FRM(22)M04
FINANCE, EMPLOYMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting of Melton Parish Council Finance, Employment and Risk Management (FERM) Committee held on Wednesday 12th October 2022, commencing at 19:00 at 17 Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton IP12 1QT.
Present:
Cllr Banks (in the Chair)
Cllr Gradwell
Cllr Packard
Cllr Crawford
Absent:
Cllr Taylor
Cllr Brown
Cllr Porter
In Attendance:
P Alder Clerk and Executive Officer to Melton Parish Council
Minutes- Part One – Open to the Public
Item No Item to be discussed
22.39 To receive apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Brown, Porter and Taylor. The Chair welcomed Cllr Crawford to his first FERM meeting.
22.40 Declarations of Interest
22.40.01 To receive Declarations of Interest in Respect of Items on the Agenda
None were received
22.40.02 To consider any applications for dispensations
None were considered
The Clerk reminded Members that they are responsible for ensuring their Register of Interests is up to date and pointed out that the change of agenda format was following advice from SALC to bring it in line with the Model Code of Conduct that the Council adopted in May 2022.
22.41 Public Participation Session
No members of the public were present.
22.42 To approve the Minutes of the Previous Meeting
It was RESOLVED to agree the minutes of the FERM Committee held on 20th July 2022 (FRM(22)M03) previously distributed).
Proposed by: Cllr Gradwell Seconded by: Cllr Packard
22.43 To consider Financial and Internal Control matters
22.43.01 To consider the Management Accounts for the period 1st April 2022 to 30th September 2022 and the current budget position
Papers FRM(22)43.01 and FRM(22)43.01a-f which had been previously distributed were discussed. The Chair checked that the bank statements matched the bank reconciliation and signed the documents to confirm. It was NOTED that the impact of the in year pay increase will need to be considered by the Budget Working Group and that at a time of high inflation the budget would continue be monitored closely.
22.43.01 To consider the arrangements for initial work on budget setting for 2023/24
The Clerk reported that Budget Working Group is meeting on the 7th November. Cllr Crawford asked to attend. The Clerk is attending some budget training being given by Scribe on the 20th October.
22.43.02 Grant Giving in 2022/23
The Clerk reported that 4 applications had been received so far and the closing date was the 31st October 2022. The applications will be considered by Full Council on the 16th November. It was NOTED that applications should be accompanied by a copy of their latest accounts.
22.44 To review risk management issues
22.44.01 Risk Register
The Risk Register was reviewed. A typo was noted that the Risk Level column had not been updated to High for the Pavilion project. As the register was reviewed by Full Council two weeks ago no further amends were required https://melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk/documents-base/risk-register/
22.44.02 Data Protection Risk Register
The Data Protection Risk Register was reviewed. It was AGREED that the E-News item should be changed from ‘cannot be added by council staff or members’ to ‘must not be added by council staff or members.’ The Email security comments will include the line ‘Councillors are advised to access their email using webmail’. The website security item will be updated to reference 2step authentication. The Clerk also reported that the office received some cyber-security training from Suffolk Police. The trainer was extremely impressed with the level of comprehension and backups undertaken. Further training for Councillors is being arranged. https://melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk/data-protection-risk-register/
Proposed by: Cllr Gradwell Seconded by: Cllr Banks
22.45 Pavilion Update
The Clerk reported that she was still awaiting information from the architect/builders about the access road. Several prospective hirers have been shown the Pavilion and the feedback is very positive. Cllr Gradwell raised concerns about having too many block bookings but each of these requests will be reviewed and agreed by Recreation. The information required for the Business Rates valuation will be supplied by the Clerk although she will seek information from nearby Parish Councils with similar buildings to ascertain what rates they are paying. The Clerk is confident that the build costs will come in very close to the original £268k project cost, with a slight overspend coming from the purchase of batteries, which was not within the original scope.
22.46 To consider employment matters
22.46.01 Staffing report
The Clerk reported that there were no major issues although workload and pressure on the office continued to be high, mainly due to the overrun on several projects. The maintenance officer is happy with his current workload.
22.47 To consider governance matters
22.47.01 Report of decisions made by Clerk/Assistant Clerk under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014
There were none to report
22.48 Finance Committee Chair’s urgent business
Cllr Gradwell raised that the Budget Working Group needs to consider purchasing good quality gazebos for the Fete. It was suggested that sponsorship could be sought for these items.
22.49 Date of next meeting
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 14th December 2022, commencing at 19:00 at 17 Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton IP12 1QT. It was noted that Cllr Crawford will be unable to attend. There being no further business the meeting closed at 20:16.
