MenuMinutes of a Meeting of Amble Town Council Cemeteries Management Committee held on Thursday 27th October 2011 at 5.30pm in the Council Office.
1. PRESENT: Cllrs Bilboe (Chairman), Hinson, Palin, Weir and Mrs Lewis together with the Clerk- Miss E Brown.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: None.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS: None.
4. CLERKS REPORT: CLERKS REPORT:
4.1: Smart jackets, shirts and ties ordered for operatives.
4.2: Tools and materials ordered for construction of West Cemetery Monument, construction underway.
4.3: West Cemetery gates removed for restoration.
4.4: West Cemetery gate posts stripped and repainted.
4.5: Plumber contacted to fix leak in machine store.
4.6: Memorial in East Cemetery damaged during high winds; too heavy for staff to move.
4.7: John Deere Lawn tractor in for repair and returned.
4.8: Tanaka brush cutter quoted for repair, Clerk informed repair not to go ahead.
4.9: Tree works due to be undertaken between 31st October and 2nd November.
4.10: Cllr Mrs Lewis donated some concrete kerbing stones.
The Clerk’s report was proposed for acceptance by Cllr Mrs Lewis, seconded by Cllr Bilboe and agreed.
5. VISITOR’S BOOK AND TIMESHEETS:
5.1: The Superintendent’s Futures Report was presented for inspection by the Members.
5.2: The time sheets were available for inspection
5.3: The Visitor’s Book was available for inspection at the office from Thursday afternoon.
6 Member’s Comments on the Future Report, Visitor’s Book, Timesheets and the condition of the Cemetery
Cllr Bilboe enquired how the new timesheet system was progressing. The Clerk hoped to progress a few items for a trial run in the coming month before the next meeting. It was agreed to purchase some ink cartridges for the fountain pen used for burial records.
7. COMMUNICATIONS:
7.1: None.
8. AGENDA ITEMS:
8.1: Consideration of Horticultural Course for Grounds man – The Clerk detailed a Royal Horticultural Society certificate in the Principle of Plant Growth, Propagation and Development at 48 weeks term time only between 6pm and 8.30pm at Kirkley Hall Campus. Cllr Mrs Lewis proposed the Council pay for the cost of the course and exam fees, subject to a training agreement, if the course is done in the operative’s own time and travel costs met at his own expense as the certificate was a personal one. This was seconded by Cllr Weir and agreed. Due to the time scale involved, the Clerk would investigate other courses which might be as suitable but commence earlier.
8.2: Funeral director VAT charges, transparency of fees – The Clerk would enquire with local funeral directors and the ICCM regarding VAT being charged on the purchase of the Right of Burial.
8.3: Memorial stone in West Cemetery – update –Cllr Weir informed that mechanical bonds were required to attach the higher slabs to the second skin of the wall. The operatives had suggested that sand stone rendering could be applied to the surface instead of the stone face. It was appreciated that the operatives were doing the best job they could but that they had concerns as they were not professional builders. As the Committee still preferred the agreed stone cladding be used, Cllr Weir was taking advice from a number of sources and builders. The Committee agreed to put the project on hold until a solution could be found- confirming delegation again to the Clerk and Cllr Weir to progress the project.
9. INFORMATION ITEMS:
9.1: ICCM – The Journal Autumn 2011
9.2: ICCM – Summary of Financial Statement 31 March 2011 and minutes of AGM
10. DATE & TIME OF NEXT MEETING: The next Meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday 17th November 2011 at 6.30 p.m. in the Council Office, The Quayside.
Following acceptance of the adoption of Section 100a (4) of the Local Government Act the remainder of the Meeting will be held in Private this was proposed by Cllr Bilboe, seconded by Cllr Mrs Lewis and agreed.
PUBLIC VERSION OF PRIVATE
P01. Consideration of quotes for grit bins and rock salt– The Clerk would enquire if a package to provide a full bin and 2 additional fills was available for the cemetery land and would make these arrangements and ascertain the cost of additional fills, on the proposal of Cllr Mrs Lewis, seconded by Cllr Weir and agreed.
P02. Alternative to plywood sheets for use during grave digging procedure; quotes – The Clerk quoted prices of 8ft x4ft sheets of black polypropylene to be used for soil containment whilst grave digging or an alternative for 8ft x 4ft sheet of polyethylene (actually intended to be used as ground guards for vehicles). Both costs would also come with a carriage charge. The former was as substantial but lighter in weight.
Cllr Bilboe proposed 6 sheets of polypropylene plus the carriage charge. This was seconded by Cllr Mr Weir and agreed.
The meeting closed at 6.33pm.