Issue - meetings

To update the Committee on the activities and actions of the Communities Officer, to advise on the current expenditure and balances of the delegated budgets and to consider applications for grant funding.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Councillor Surgeries in Royston be held on a monthly basis via Zoom and six weekly as socially distanced face to face and that the first face to face Surgery be planned for 25 July 2020;

(2)       That the award of £450 via Delegated Authority to Royston Round Table to assist the Royston Vs Coronavirus Support Group be noted;

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(3)       That the Community Engagement Officer be requested to make enquiries as to the amount of reduction that could be expected in respect of the grant made from this Committee, County Councillors and the BID to free after three parking and that the amount paid this year is reduced accordingly;

(4)       That the Councillor Surgeries in Royston be held on a monthly basis via Zoom and six weekly as socially distanced face to face and that the first face to face Surgery be planned for 25 July 2020;

(5)       That the actions taken by the Community Engagement Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Royston be endorsed.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Officer.

NB: Councillor Steve Jarvis left the meeting at 20.00..

Audio Recording – 16 minutes 38 seconds

The Community Engagement Officer presented the report entitled Grants and Community Update together with the following appendix:

·                Appendix 1 - 2020/21 financial year budget sheet.

He advised Members that:

·                The grant application for £1300 to North Herts Emotional Support in Schools Service (NESSIE) that was due to be considered by this Committee had been funded from the Covid-19 Community Support Fund;

·                That grant funding of £450 had been awarded to Royston Round Table to assist the Royston Vs Coronavirus Support Group via delegated decision;

·                That the Committee needed to consider the annual allocation of funds from the Committee towards the Free after Three Parking initiative;

·                Several events had been cancelled due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic including:

·                May Fayre;

·                Royston In Bloom

·                Royston Kite Festival.

·                It should be noted that, due to events being cancelled, community groups had lost the opportunity to raise funds and businesses had also been affected.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·                Councillor Ruth Brown:

·                Councillor Jean Green;

·                Councillor Tony Hunter;

·                Councillor Gerald Morris.

The following issues were raised by Members:

·                That due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown the grant funding allocated to Free after Three should be reduced;

·                Projects such as the installation of bike racks and shelters had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic;

·                That Councillor Surgeries held via Zoom had been succesfull and enabled engagement with a different group of people and these should continue even after face to face surgeries can be held.

County Councillors Fiona Hill and Steve Jarvis both supported a reduced amount of grant funding for the Free after Three parking initiative.

Councillor Tony Hunter proposed and Councillor Jean Green seconded that:

The Community Engagement Officer requested to make enquiries as to the amount of reduction that could be expected in respect of the grant made from this Committee, County Councillors and the BID to free after three parking and that the amount paid this year is reduced accordingly.

Following detailed discussion it was proposed that:

That the Councillor Surgeries in Royston be held on a monthly basis via Zoom and six weekly as socially distanced face to face and that the first face to face Surgery be planned for 25 July 2020.

Upon the vote it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Councillor Surgeries in Royston be held on a monthly basis via Zoom and six weekly as socially distanced face to face and that the first face to face Surgery be planned for 25 July 2020;

(2)       That the award of £450 via Delegated Authority to Royston Round Table to assist the Royston Vs Coronavirus Support Group be noted;

.

(3)       That the Community Engagement Officer be requested to make enquiries as to the amount of reduction that could be expected in respect of the grant made from this Committee, County Councillors and the BID to free after three parking and that the amount paid this year is reduced accordingly;

(4)       That the Councillor Surgeries in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9