Finance Committee

[ September 05 ]   [ December 05 ]   [ December 06 ]   [ February 07 ]   [ September 07 ] [ November 07 ] [ January 2008 ]

 Minutes of a meeting of the above Committee held at Wickham Community Centre on Monday 21^st January 2008 at 7.30pm. 

Present: Angela Clear (Chairman), Mike Carter, Di Frost, Jenny Hollis, Sue Roger-Jones, Michael Sadler-Forster.

Parish Councillor Justin Gamblin, Parish Clerk Nicki Oliver

1     To receive apologies for absence: Cllr Thérèse Evans.

2     To receive declarations of interest on agenda items: none.

3     To adjourn meeting to allow participation by members of the public: not required.

4     Agenda

4.1 To consider the following funding requests:

4.1.1 St Nicholas PCC grant of £827 over and above £1200 included in the precept for church yard maintenance. Agreed to recommend to Full Council.

4.1.2 The Chill Zone (Knowle Youth Club) grant towards set up and running costs, proposal to make grant of £1000 as for Wickham Youth Club.  Agreed to recommend to Full Council.

4.1.3 To review grant to Wickham Festival – copy of accounts circulated, proposal to include grant of £2000 in precept if free entry to residents offered for one day of festival as in 2007.   Agreed to recommend to Full Council subject to WCC granting a licence for a Wickham venue.

Cllr Sue Roger-Jones and Cllr Jenny Hollis requested it be noted that they voted against the proposal.

4.2 To receive Internal Auditors report and risk assessment, to formally review  the risk assessment and to agree any proposed changes: received, no changes suggested

4.3 To receive External Auditors report comprising:

• Statement of Accounts
• Annual governance statement
• External Auditor’s certificate and opinion
• Annual internal audit report  

Received.

 to progress the following action items:

      4.3.1 Timing of notice of audit: noted.

4.3.2 Review of fidelity guarantee insurance cover, currently £40K Audit Commission guideline balances + half precept £114K: Clerk to request quote for additional cover for consideration by the Committee.

4.3.3 Review of risk assessment arrangements: refer to next meeting, guidance required.

4.4 Annual review of Clerk’s salary, including NALC/SLCC revised method of salary scale assessment; recommended new contract and terms and conditions. (Chairman) Revised salary scale points 30 and 31 were agreed, to be implemented from January and April 2008 respectively.  The Clerk thanked members for their time in reviewing the salary scales.

4.5 To review Finance Regulations and agree any amendments. It was agreed to amend the sum of money in clause 3.4 to £400 (expenditure the Clerk may incur in an emergency.)

4.6 To receive income and expenditure calculations: received.

4.7 To agree precept request for 2008/9 including project proposals / funding requests.  A precept request of £82,545 was agreed which represents an increase of £1 a year for a Band D household.  Breakdown attached.

5     Correspondence: none.

Meeting closed 8.30pm