVED that the Audit Commission’s proposal be rejected and it be requested to consider undertaking the Audit itself.

7.         RISK ASSESSMENTS

Members were reminded that, at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council, it was resolved that matters relating to risk assessments be referred to appropriate Committees for further consideration.

The Committee was of the opinion that the matter should be delegated to Officers to decide on the frequency of inspections.

RESOLVED that the matter be delegated to the Town Clerk and a report of the inspection frequency be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee for Member’s information.

8.         ORDERS FOR PAYMENT

The Committee noted details of Orders for Payment paid since the last meeting of the Town Council.

RESOLVED that the various accounts set out on the attached list (Vouchers 042 - 104) be paid in the sums as stated and details of the Imprest Vouchers (001 - 027) be noted.

9.         PUBLICATIONS

The Committee noted that the following items had been received and were available for viewing in the Council Chamber:

10.       CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS

            RESOLVED that the confidential report of the Town Clerk, on matters relating to the restructuring of the Parks Department, be considered within the closed section of the meeting.

11.       TERMINATION OF MEETING

            The meeting was declared closed by the Chairman at 10.20pm.

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