Agenda and minutes

The Chair varied the order of business as shown on the agenda and the Minute reflects the order in which the items were considered at the meeting.  Items 7 was to be discussed in general terms in light of the commercial sensitivities.  Item 11 was not to be considered in private and was to be discussed in general terms in light of the commercial sensitivities.  Detailed fee proposals had been distributed in the private agenda pack.

(a) Minute of Meeting held on 14 December 2022 to be approved and signed by the Chairman.  (Copy attached.)

(b) Update of Action tracker. (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the Meeting held on 14 December 2022 and the Action Tracker.

DECISION

APPROVED the tracker and the Minute for signature by the Chair.

Feedback from most recent meeting.

3.1     The Chair provided an update from the meeting on 24 January 2023. Lorna McCulloch had produced minutes which the Chair shared.  The recent application for Levelling up funding had been unsuccessful. Feedback was to follow from civil servants and alternative funding sources were to be sought by the Beneficiaries Group.

          The renovation of the Burgh Hall was underway; the floor had been protected, the suspended ceiling and light fittings had been removed.  Scaffolding was in the process of being installed.  Gareth Smith reported that following a visit by the Health and Safety Advisor, there was a need for the erection of further scaffolding to allow safe access to the high ceiling.  A total of three linked scaffolding platforms was now required; one each along the lengths of the hall and a higher platform down the centre of the hall.  Consequently the price had increased from £5,900 to £19,200.  The Chair sought approval from the Committee for the £13,300 increase in funding.  This was agreed.

3.2     On the matter of the blinds to be installed, there was further research to be done on suppliers and costings.  Sam Coe had suggested that a standard horizontal blind fitted below the curve of the arched windows would not be appropriate in a Grade A listed building; a blind that ascended from the bottom of the window up into the curve was more suitable.  Gareth Smith had been given contact details of potential suppliers.  The Chair acknowledged that the blinds may be an issue that could be considered later if the costs were to be prohibitive.  Gareth Smith recommended that electrical cabling was installed to the windows during the current work, irrespective of when the blinds were to be fitted and sought approval to obtain a quotation from the electrician for this.  Mr Smith undertook to obtain a quote. 

3.3     Councillor Pirone provided an update on the consultation process.  A communications and engagement strategy was approved by the Beneficiaries Group.  There were to be three main phases: the first, stakeholder mapping, had been completed by the Chair, Lorna McCulloch and Hannah Lacon with an email sent on 25 January to those identified; the second phase was to be the facilitation brief that the Chair and Sam Coe had been working on; the third phase was to be further public engagement sessions via online and paper surveys with a poster/leaflet campaign signposting the public and Tweeddale residents to further information.  The nature and subsequent results of the public consultation were to be shared with Page\Park architects by Councillor Pirone.

3.4     With reference to the Fee Proposal supplied by Page\Park architects, there followed a discussion on the proposal for a mezzanine floor.  Karen Nugent, architect with Page\Park reported that a site visit was required to carry out basic dimensional survey measurements. Thereafter an initial sketch proposal was to be completed by around 17 February 2023, to be used in the public consultation exercise.  Accessibility to a mezzanine floor could be gained via the lift proposed in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Gareth Smith provided information on the removal of header tank in the corner of the Burgh Hall.  Mr Smith had been in consultation with Gary Kennaway, the Council’s  heating specialist who indicated a cost of around £2k to pressurise the heating system and install a new unit.  Alternatively the tank could be boxed in and painted to match the walls.  The Property Maintenance Budget was suggested as the potential source of funding for this work.

DECISION

NOTED the update.

Consider quote from GB Technologies for additional Wi-Fi access points.

With reference to paragraph 4 of the Note of the meeting of 14 December 2022, a revised quote had been submitted by GB Technologies. Sheena Milne Live Borders IT manager reported that the quote detailed Wi-Fi coverage to the Registrar’s Office and into the exterior quadrangle in addition to the Burgh Hall.  The one-off cost of the installation was to be £4404.38 + VAT. Attention was drawn to the £354 + VAT annual licence fee for Connectify web filtering and splash pages and the monthly broadband cost of £32.50 + VAT.  Mr Smith recommended an engineer attended on site as soon as possible to program the installation in tandem with current works and undertook to make contact with GB Technologies and thereafter proceed with the requisitioning.  The Chair stated for the Committee that this piece of work was separate to the rest of the Burgh Hall renovations.

DECISION

AGREED to approve:

(a)        the one-off cost of Wi-Fi installation into the Burgh Hall, Registrar’s Office and Quadrangle at a cost of £4404.38 + VAT;

(b)       the annual fee of Connectify web filtering and splash page at a cost of £354 + VAT

(c)        the monthly broadband fee of £32.50 + VAT

Consider fee proposal and scope of work presented by Karen Nugent, Page\Park Architects.  (Copy attached.)

            This was discussed under paragraph 3 above.