Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells. TD6 0SA

Contact: Fiona Walling 01835 826504  Email:-  fwalling@scotborders.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minute pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Minute of 13 June 2018 to be approved (copy attached).

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of 13 June 2018.

 

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute for signature by the Chairman.

 

2.

Financial Monitoring Report for 3 months to 30 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Consider report by Chief Financial Officer (copy attached).

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Financial Officer providing the details of income and expenditure for the Selkirk Common Good Fund for the three months to 30 June 2018, a full year projected out-turn for 2018/19 and projected balance sheet values as at 31 March 2019. Pensions and Investment Manager, Kirsty Robb, highlighted the main points of the report and appendices.  Appendix I to the report provided the projected income and expenditure position, which showed a projected surplus of £34,333 for the year. The projected outturn position showed an amount of £133 relating to interest receivable on cash held by SBC.  Also included were dividends from the Common Good Funds investment in Kames Capital amounting to £11,568.  This dividend projection was significantly more than previous dividends earned by Newton.  Dividends earned to date amounted to £3,421 which was in line with the overall 5% target and the monthly distribution profile projections provided by Kames. Appendix 2 provided a projected Balance Sheet value as at 31 March 2019.  It showed a projected decrease in reserves of £33,625.  A breakdown of the property portfolio and details of the projected annual rental income by individual property and actual property expenditure to 30 June 2018 was show in Appendix 3 to the report.  Mrs Robb explained that, during the budget setting process for 2018/19, an element for Smedheugh rental of £5,200 had been missed.  This had now been included in the projections. The current position of the Kames Capital Investment Fund was shown in Appendix 4 to the report.  30 June 2018 represented the end of the first full quarter that Common Good and Trust funds had held investments with the fund.  Dividend receipts amounted to £3,421 for the quarter.  This was in excess of the 5% target. Although dividends were profiled to reduce slightly over the coming months, they were still projected to meet the projected total of £11,568 for the year. The fund had a 0.59% unrealised loss in market value for the quarter, largely due to continued volatility in equity markets.  Overall, however taking account of the income received the fund had achieved a return of 0.9% to date.    Members discussed the report and received answers to their questions from Mrs Robb.  The Chairman also gave Dr Neil the opportunity to ask questions about the accounts.   Members referred to the recent Trustees Seminar at which Kames Capital plc provided information to Members of Common Good Committees and Community Council representatives. Noting the amount of cash Selkirk Common Good Fund had deposited with Scottish Borders Council Members agreed to transfer a further £75,000 to the Kames Capital Investment Fund.

 

DECISION

 

(a)          AGREED the projected income and expenditure for 2018/19 as shown in Appendix 1 to the report as the revised budget for 2018/19.

 

(b)          NOTED within the appendices to the report:-

 

(i)            the projected balance sheet value as at 31 March 2019 in Appendix 2;

 

(ii)          the summary of the property portfolio in Appendix 3; and

 

(iii)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Property

Consider verbal update by Estates Surveyor.

Minutes:

Estates Surveyor Annabelle Scott gave a verbal update on property matters.  With reference to the Minute of 13 June 2018, she advised that the lantern attached to the front door of the Court Room on the Selkirk Town Hall had been disconnected and was in the process of being refurbished and quotes had been obtained for painting the railings outside the Victoria Hall.  Ms Scott was in the process of visiting the farms owned by Selkirk Common Good with a view to familiarising herself with the properties and setting up a programme of maintenance.

 

DECISION

AGREED that a 5 year programme of maintenance be set up for the farm properties owned by Selkirk Common Good Fund.

 

4.

Applications for financial assistance pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Consider application from Scott’s Selkirk (copy attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Community Councillor Tom Combe declared an interest in the following item of business. He did not take part in the discussion about the application but provided further information in response to a question from the Chairman.

 

 

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance on behalf of Scott’s Selkirk.  The applicant explained that it was 6 years since Scott’s Selkirk had updated its original traditional market stalls to the current pop-up gazebos.  These had been a great success and used regularly, not only by Scott’s Selkirk, but by many other groups and for a variety of events.  Originally there were 20 3m x 3m gazebos purchased along with 4 larger ones.  In recent months they had also been used on a monthly basis for the very successful Selkirk Farmers Market.  However the October Farmers Market would fall on the same day as this year’s Scott’s Selkirk, which would add to the occasion but would put pressure on the supply of gazebos.  Given the huge success of the market the application to the Common Good Fund was to enable the purchase of 16 new 3m x 3m gazebos.  This would allow an upgrade of the equipment used in the Market Place each month and give enough for use at Scott’s Selkirk.  The October event would also mark the completion of the streetscape works in Selkirk and Scott’s Selkirk would like to celebrate this event in style.  The quote of £7,919.68 obtained was from the same supplier as the original gazebos.  The same supplier was favoured to enable equipment to be interchangeable and it was emphasised that the gazebos needed to be of a heavy duty type.  

           

            DECISION

            AGREED to grant £7,919.68 to Scott’s Selkirk for the purchase of 16 new gazebos.

 

5.

Items likely to be taken in private

That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant Paragraphs  of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the aforementioned Act.

Minutes:

5.            private BUSINESS

                   DECISION

AGREED under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the business detailed in the Appendix to this Minute on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7A to the Act.

 

SUMMARY OF PRIVATE BUSINESS

 

6.

Minute

Private Minute of 13 June 2018 to be approved.

Minutes:

The private section of the Minute of 13 June 2018 was approved.

 

7.

Selkirk Hill - Water Storage Facility

Update by Estates Surveyor.

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of 13 June 2018, the Estates Surveyor gave a verbal update.

 

 

CONTACT US

Scottish Borders Council

Council Headquarters Newtown St. Boswells Melrose TD6 0SA

Tel: 0300 100 1800

Email:

For more Contact Details