ROYAL BURGH OF WICK COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of Meeting held in Assembly Rooms, Wick

Monday 4th March 2013

Present: Mrs R Black (Chair)
             Mrs J Coghill (Secretary)
             Mr A Farquhar ( HAPPY)
             Ms Lara Green (Northern Constabulary)
             Mr A Sinclair (Treasurer)
             Mr N Donaldson
             Mr N Smith
             Mr D Dunnett
             Mr Will Clark (NOSN)

Members of the public: Mr J Craw

Apologies: Mrs G Ross
                Mr N Macdonald
                Mrs J Banks
                Mrs G Durrand
                Mrs W Campbell
                Mrs D Turner

1. Welcome and Apologies
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies were as above.

2. Annual General Meeting
RB Indicated that the RBWCC Annual General Meeting was scheduled for 1st April 2013 and indicated that election of office bearers would require previous experience in the remit for which RBWCC pursues issues in the community interest.

3. Minutes of Previous Meeting on November 2012
Last month’s minutes were amended in accordance with comments received from Mrs P Macadie regarding Basket Committee apology letter issue persons proposed for resolution. Apologies for non attendance were also revised . Minutes were approved subject to the amendments being made.

4. Matters Arising
None

5. Police Report
460 incidents in Wick (528 last month). A breakdown of incidents is available on request
Local police telephone number has changed to 101 and has been in operation for over a week, however the old telephone number is still in use meantime.
The Police station reception will only be available 08:00 - 20:00 and doors will be shut outwith these times.
Discussion on town centre driving habits revealed an issue with use of mobile phones whilst driving.

6. Highland Councillors’ Report
No councillors present however as Mrs G Ross was attending a Wick High School stakeholders on same evening, however she submitted the following report :
"BUDGET - The Highland Council budget for 2013/14 was passed at the Full Council meeting on February 7th. Although we still have to find a range of efficiency savings we managed to include measures to help households such as continuing the council tax freeze, more preventative spend for pre-schoolers, a living wage for the lowest paid council staff and more money for road repairs.

PLANNING CHARRETTE - Took place last week in the Assembly Rooms. There was a decent turnout and the ideas ranged from redevelopment of the riverside and the town centre to some more ambitious ones from local school children (fish farms and zoos). These ideas will feed into and inform the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan and this in turn will help planners in the future decide what development is necessary and acceptable and what isn't. Even though the turnout could have been better, I think all areas were covered adequately.

COUNCIL OFFICE REFURB - The staff moved out of Market Square at the end of January and are now settled in Girnigoe Street. Myself and the Area Leader, Cllr Deirdre Mackay met with the Chief Executive last month and visited the staff, who all seem very happy. The Contractor, Morgan Sindall is currently preparing the inside of the old building and hopes to start demolition next month. All affected properties and businesses will be written to over the next couple of weeks.

WICK CHILDREN'S UNIT - this contract will go out to tender in the next month.

WICK TOWN HALL REFURB -this contract will go out to tender in the summer.

ALLOTMENTS (Rhind House) - An Allotment Association has been formed and they are waiting on word of the lease from Housing and Property Services.

EMPTY BUILDINGS - These are being actively looked at now and a strategy is being put in place for buildings such as the Carnegie Library, Swimming Pool etc to ensure usage when they are vacated.

WARD BUSINESS MEETINGS - These have been reduced from fortnightly to monthly. This is due to the creation of the Area Committee Meetings, it was felt that there was less need to meet as Caithness councillors. Members are, of course still able to meet privately with officials and the Ward Manager if they need to.

AREA COMMITTEE - This met last month in Timespan, Helmsdale due to this being the 200th anniversary of the clearances of the Strath of Kildonan. On the agenda were presentations on Tourism, Wick High School and the Deprived Area Fund, amongst others. The webcast is available on the Highland Council website and the next meeting is on May 20th.

HOMESTART CAITHNESS - have asked me to be their Patron and I had my first event at the end of February in Cups tearoom in Scrabster. I was able to meet the volunteers and hear more about what I can do to represent the charity. It was an excellent night and I am extremely proud to have been asked to be involved with such a worthwhile charity.

HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS FIRE BOARD - met for the last time on Friday. After the upheavel of the past year or so we were told by HM Inspector, Stephen Torrie that the Service has vastly improved. Adrian Mantle from Thurso Fire Station has told me that all firefighters, apart from one who is due to retire are up to date with their training so that's good news for the county."

