Metheringham Parish Council News Spring 2011

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
We would like to thank everyone who braved the icy cold weather in December to attend the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and carol service. The Parish Council has organized a similar event which will take place on Thursday 1 December 2011 at 7.00pm at the War Memorial Garden, Metheringham. Hopefully this year Silver Sounds Band will be playing, this is a family event so please come along and join in the celebrations.

Parish Dog Warden
I am sad to say that our dog warden Sandy Long, is leaving us for pastures new. We would like to thank Sandy for all her hard work and would like to wish her a long and happy retirement. After interviews Michael Cummins Tel: 07903 898451has been appointed as the new dog warden. The Parish Council will continue operating a zero tolerance policy on dog fouling. The new parish dog warden will be patrolling the village day and night and issuing fixed penalty notices to the value of £50.00 to people who do not clean up after their dogs and place the bags in the appropriate dog waste bins or take them home and place in the black wheeled bin. MAXIMUM PENALTY £1000.00. If you witness anyone allowing their dog to foul and not cleaning it up please contact:- North Kesteven District Council Tel: 01529 414155.

Parish Council Elections 2011
The Parish Council Elections will be held on 5 May 2011, in the Village Hall. Our Council has worked extremely hard over the last few years to become a Quality Council. We are continually striving to improve the village for residents and visitors. Appendix 1 - Metheringham Parish Council - Roles, duties and responsibilities of Council, Chairman, Clerk and Councillors (contd below) should give you an insight into the Parish Council. If you are proactive and enjoy working as part of a team and would like to become a Councillor please contact the Clerk for information and a nomination pack.

Parish Council Surgery
The Parish Council are always looking at ways to improve communications with members of the public. If you have any questions or queries for the Parish Council, relating to any issues or suggestions you have about the village, please drop in on one of the dates below. This year surgeries will be held on the following Saturdays 5 March, 4 June, 3 September and 3 December, at the INFO-Links Office, High Street, Metheringham 10.00am - 12.00pm.

Restorative Justice Reparation Work - Pavilion, Metheringham
The Parish Council was recently contacted by the Restorative Justice Reparation Team, to ask if there were any community projects we wanted done.
The work is carried out by young people who have committed crimes in the area. The community panel members suggested that the reparation work was carried out in the community.
The Parish Council has been trying to improve the amenities and facilities at the pavilion (adjacent to the school) for some time, but only have limited funds available.
The RJRT staff and thirteen young people spent three days cleaning and decorating this facility. The room has been transformed into a useful meeting room for the community. Their hard work was very much appreciated.

Recreation fields
The Parish Council is still no closer to finalising the details of the Heads of Terms agreement for the lease of the Star & Garter field for use by the Metheringham Primary School. Unfortunately there are some issues that still require clarification and again we cannot report any positive progress. This is now of major concern as the Local Elections are due to take place in May and the Parish Council could consist of thirteen new members who have no knowledge of the history behind the recreation field issues.
Ms Sharon Wetherall (Clerk)

Metheringham Parish Council - Appendix A
An insight into the roles, duties and responsibilities of Council, Chairman, Clerk and Councillors

The council as a corporate body
Parish Councils first came into existence in 1894, the council is a statutory body and is generally known as the first tier of local government as it is closest to the electorate. The council is a corporate body, members cannot act on their own and must abide by the majority decisions. The council can discharge some of their functions by delegating to a committee, a sub-committee, an officer of the authority (normally the clerk) or another local authority. The main purpose of the council is to give a 'grass roots' service to the community as a whole. The parish council operates under legislation from parliament for example the Local Government Act 1972 and the Parish Councils Act 1957. It is the council's responsibility to act lawfully and abide by the policies and procedures set for the council. The council is also responsible for any activities and decisions made by members and employees. Employees such as the clerk may carry out duties, but must not take over the responsibility of the council. The parish council receives funding annually from the precept which is paid from the electorate, through the district council.

The Chairman
The Chairman is elected by members of the council at the Annual Meeting of the Council (LGA 1972 ss 15 and 34), this must be the first item on the agenda. The position is held for one year unless they resign or become disqualified. At the Annual Village Meeting if the chairman is present, it is his responsibility to chair the meeting. The chairman may have an allowance to carry out his official duties, this must be included in the budget and approved by council. The chairman is the head of the council and must be respected, but must not act on his own as he has no legal right to, as stated in the Hillingdon Agreement. The chairman and clerk must have a good working relationship, this enables the smooth running of the council. The chairman is responsible for signing the minutes of the meeting LGA (Sch.12, para.41(1)). The chairman must have knowledge of the legislation governing parish councils and understand the policies and procedures. If councillors resign they must do this in writing to the chairman. The chairman has an original vote and a casting vote if necessary LGA s15(3), he has the same rights as all councillors.

The Clerk
The clerk is the proper officer of the council.They are employed by the council (under section 112 (1) LGA 1972). The main purpose of the role is to provide administrative support to the council. This includes preparation of summons, agenda, papers for meetings, taking and production of accurate minutes and overall responsibility for the budget and precept. The clerk can have delegated powers. This must be included in Standing Orders and Financial Regulations and can cover emergencies for spending money and dealing with correspondence between council meetings. Another key part of the job is obtaining, presenting and advising on necessary information for discussions in council or committee meetings. It is the clerk's responsibility to deal with elections, co-option of councillors and posting of notices. The clerk should be the first point of contact for the council they must be professional, objective and independent. The clerk is responsible to the council as a corporate body and must have a good working relationship with the chairman and councillors. The clerk is responsible for the recruitment and supervision of staff and contract workers. It is imperative that contracts are in place and the council's policies and procedures are maintained in accordance with current legislation.

Councillors as individuals
Councillors as individuals are governed by the Code of Conduct contained in the 2000 LGA and must act within the law. They must sign a formal declaration of acceptance of office. Councillors are elected or co-opted to the position for the benefit of the whole community and must not use their position for private gain. Councillors must prepare for meetings and research any subject matter so they can have a valid input and reach a positive outcome. It is imperative that councillors work together as a team, respect the chairman, each other and the clerk. Councillors should be able to communicate with the public at grass roots level, this enables the council to know the needs and aspirations of the parishioners. Councillors will be disqualified under LGA 1972 s85 through non-attendance for 6 months without approval of the Council. It is the responsibility of the councillor to decide whether they have a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter that arises in accordance with the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007 (no.1159) Part 2 Interests. They can declare this at any time during the meeting and this must be recorded in the minutes.

Ms Sharon Wetherall
Clerk to Metheringham Parish Council