Agenda and minutes

Consider appointment of Chairman.

                CHAIRMAN

                As Councillor Scott was unable to attend the meeting, the Sub-Committee unanimously agreed that the appointment of Chairman be held over until the next meeting.  The Sub-Committee further agreed that Councillor Brown chair the meeting.

                DECISION

                AGREED.

Minute of Meeting of 30 March 2017 to be agreed and signed.  (Copy to follow.)

                   MINUTE

                There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the Jedburgh Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on 30 March 2017.

DECISION

         NOTED.

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

MONITORING REPORT FOR 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2017

                 There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Financial Officer which provided details of the income and expenditure for the Jedburgh Common Good Fund for the year 2016/17 together with balance sheet values as at 31 March 2017 and proposed budget for 2017/18.   Appendix 1 provided the actual income and expenditure for 2016/17.  This showed a deficit of £53,764 for the year, which was significantly more than the £18,113 deficit reported in February 2017 due to higher than projected grant expenditure.  A deficit of £3,366 was projected for 2017/18.   Appendix 2 provided Balance Sheet value to 31 March 2017 and a showed a decrease in the reserves of £69,234, due to depreciation of assets and the above deficit.  Appendix 3 provided a breakdown of the property portfolio showing actual property expenditure to 31 March 2017.  Appendix 4 detailed the value of the Newton Fund to 31 March 2017.  The Capital and Investments Manager advised that KPMG Investment Managers had been instructed to review the Newton Fund to ensure that they were meeting objectives.  The Performance Strategy was right, although the managers might require to be changed.  The Fund continued to be monitored very closely.

DECISION

(a)       NOTED:-

(i)            the actual income and expenditure for 2016/17 balance sheet value to 31 March 2017 in Appendix 1;

                   (ii)     the final balance sheet value as at 31 March 2017 in Appendix 2;

(iii)    the summary of the property portfolio in Appendix 3 to the report;

(iv)    the current position of the investment in the Newton Fund contained   

         In Appendix 4 to the report; and

(v)     the short, medium and long term performance of the Newton Fund

         against its peers in Appendix 5 of the report.

(b)     AGREED the proposed budget for 2017/18 as shown in Appendix I to the

          report.

4.             APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

4.1            Dr James Wyness 

There had been circulated copies of an Application for Financial Assistance from Dr James Wyness as part of the 2017 Borders Heritage Festival.  Dr Wyness and Sue Scowcroft were producing an art work for the Castle Jail to be shown throughout September 2017.   ‘Light Years’ was an active exploration of the heritage and deep human history of Jedburgh Castle Jail and considered beneficial to the townsfolk and visitors.  A Star Chart was to be superimposed on the ground plan of the Castle Jail.  Twelve locations were indicated by the yellow stars on the chart.  At these locations there would be short poetic tales, stories drawn from the site’s history and the myths of the constellations that shone down upon the site throughout the month of September.  These were the imagined tales of men and women, young and old, past and present, who might have passed through the site and honoured the achievements of the ‘Borders Enlightenment’ scientists who lived in and around Jedburgh in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, whose lives and works were illustrated within the Castle Jail.  The project was being part funded by Live Borders (£1,000) which would fund two days work and purchase of materials, £300 in-kind to pay for the artists time and £200 in-kind from Live Borders for printing and design services.  Financial Assistance was being requested to cover a further 2 days work and a contingency for the duration of the project, which would involve further investments of time and possible replacement of elements of the installation.  The Members were supportive of the project and agreed to grant £500.  The Sub-Committee requested that the Democratic Services Officer write to Mr Wyness to enquire if the art work would be in place for future years, given that it would be on display during September and the Castle Jail closed in October.

         DECISION

         AGREED:-

         (a)     to award a grant of £500 to Dr James Wyness towards the creation of art work as part of the 2017 Borders Heritage Festival 2017; and

         (b)    that the Democratic Services Officer write to Mr Wyness to enquire if the art work would be in place for future years.

                 Jedburgh Gentle Exercise Group   

                 With reference to paragraph 3.1 of the Minute of 7 March 2017, there had been re- circulated copies of an Application for Financial Assistance from the Jedburgh Gentle Exercise Group in the sum of £200, towards supporting the Groups transition to independence.  The Democratic Services Officer advised that a letter had been sent on 28 March 2017 requesting a set of accounts and further information about expected numbers.  The Sub-Committee were further advised that Lynn Marshall (Community Capacity Building Team Co-Ordinator) had confirmed that most of the support given to the group since it started in 2013 had been in-kind support, e.g. providing advice, booking trainers, halls hire etc.  The Co-Ordinator believed the group was and would be self-sufficient at the £2.50 charge made for the classes and confirmed that they had approx. 30 regular users.  She believed that the £200 applied for was a “float” to cover a temporary drop in numbers until such times as they could build up their own cash reserve, which she believed they were close to achieving as numbers were now relatively static.

              DECISION

              AGREED:-

          (a)          to award a grant of £200 to the Jedburgh Gentle Exercise Group towards running weekly sessions in Jedburgh. 

       (b)        that the Democratic Services Officer write to the Group explaining that a set of accounts detailing money received from participants, money paid out to the Instructor and for the hire of the hall etc. must be kept, as the Group would be unable to apply to the Common Good again without a set of accounts. 

The meeting closed at 6.14 p.m.