At a meeting of Pembroke Town Council held at the Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock, on Thursday, October 30, the following matters were considered and discussed:

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

Pembroke Dock Town Council noticeboard: The town clerk informed members that the noticeboard had been delivered to the office and that a company called Eco Lighting had been decided upon to commence the electrical work and installation of the board. The clerk stated that it was hoped to have the works completed before Christmas.

Clr. A. Wilcox questioned whether the bulbs to be installed were energy efficient. It was confirmed that they would be.

Pembrokeshire County Council - savings consultation: Clr. G. Goff stated that he had attended the savings consultation for Pembroke Dock, along with Clr. J. Phillips. He said it was questioned whether councillors would consider starting surgeries for the general public of the town. The town clerk stated that if councillors were in agreement to partake in surgeries, then it could be looked into for the New Year.

123 Reg - website domain: At the last meeting, it was resolved that the town clerk would contact 123 Reg to investigate how the town council would regain the rights for the domain name http://www.thedock.org">www.thedock.org. The town clerk stated that she had contacted 123 Reg and they had advised her to contact a company called Nominet. They explained there were two options for members to consider, either shutting down the domain or taking control and changing the password on the account. The town clerk explained to members that this could only be done once the town council's identity had been verified.

Clr. A. McNaughton said he had discussed this with the town clerk previously and his opinion would be to take control and change the password on the account. It was agreed this should be looked into further.

REPORT OF THE

TOWN CLERK

Memorial Park - play area insurances: The town clerk informed members the Memorial Park group had been working to gain funding for a number of years in order to provide play equipment for the children of Pembroke Dock. They had worked to provide play equipment for the small children, skate park and a bike track. For these areas to stay open the group had to ensure there was a strict maintenance regime followed and sufficient insurance cover in place.

The town clerk stated that maintenance of the areas was already covered by town council staff, so in order for the group to concentrate their funds on play equipment, it was proposed that the council take on the insurance.

The town clerk had discussed this with the council's insurers and they had quoted £793.39 for all areas to be covered. This was considerably cheaper than the Memorial Park Group currently pay.

The town clerk commented that if the council were to take on the insurance this month there would be a payment of £508.65 which would ensure the areas would be covered up until the insurance renewal of the council.

She asked for council's agreement for the payment for the insurance to be arranged and set in place. This was agreed.

Grant requests: Pembroke Dock Cricket Club fireworks - The town clerk had received a letter from Pembroke Dock Cricket Club. The letter stated they were looking for funding for a fireworks event. The town clerk commented that the event had been held at the club for the past five years with club members marshalling the event.

The club had asked for a contribution of £600 towards the cost of the fireworks, which were £1,600, and the cost of producing fliers, which was £50.

It was also stated that the accounts showed a figure of £2,251, with a committed expenditure of £900, while any money raised on the night would be put back into grassroots cricket.

A discussion took place, durting which members questioned the profit margins of the club, how much the event raised, if they charged on the gate and how much was raised in total.

The town clerk stated that this information had not been supplied.

The Mayor stated that the money was to benefit the club who did a lot with the youth of Pembroke Dock.

After a discussion, it was proposed to grant them £200 towards the firework display.

West Wales Maritime Heritage - fencing: The town clerk stated a grant application had been received from this organisation, who were looking for £500 towards the erection of security fencing within Front Street boatyard.

They had also contacted Valero and the Power Station, and had stated that the security fencing would allow public access into the yard with the county council's consent.

Clr. M. Murton stated that ships were refurbished in this area and the people doing it were trying to encourage young people to see what they were doing and take an interest.

Members discussed who the land belonged to; it was thought that it could potentially belong to Martello Quays, but the boatyard were hoping to stay in situ.

It was agreed that West Wales Maritime Heritage be granted £250 towards their fencing in accordance with Local Government Act 2000, s.2.

New signage for Pembroke Dock: The town clerk informed members that Pembrokeshire County Council were in the process of revamping the welcome signage for Pembroke Dock. She stated they had asked for input from members on this. The town clerk commented that there were some stipulations they would have to stick to for the design to ensure they fell into the guidelines of the Trunk Road Agency. She had provided members with a copy of the proposed new sign which had been put forward.

The town clerk informed members that the digital information screen which was attached to the bottom of the sign would not be included, as it would be too expensive.

It was felt that the digital section of the sign could be useful and it was commented whether the additional cost of including this could be provided. If the costs were not too prohibitive, it was suggested by members that the town council pay towards the sign to get the information screen on the bottom.

