MINUTES

A Meeting of the Finance Committee of Brampton Parish Council was held Thu 11 Sep 2008

at 7.30pm in Brampton Memorial Centre, Community Room

Present:	M Shellens, Chairman, T Fryer, J Childs, Mrs S Holden, S Jordan, J Richmond, J Innes-Clarke, Clerk
1	To Receive Apologies
	NM, MW
2	Declaration of Interests
	None
3	To Receive and Approve Minutes of the meeting 8 Jul 2008
Proposal:	Approve – 1^st JR, 2^nd SJ			Carried
4	Matters Arising
	None
5	To Approve Jun Payments & Note Receipts
5.1	Total receipts Revenue: £12,667, includes: £2,631 - various bookings receipts £4,708 – VAT 126 claim, Q3, Q4 07/08 £3,091 – CCC Verge maintenance 08/09 £1,400 – P3 Grant 08/09 £432 – BM advertising £400 – Churchyard and Cemetery £5 – Allotment apportioned rent			Noted
5.2	Total receipts Capital: £264 Bank of Ireland Interest			Noted
5.3	Total payments Revenue: £22,391 (exclusive VAT) includes: £69 – mthly mobiles Clerk, Caretaker £65 – training – councillor development JR £227.50 – S137grant children’s holiday club £900 – verti-drain and over-seed football pitches £950 – Financial Statements 07/08 £435 – top soil, grass seed, rotivator hire -reinstate goal mouths £680 – 2,000 BM £60 – tree work £180 – install + reinstate bollard allotments £193 – install litter bins and benches Memorial Garden £30 – 1 x place LCAS seminar £6,723 – Annual Insurance renewal Various overheads; wages, NNDR, materials, consumables, payphone, equipment parts, maintenance, utilities
Proposal:	Approve payments – 1^st JR 2^nd TF			Carried
6	To Approve Jul Payments & Note Receipts
6.1	Total receipts Revenue: £3,865 includes: £2,914 – various bookings receipts £731 – Memorial trees, compost, plaque £220 – Fun Fair,The Green			Noted
6.2	Total receipts Capital: £282: Bank of Ireland Interest			Noted
6.3	Total payments Revenue: £31,145 includes: £1,963 – landfill charges for clearance for new plot/s Allotments £320 – contractor clearance Allotments £50 – deep cultivate new plot/s Allotments £5,206 – hexapath material, Memorial Walk £5,065 – contractor lay hexapath, Memorial Walk £130 – Annual inspection + risk assessment, Play Areas £296 – Annual tractor (large + small) insurance £1,092 – Grass cutting CCC verges, Q1 £1,919 – Seats, Memorial Garden £1,135 – Picnic tables, Memorial Garden £220 – plant trees Memorial Garden £432 – trees, bedding, Memorial Garden £125 – monthly fuel grounds maintenance Various overheads; wages, NNDR, materials, consumables, payphone, equipment parts, maintenance, utilities
6.4	£70 payment detail ‘M’ – clarify detail			JIC
	Note since meeting – Memorial Garden, supply and fit reinforced base plates and re-install 2 x vandalised litter bins
Proposal:	Approve payments – 1^st JR 2^nd TF			Carried
7	To Approve Aug Payments & Note Receipts
7.1	Total receipts Revenue: £43,950 includes: £18,500 – Sk8 Pk contribution, BYF £22,973 – S106, Brampton Garage for Memorial Garden and Walk £135 – trees, compost, plaque, Memorial Garden £160 – BM advertising £510 – Churchyard and Cemetery £1,663 – various bookings			Noted
7.2	Total receipts Capital: £257: Bank of Ireland Interest			Noted
7.3	Total payments Revenue: £34,309 includes: £18,500 – new Sk8 Pk ramp (contribution from BYF of same in receipts above) £182 – monthly fuel grounds maintenance £682 – 2,000 BM £50– uncontested election fee £225 – barrier fencing and stakes, Memorial Walk £57 – bedding, Memorial Garden £200 - Bait and barrier squirrels Community Centre £515 – CCTV repairs and replacement part £105 – SLCC Regional Conference x 2 places Various overheads; wages, NNDR, materials, consumables, payphone, equipment parts, maintenance, utilities
Proposal:	Approve payments – 1^st JR 2^nd TF			Carried
8	To Receive Income and Expenditure Report to 31 Aug 08
	MS reported:
8.1	Income has caught up with budget
8.2	Income of £100 to 1003 Grant aid – provide detail
	Note since meeting – this was a donation to the Memorial Trees, Memorial Garden from a resident
8.3	Wages on target
8.4	Training under budget
8.5	Maintenance is high, mainly attributable to work on PF
8.6	Contingency £2.6k, now down on previous months (Jul £24k) as S106 income is in
8.7	£50 to HDC for uncontested May election
8.8	£228 Appeals and Donations - grant for Children’s Holiday Club
8.9	£783 net Capital interest to date, includes: £1,059: Gross Interest Bank of Ireland x 4 months Debit of £276: Cash held Singer & Friedlander as at 31 Mar 08 (payment not received, chased 15 Sep 08)
8.10	Ring fencing and accruals: Detail of; budgets B/F for work not done as at 31 Mar 08, invoices not yet received in relation to 07/08 e.g. audit for 07/08			Noted