7. Correspondence
7.1 Local MP John Thurso to set up a brainstorming meeting 10:30 28th March 2013 in assembly rooms to progress issue with derelict buildings. Bill Fernie had been the only councillor to respond to date. No response from Building Standards Officer.
Action 01 Secretary to issue invites / advertise
7.2 Cairn Housing Association / North Murchison St development
7.3 Keep Scotland Beautiful
7.4 Indicative planning permission footprint for New Wick North School
7.5 Highland Environmental Network (HEN) Inverness Conference
7.6 Play Highland Seminar
7.7 Caithness Voluntary Group Newsletter Tel 01955609960 Yvonne@cvg.org.uk
RBWCC contribution had been paid.
Pulteneytown Centre official opening was on 6th December 2012
Wick / Thurso Charette ( cost £45k)
Dounreay Communities Fund
Go for It Scotland!
Early Intervention Fund
Introduction to Food Hygiene
Wick Rotary Club bicycle recycling
Scottish Charity Awards 2013 applications
Action for Children Scotland
Pulteneytowns Peoples Project
Office services
7.8 Foundation Scotland / Caithness Conservations / RWE renewables have offered a £75K fund to those within windfarm radius
7.9 Association of Community Council Minutes are available. Next meeting is tomorrow night in Ross Insttute in Halkirk. Agenda provided.
Action 02 Niall Smith and Allan Farquhar volunteered to attend

8. Treasurer’s Report

WCC balance £22888.29
Happy £1447.43 ( with £100 cheque not presented )
Baskets £2475.44

9. Planning Report
Indicative planning submittals were provided for new Wick North School.

10. Christmas Lights
Accounts were submitted and are available for review on request. AGM had been held and there was one member.

11. HAPPY
AF stated he would stand down as a co opted member for this activity until September 2013, however he was prepared to run the event again dependant on the construction works situation in the Market Sq. He indicated that he would write a letter of thanks to the local press for all those that had contributed to the event. He would contact bands and discuss availability of Market Sq with Council.
A recent donation from previous WTIA of £500 was a great boost to funding next years event.

         Action 03 AF to write to local press

12. Baskets
AGM was approaching and a request for new members was made.
90% of the materials are being recycled. Due to low rainfall, watering was required already.
Community Payback scheme were providing new containers.
RB indicated considerable correspondence between Mrs P MacAdie re an issue with apology letter from JC following a misunderstanding between JC and PM to sign a bank mandate document as a signatory for Basket Committee cheques as treasurer, not being to her satisfaction.
This has been a long standing issue ( 3 years ) which remains unresolved despite considerable correspondence and effort by Mrs MacAdie, Basket committee, Community Council, independant observers and solicitors on behalf of both parties.
Mrs MacAdie has recently contacted Highland Council Mr Gilfillan HC corporate manager to bring resolution to this issue, a copy of this letter had been delivered to RB by recorded delivery.
Action 04 New Chair to liaise with HC accordingly
JC indicated that accounts are verified by auditors and has no intention of writing another letter of apology, or resignation of her position on the Basket committee.
DD indicated that this issue has had considerable effect on RBWCC members.
The committee give freely of their own time and effort in the interests of the public on which this issue has consumed disproportionate resource.

13. Town Entrances
The design for the town entrances based on Isabella Fortuna will be review for practicality.
Action 05 DD to liaise with manufacturer

14. Wick High School
Stakeholder meeting was on same evening. Await report from local councillors. Planning permission was due for submittal in February, however programme had slipped 1 month at this time. AF commented that access to project designs and meeting minutes was not user friendly.

15. Town Centre
Improved / Updated signs proposed had no funding available.
Concern was raised by several attendees re closure of KG Events and Made In Caithness, with other business’ long term viability discussed. However a new business had opened on Bridge street.
Market Traders are still unaware of the impact arising from Council Offices construction works. An alternative store for their stalls and WTIA staging is required.
Action 06 Contact David Sutherland
16. Any other urgent business

Minute secretary position was to be re advertised. AF would assume duties in the short term with regard to constitutional compliance.

Action 07 readvertise post of minute secretary.

A query as to the situation whereas, should the RBWCC fold due to insufficient office bearers / committee being appointed, what effect this would have on Sub Committees.

The RBWCC Constitution requires that Sub committees require a member of the RBWCC to be an office bearer in some form to enable the Sub Committees to function, thus should the RBWCC cease to function, accounts are put on hold and independent bodies will have to be convened with their own specific constitutions.

17. Date of Next Meeting (AGM)
This will take place on Monday 1th April 2013 at 7pm

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