Pembrokeshire County Council winter services: The town clerk provided information on how Pembrokeshire County Council would be dealing with adverse weather conditions this winter; this information had been included in members papers.

Variation of parking charges in Pembroke Dock: Notification had been received about a variation in car parking charges which would come into force on Sunday, February 1, 2015.

The town clerk informed members that the changes for Pembroke Dock were as follows: Gordon Street and Lower Meyrick Street - current charges - up to 1 hour - 30p; up to 2 hours - 40p; new charges - up to 1 hour - 40p; up to 2 hours - 50p.

BUDGET 2015/2016

Fixed assets and asset register: The town clerk stated she had included in members papers a detailed description of the fixed assets of Pembroke Dock Town Council. Members were informed that it had become apparent that the current Asset Register did not provide sufficient information about the fixed assets of the council and it was required that a time of depreciation should have been on each item.

Buildings: The town clerk stated that from the information sourced for buildings depreciation, it should take place over 50 years, with valuations being done every five years to ensure the correct amount was shown on the fixed asset register. Depreciation was done on the general wear and tear that a property encountered and not the value of the bricks and mortar.

The finance committee recommended that a valuation be taken for both the Pater Hall and the Old Pump House to gain an up-to-date figure on each property.

It was resolved that valuations take place every five years on the Pater Hall and Pump House to ensure a true figure was obtained.

Fixtures and fittings: The town clerk stated that, as members were aware, most of the fixtures and fittings were handed over to the Pater Hall Trust a number of years ago. She said that there were still some items in the chamber which would belong to the town council, i.e. plaques, photographs, crockery etc. As stated in the paper, most of these items had been owned more than four years by the council, so would now have a nil value.

The town clerk recommended that new items should have a depreciation value of 25 per cent per year. This was agreed.

Civic regalia: The town clerk stated there was no depreciation value on these items, though after a number of years, some form of valuation should take place to ensure the council had adequate insurance cover in place.

In conclusion: The town clerk stated that the finance committee had recommended a number of changes for the asset register - the Deputy Mayor's chain to be added; the town council generator to be added; Christmas lighting to be removed as these were leased: flags to be removed as they were currently not in the possession of the council.

The town clerk asked for council agreement on the following: Valuation of the Pater Hall and Pump House to be undertaken; the depreciation timescales stated on the attached paper; for the above items to be added and removed to the asset register.

It was resolved that periodic valuations should take place on all civic regalia to ensure adequate insurance cover was obtained and the recommendations of the finance committee as stated be implemented immediately.

Official entertainment: The town clerk stated that the finance committee had recommended that this be deferred to full council for consideration, with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor allowances being revised.

Clr. J. McNaughton questioned the Mayor and Deputy if their allowance was enough, taking into account the yearly inflation.

Past Mayors and Deputies were asked their thoughts and it became clear that the allowance had not been increased for many years and personal savings had been used by many by the end of their Mayoral year of office.

It was also suggested that the Mayoral allowance continue to include mileage for travel to official events rather than introduce the requirements to log all journeys to events attended throughout the year.

After further discussion, it was suggested that the allowances for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor be increased to £4,000 and £1,000, respectively. This was agreed.

The town clerk informed members that, with the agreed changes to the Official Entertainment head, it would bring the total spend for this to £7,500.

GRANT APPLICATIONS

Pennar Robins AFC: The town cclerk stated that the organisation had requested £1,000 which would be used for the purchase of a lawn mower. It was noted that a large proportion of the local community used the facilities at Pennar Robins AFC and they were constantly fundraising. It was resolved that the proposed figure of £1,000 be granted in the 2015/16 budget.

St. Patrick Hall: The town clerk stated that a request of £2,000 had been made, which would be used to purchase new stage lights and equipment. She stated that the hall was always looking at new fundraising activities and was currently working on a lottery bid for capital works to be carried out. Councillors were asked to note the hall was used by many residents, not just from Pennar, but from the whole of Pembroke Dock. The account balance is £5967.90. It was resolved that the proposed figure of £2,000 be granted.

Pembroke Dock Festival Group: The town clerk stated there were two requests from this group, one for the Summer Festival of £7,000 and one for the Winter Festival of £4,500. Members noted that both events were always very well attended, with recent Winter Festivals having to find a new location to end the parade as the previous location was not big enough. It was resolved that tthe requests be granted.