9	Bank Balances
	Not reconciled to accounts software
9.1	Current 8 Sep 08		£32,097.10
9.2	Deposit: 8 Sep 08		£84,806.79
9.3	Bank of Ireland: 8 Sep 08		£72,399.62
9.4	Investment: 8 Sep 08		£32,998.00
9.5	Total		£222,301.51	Noted
10	Internal and External Audit for year ended 31 Mar 2008
10.1	Internal Audit: PC is proactive in risk management and that evaluation of internal audit is programmed on a risk basis. Compliance testing has shown PC to be compliant in each of key indicators outlined in the Annual Return.
10.2	IA invites Chair to meet to review effectiveness of the Internal Audit and whether PC feels there are any potential areas for a change of direction or any work that would aid the PC.
10.3	Fees are up this year and more in line with CPALC guidelines, but phase in over 2 years.
10.4	The Clerk has answered 32 queries regarding the IA.
10.5	Report and Compliance Testing tabled – copies available on request
11	Investment
11.1	Current Valuation - as 9.4
11.2	Future Strategy – leave as it is and review next meeting			C/F
12	Bus Shelters
	MS reported:
12.1	3 yrs ago money was budgeted for 2 shelters to HDC scheme who contribute 50%. The bus shelters were put on hold and the money rolled over to each financial year since.
12.2	Last year the shelter at West End/Miller Way was removed and the shelter opposite Evans Close was installed in its place. We have agreed to pay £2.5k as a one-off payment for the 5yr maintenance.
12.3	With last years and this years budget we now have money amounting to £16.4k towards shelters at; The Green and West End. Estimate 1 shelter will now cost £10-12k.
	HDC will not contribute 50% towards any shelters for Brampton this side of next April and after that cannot give any guarantees we might be successful in achieving any.
Proposal:	BPC to totally fund 1 x bus shelter and a 5yr maintenance payment in this year and strenuously request HDC contribute to remaining shelter at the appropriate time – 1^st SJ, 2^nd TF			Carried
13	Grant Aid – Capital Grants from HDC
13.1	Apply for grant aid for MUGA on PF			PD, JC
13.2	Ask PC to research for future projects requiring funding i.e. improvements to centres			PC
14	Grant Requests
14.1	Grant request received from Huntingdon CAB: Last year they assisted 184 clients from Brampton ward Their enquiries included; 31 benefits, 22 legal, 21 relationship breakdown, 20 debt, 20 employment, 19 housing, 15 financial, 7 immigration, 7 tax, 6 consumer, 5 utilities, 3 education, 3 health, 3 travel A team of 50 volunteers manage the frontline services All CABs are independent charities who provide quality-assured advice services to their local communities Their greatest financial needs are; to continue to fund their Advice Session Supervisor who assists the advisers and training manager, and to provide increased support for debt and employment advice.
Proposal:	Grant of £125 – 1^st SJ, 2^nd TF			Carried
Proposal:	Add to regular S137 grants for future years – 1^st TF, 2^nd SJ			Carried
15	Replacement Tractor – Review Initial Package Proposals
15.1	Clerk has invited various local people and companies to tender for a new used tractor with; cab, power assisted steering and front loading bucket, and with the current 1965 Massey Ferguson offered as a trade-in. Awaiting quotes and feedback on trade-in.
15.2	Aim for a net figure to a max of £15k			Carried
15.3	Contact Hinchingbrooke Sports for info on tractors – contacts from TF			JIC, TF
16	Report from Capital Funds Working Group
	Nothing further to report at this time
17	To Review the Internal Control Procedures
17.1	4 of 5 signatories were away on holiday at the same time during August and payments were late as a result. This could be overcome by having the Clerk as an additional signatory. There has to be two signatures on every cheque. Check with bank and CPALC and review next Finance			C/F
17.2	Clerk to update Internal Control document with: · End of Year (to finish) · Internal Audit Financial Statements Financial Regulations			JIC
18	To Consider Risk Assessment and Operating Procedures for a Corporate Credit Card
18.1	Operating procedures and Risk Assessment tabled
18.2	MS to ask Internal Auditor to review and advise on both of the above documents			MS
18.3	Operating Procedures: 17.3 – add or in their absence Chair/Vice Chair PC
18.4	Operating Procedures: 17.1 – reduce to £1,500
				C/F
19	Other Items for financial consideration/future agenda items
	MS asked members their opinion on inflation assumptions used for precept 2009/10 and the following percentages were agreed:
	· Fuel	25%
	· General items	5.5%
	· Insurance	0%
	· Phones	2.5%