Minute of AGM of 21 May 2019

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 21 May 2019

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present:  Community Councillors; Caroline Lang, Roddy Murray, Michael Scott, Matilda Hall, Barbara Bell, Tom Edgar, Lesley Sunderland, Caroline Henderson and Tamzin Thomas.
SBC Cllr Simon Mountford.

Public: Nil

ACTION

1

Apologies

N/A.

2

Minutes of Previous Annual General Meeting and Matters Arising

The minutes of the previous annual general meeting of 18 May 2018 having been circulated, were passed as a true record of events. The minutes were proposed and seconded at the community council meeting of 17 July 2018.

3

Chair’s Report on Kalewater Community Council activity for 2018/19

The year 2018-2019 has seen the Kalewater community as a whole demonstrate both its ambition and its community spirit to great advantage.

Several Regular events, the Rideout, Festival Week and Morebattle Games and Carols around the Tree, went off as successfully as usual. Members of KCC formed a ‘new team’ to deliver the teas for the Rideout very efficiently.  For the Morebattle in Bloom group, the challenges of watering in a hot summer were rewarded by beautiful displays of colour which delighted residents and visitors alike, and the village is also to benefit from a generous donation to the group at the behest of the late Jeannie McNulty. A greater challenge is the forthcoming abandonment of plant provision by SBC (unsuited to borders of perennials). The generosity of the community was once again expressed in solid support for the round of charity Coffee Mornings. St. Aidan’s Coffee Shop has expanded into the interior of the old church space, whilst the Knitting Group held a recent exhibition of 150+ sweaters, numerous blankets, pairs of gloves and toys, prior to their despatch to a charitable foundation. Roddy Murray, for the Windfall Fund, addressed the Knitting Group’s display. The Windfall Fund goes from strength to strength boosted by a strong apple crop in 2018.  This year is expected to see more trees/small orchards enter the scheme and there is a varied list of recipients of grants, including the KCC for the initial funding required to release central funding towards the defibrillator replacements needed from 2020.

Three substantial projects progressed in positive terms, albeit more slowly than we might have wished in some respects.  In the Summer came the welcome news of two awards to the village from the Land Fund, for the purchases and development of the shop and recreation ground.

In the case of the Shop, the community, committing to over £60,000 of its own funds, has now taken over ownership and management of the business, after a very successful party to note Ann Brown’s retirement and to thank her and her staff for all their efforts over the years. A process of gradual change has begun to reshape the frontage, interior layout and stock, whilst the flat above will be upgraded with a view to generating a rental income.

The purchase of the Recreation ground progresses slowly, hampered by lawyers’ delays, which has cost one season’s planting; however, a compulsory archaeological survey has been costed and funds sought, and there has been an award of money for fruit trees from the Windfall Fund.

Closest to the Community Council are the Walter Leitch Funds – after a deal of hard work and the active assistance of SBC staff, we finally had approval of our scheme for distribution of the grants from Australia and in addition the lawyers agreed to release monies from the unspent savings to help the school build an outdoor classroom, which has now been opened, as a lasting and visible connection for the children to Walter Leitch. This year, we have given Walter Leitch Awards to 8 students on courses from Modern Apprenticeships to degree programmes and one James Henderson Scholarship.  The subject areas studied are very varied, with a concentration perhaps on the sciences.  We have also resolved the situations of several applicants who should have received monies before now, but are still in full-time higher education, to the benefit of those concerned.  In total, across the Walter Leitch and James Henderson funds, over £11,000 has been distributed to the various recipients.

Despite these successes, some issues remain stubbornly unresolved. Linton Village Hall is still out of bounds, whilst despite assurances that improvements would be forthcoming last year the Water Treatment plant in Morebattle has not been upgraded, thereby blocking further house-building within the village. The future of the Public Toilets remains uncertain – they are in very poor condition and require a full survey and likely upgrading before any change of ‘care’ can be considered.  Another challenge is in expanding the membership of the Community Council as we would wish, to include, for example, some 16-18 year olds and representatives from Hownam and Cessford.  The life of the Kalewater is enriched by the range of active groups and societies, but there is a limit to what any individual can take on; however, recent suggestions that Community Councils might be funded to support the work of councillors, even to the extent of taking account of loss of earnings, could prove to be the catalyst for an expansion.

4

Treasurer’s Report inc. approval of annual abstract of accounts

The Treasurer tabled the accounts which had been signed off by Rennie Welch.

5

Elections, including Office Bearers

SBC Cllr Simon Mountford took over the chair and thanked the community councillors and the Chair for their work over the past year.

Thanks

SBC Cllr Mountford thanked the previous office-bearers for their work during the past 12 months, noting the constructive and positive approach of Kalewater community councillors.

Community Councillor Vacancies

With two councillors, Barbara Bell and Tom Edgar reaching the end of their current tenure and three existing vacancies to fill there are 5 spaces on the community council.

Community Council Nominations

Nomination forms were received for Barbara Bell and Tom Edgar.

Office-Bearer Nominations

Chair: Barbara Bell; Proposed: Cllr Murray, Seconded: Cllr Hall

Secretary: Michael Scott, Proposed: Cllr Hall, Seconded: Cllr Murray

Treasurer: Matilda Hall; Proposed: Cllr Edgar, Seconded: Cllr Sunderland

Vice-Chair: Roderick Murray; Proposed: Cllr Bell, Seconded: Cllr Lang

SBC Cllr Mountford passed the chairing of the meeting back to Cllr Bell.

Kalewater Community Council Members

Cllrs: Matilda Hall, Caroline Lang, Catherine Henderson, Lesley Sunderland, Michael Scott, Tamzin Thomas, Barbara Bell, Roderick Murray and Tom Edgar.

6

Appointment of Auditors

Treasurer would approach Rennie Welch to act as auditors for the next 12 months.

Treasurer

7

Agreement to abide by Scottish Borders Council Code of Conduct for Community Councils

The Secretary passed each community councillor a copy of the Code of Conduct which everyone read. Kalewater Community Councillors agreed to abide by the SBC Code of Conduct.

ALL

8

a

AOB

Co-opted community councillors

Cllr Hall asked if individuals could be co-opted to fill the remaining 3 vacancies. Cllr Sunderland to contact a Hownam resident re. potential co-optees in the village.

Meeting closed at 7.30pm

Cllr Sunderland

Signed:

Date: