Agenda and minutes

         MINUTES

1.         There had been circulated copies of the Minutes of the Kelso Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on of 16 September 2015 and 15 October 2015. 

         DECISION

AGREED to note the Minutes for signature by the Chairman.

Consider report by Chief Financial Officer.  (Copy attached.)

          MONITORING REPORT FOR 3 MONTHS TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2015

1.         There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Financial Officer which provided the income and expenditure for the Kelso Common Good for the 3 months to 30 September 2015 and full year projected out-turn for 2015/16 and projected balance sheet values to 31 March 2016.  Appendix I provided the projected income and expenditure for 2015/16 which showed a surplus of £2,293 for 2015/16, assuming full expenditure of the grants and donations budget of which £607 remained to be allocated.  Appendix 2 provided the projected balance sheet value to 31 March 2016 which projected a decrease in reserves of £40,207.  Appendix 3 provided a breakdown  of the property portfolio showing actual Income and Expenditure to 30 September 2015 and Appendix 4 showed the value of the Newton Fund to 30 September 2015.  In relation to Appendix 4, the Capital and Investments Manager advised that Dividends from the Newton Fund were distributed twice per year in September and February and Dividends of £3,473 were received in September 2015 in line with the proposed budget of £6,000 for this year.  The proposed budget for 2015/16 was based on a distribution of 2.5% which would be subject to the overall performance of the fund. 

                     DECISION

(a)       NOTED:-

(i)           the projected Balance Sheet value to 31 March 2016 in Appendix 2 of the report;

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

(iii)         The current position of the investment in the Newton Fund in Appendix 4 of the report.

(b)       AGREED the projected Income and Expenditure for 2015/16 contained in Appendix 1 of the report.

Consider request for financial assistance from Kelso Christmas Decoration Fund.  (Copy of application and accounts attached.)

          DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Mountford declared an interest in the following item of business in terms of Section 5 of the Councillors Code of Conduct and took no part in the discussion.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

KELSO CHRISTMAS DECORATION FUND

3.      There had been circulated copies of an application for Financial Assistance from the Kelso Christmas Decoration Fund.  It was explained that the application was in respect of electricity and erecting the Christmas lights in Kelso in the sum of £750. 

         DECISION

         AGREED to support the application for financial assistance for Kelso Christmas Decorations Fund for 2015 in the sum of £750.

Consider request for financial assistance from the Kelso Over 60s Club (Copy of application and accounts attached.)  

          KELSO OVER 60s CLUB

4.       There had been circulated copies of an application for Financial Assistance from Kelso Over 60s Club.  It was explained that the Club provided Outings, Entertainment and an Annual Christmas Dinner for Over 60s within the Kelso area.  The application presented to the Sub Committee was a request for £350 towards the cost of the Annual Christmas Dinner.

         DECISION

AGREED  to support the application for financial assistance for Kelso Over 60s Club in the sum of £350 towards the costs of the Annual Christmas Dinner.

URGENT BUSINESS

          Under Section 50B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the Chairman was of the opinion that the item dealt with in the following paragraph should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency, in view of the need to make an early decision.

KELSO WHEELERS

5.       There had been circulated copies of an application for Financial Assistance from Kelso Wheelers.  It was explained that the Kelso Wheelers provided all types of cycling disciplines and triathlon training to all sections of Kelso and surrounding communities, with strong links to Broomlands Primary School where they took a lead role in the preparation and delivery of the Bike ability scheme for primary 6 and 7 pupils.  The application went on to explain that the club had undertaken a one-off project to construct local off road cycling trails within the Angraflat Plantation on the North East boundary of the town at an estimated cost of £66,230.  The sum of £58,230 had been secured from various local and national funders and businesses.  The remaining £8,000 was an additional cost for an alternative access to the site which had not been included in the original cost as it had been anticipated that access would be taken at the back of Queens House and would link to access for the new High School.  The identified ground was not now available for the original access and an alternative access bridge which would provide disability access to the trails had been constructed and the original funders would not pay retrospectively for any part of a completed project.  

DECISION   

AGREED  to support the application for financial assistance from Kelso Wheelers in respect of the access bridge and disabled access to the off road cycling trails within the Angraflat Plantation in the sum of £6,000.

          The meeting closed at 4.55 p.m.