Pembroke Dock Encompass: The town clerk stated that the organisation was requesting £450, to help towards keeping the community hub open. The group had settled in their new premises and had started to thrive again, providing support and advice to all members of the community. It was resolved that the figure of £450 be granted.

Friends of the Memorial Park: It was stated that this group had requested £15,000 for new pieces of play equipment. Councillors were informed that the group had recently completed the long awaited skate park, which had already been used by a large number of children. The town clerk stated the group would like to provide different pieces of equipment for the younger children and also look at new swings etc. for the older children. Once the skate park had been paid for, the balance of the accounts would stand at £1,085.73, which would be used to pay for the insurances.

Clr. A. McNaughton questioned whether the designs put in place several years ago for play equipment would be used or would it be a new more modern design. It was stated that these choices would be down to the group.

It was resolved that the proposed figure of £15,000 was to be granted.

Friends of Pennar School: This group had asked for £2,500, which would be used to reward the school choir with a trip to Disneyland Paris. It was stated that this trip would enable them to promote and develop the Welsh language. It was also noted that they hoped to gain press coverage for this whilst raising the profile of Pembroke Dock.

The town clerk informed members that the finance committee had not made any recommendations on this application due to the purpose for which they were seeking the grant; they felt this decision should be made at full council.

After a lengthy discussion, during which members commented how well the choir had done for the town in the last few months, it was commented that council could not be seen to be supporting a relatively small number of children to have, what could be perceived as, a holiday, as it would set a precedence to other organisations. It was further commented that the application did not make clear how this was going to develop the Welsh language and benefit the children, school or community.

It was resolved that the council could not support this request as the application did not fully meet the grant criteria.

Pembroke Dock Girl Guides: The town clerk stated that this group had not included a total figure being requested within their application. Instead they had identified items of equipment which were in desperate need of replacing.

Three patrol tents £360; two cooking sets £150; two gas conversion sets £90; two Vango expedition tents £135 - total £735.

Councillors were informed that the group takes part in many events which were designed to boost the skills of the children and the members of the senior section were aged between 15 and 19.

It was resolved that the proposed figure of £735 be granted.

Vocal Energy: It was noted by members that the group had asked for £1,500 which would be used to purchase new sound equipment. It was stated that this group encourages all children to learn a skill whilst being taught many techniques. The town clerk stated the group recently attended and performed at the Mayor's civic service at St. Johns, which was very much enjoyed by all who attended.

During a discussion, it was commented that, although this group did good work for the community, they had been lucky in receiving grants the prior two years and council must not be seen to favour one organisation over others.

It was resolved that the proposed figure of £1,500 be granted.

Pembroke Dock Cricket Club: It was commented that the group had asked for £950 to fund the winter coaching for juniors. The town clerk stated the group worked hard throughout the summer to include as many children of Pembroke Dock in cricket as possible. They even managed to hold sessions in the local school to encourage children to be part of the sport.

Councillors questioned the club's final balance to their accounts as two differing amounts were shown within supporting papers. The town clerk confirmed that the lesser amount of the two iwas the true figure.

It was resolved that the proposed figure of £950 be donated.

Bicentenary Group: The town clerk informed members that the group had asked for £1,500, to be used to produce a book written by Owen Vaughan recording the lives of the early residents within the town.

Clr. P. George stated that the Bicentenary Group had been asked to take on the publishing of this book as the author was in declining health. It was important for the town that the knowledge and memories of the author were kept.

It was resolved that the proposed figure of £1,500 be granted.

Pater Hall Community Trust: The group had requested funding of £8,500 to pay towards a salary for the caretaker and cleaner for the hall.

The group stated that the hall was being used for an average of 32.25 hours per week, with the trustees currently undertaking the caretaking and cleaning roles. The group were looking to gain further funding for the refurbishment of the Warrior Room.

The accounts for the group were from March 2013 and members raised concerns that no up-to-date accounts or bank statement to support the application was provided.

It was questioned if the Pater Hall had advertised for a new caretaker; the town clerk commented that she had no information on this.

The finance committee had felt they could not make a recommendation on this application.

The town clerk asked for members views on this application.

There followed a general discussion on the Trust's current financial position and that the Pater Hall was currently very busy with bookings and if this was the case, why were additional funds being requested from the council.

