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HELP Council Progress July 2009

The Help Councillors have been very busy in their first month after the landslide election victory.

Here is a brief summary of what's been observed at their public meetings:

Progress Tick

Progress

Offices

The previous administration had taken out a long lease on the two former retail shops in Leys Avenue. This was costing Letchworth tax payers £25,000 per year just in rent, with rates on top of that. It was noted that there is an early termination clause in the lease agreement for March 2010, and the new council have decided to exercise it. More suitable accommodation will be sought to the extent that it is still needed.

Grants

It was noted that those grants promised by the previous administration had already been paid out ahead of time. Outstanding was only the Norton Archaeology Society with three pre-promised grants of £1,615 for 2010, 2011 and 2012. The council decided to honour the 2010 grant to provide ample time for alterantive funding sources to be sought for furture years. The council decided to make no new grants from Letchworth council tax, and to compile a list of the other funding sources for local groups.

Dial-a-Ride

It was found that the previous council had provided £30,000 financial support to the Hertfordshire County Council dial-a-ride scheme for the year to March 2009, for them to run an extra bus around Letchworth. However, no further funding had been provided by that previous administration after March 2009. The new councillors have now investigated the situation and liaised with the appropriate representative at Herts County Council. It was noted that under that scheme trialed last year by the previous administration each Letchworth passenger journey had been costing, on average, in excess of £28. It was decided to leave the financial situation unchanged, with no further parish council tax being given to Herts County Council for their dial-a-ride service, bringing Letchworth back in line with the rest of Hertfordshire.

Community Support Officer

Last year the previous council had signed an agreement with Hertfordshire Constabulary to donate £14,000 per year of Letchworth council Tax towards the cost of providing a Community Support Officer. The new council have now investigated the situation and liaised with the appropriate contact at the police force. It was noted that there was no direct evidence to show that this usage of town council tax had reduced crime. It was also noted that withdrawal of this town council tax partial funding would not result in the loss of a Community Support Officer. It was decided not to make any further town council tax donation to Herts Constabulary beyond the current agreement termination in March 2010, bringing Letchworth back in line with the rest of North Herts.

Committees

The vast majority of the previous administration's committee structure was scrapped and the following simple structure was put in place:

General Purposes Committee: The council decided that all councillors (including the two non-Help members) should be on the new General Purposes Committee. This committee will be overseeing all council activity in the pursuit of the new policy, To close down all the Council activities as soon as legally and morally possible, leading to a non spending Council so that its dissolution may then be sought. To this end, a set of Working Parties has been put together - see below.
 
Finance Sub-Committee: To deal with financial matters. Comprises five suitably experienced councillors.
 
Policy and Resources Committee: To deal with staff matters. Comprises four suitably experienced councillors.

Working Parties

The 24 councillors volunteered to give their time and expertise to various working parties. The working parties meet informally, carry out research and report back with recommendations to the General Purposes Committee at its public meetings. The working parties are:

Assets, Accommodation & Services Contracts To consider how to deal with any assets the council possesses, what to do about the lease on the Leys Avenue premises and alternative arrangements for office space, and how to deal with any other contracts the council has previously entered into, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.
 
Standing Orders & Policies To consider the most appropriate open policies for the new council, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.
 
Dial-a-Ride & Community Policing To investigate the situation with both the Herts County Council Dial-a-Ride facility, and the Police Community Support Officer, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.
 
Grants, Voluntary Organisations & Events To investigate the situation with grants and event promised by the previous administration beyond their term of office, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.
 
Publicity, Communications & Website To review the existing communication channels and their content, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.
 
Dissolving the Council To research and consider matters pertinent to the dissolution of the council, and make recommendations to the General Purposes Committee.