Clr. G. Goff stated that as he was relatively new to the council he was not aware of what had happened in the past. However, during the evening, the council had supported other community groups financially and the Pater Hall was a large part of the community and as the hall was run for the community, the council should be seen to offer support where it could.

The town clerk stated that members must safeguard public funds and needed to carefully consider this application. She suggested that if members could not agree on a decision, perhaps they could consider a reduced amount to award the Trust to show council's support, but also to encourage the trustees to continue to work hard to ensure the Pater Hall was fully booked and utilised as much as possible.

Further animated discussion continued and Clr. J. McNaughton stated that as the grants would not be paid until April 2015, perhaps the monies could be granted to the Trust, but the council should monitor the situation to see how it worked out over the next few months.

Following a vote of seven to one, it was resolved that a grant of £8,500 be paid as a one-off amount, with conditions imposed to the satisfactory conclusion of the current situation regarding the Trust.

The town clerk informed members that with the above agreements, the donations budget totalled £44,635.

Income: The only income the town clerk had allowed for was the precept which would be received from the county council. She proposed that the precept request stay the same as last year.

The town clerk stated that with the revisions made to the budget that evening, the total spend for the year would be £182,635, with an income of £150,720. This meant there would be an amount of £31,915 to be taken from the council's reserves.

The town clerk further stated that the current reserves were £77,120.60. With the amount of £31,915 taken from reserves, a revised reserves total would be £45,205.

The town clerk commented that the policy of the council was to have reserves of 25-33 per cent of the precept: 25 per cent - £37.680; 33 per cent - £49,738.

It was resolved that the figurs shown for the 2015/16 budget and precept be agreed by council.

REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES ON OUTSIDE BODIES

Pembrokeshire County Council budget meeting: Clrs. J. McNaughton and J. Phillips stated that they had attended the recent PCC budget meeting. Some depressing news was communicated during the meeting and the handout information that had been provided had been forwarded to the town clerk if members wanted to read through it.

It had been suggested at the meeting that town and community councils take over some services currently provided by county council. Obviously some councils could not afford to do this, but Pembroke Dock was in a better position as they already had one maintenance employee.

There had also been a question over Pembrokeshire merging with Ceredigion, but no further answers were put forward during the meeting.

PPG - Patient Participation Group: Clrs. J. McNaughton and M. Murton stated that they had attended the PPG evening. Around 40 people were in attendance and the doctors who were at the session made a great effort to answer all questions given. The most common question to be asked was why people could not have the same doctor see them at each visit.

It was also noted by members that there were only two full-time doctors working out of Argyle Street Surgery, with the others working flexi-hours or part-time. The practice was short by 10.5 doctors and, although they had advertised the positions, only four applications had been received.

The practice was looking at alternative ideas for staffing, for example getting lesser professionals to fill some of the roles to take pressure from the doctors themselves.

The practice currently had 25,000 registered patients and received a subsidy of £7 per patient per year. It was stated that a new doctor was to start with the surgery soon.

Other projects that the practice was working on included training for reception staff and the installation of a new phone system which would enable patients to be contacted by text, for example a reminder of appointment text. There was also a question of fining patients who repeatedly did now show up for appointments.

Rhoscrowther Wind Farm: Clr. P. George stated that she had recently attended a community meeting hosted by the developers of the proposed wind farm at Rhoscrowther. She and Clr. M. Murton attended on behalf of the town and, although only two representatives were asked from each area, the villagers of Angle turned out in force. It had been a lively meeting, with some attendees bordering on rude. The next meeting would be held at the Golf Club in Pennar and Clr. George would continue to attend.

COMMUNITY ISSUES

Clr. G. Goff believed the word had spread to the residents of his ward that he was now the new councillor as he had been contacted a number of times about complaints of permit holders not being able to park after 7 pm at night.

Clr. Goff asked the town clerk if council could write to Pembrokeshire County Council to try and get this issue addressed.

Pembroke Dock CCTV: Clr. K. Higgs wanted answers to the questions he had made several times regarding the CCTV operations within Pembroke Dock: Where was the CCTV monitored? How many volunteers wee there.

Clr. Higgs wondered why council continued to spend almost £100 per week if the CCTV was left idle and he required answers to the questions he previously asked in order to base his opinion on whether the service should continue within the town.

Clr. M. Murton stated that she had spent some time at the station with the volunteers who monitored the CCTV and that it was difficult to get volunteers to ensure that the monitoring happened. It was further questioned over the logic of the CCTV being monitored in Carmarthen.