Minutes of the Emergency Meeting of Maresfield Parish Council

held on Wednesday 3 September 2003 in the Conference Room, Nutley War Memorial Hall

Present.  Cllr H Fry, Cllr J Gutteridge, Cllr G Hardy, Cllr W King (Chairman), Cllr S Leaney, Cllr K Ogden, Cllr T Sparrow, Cllr C Stephens, Cllr R Street, Cllr P Tester, Cllr R Tester, Cllr Mrs S Weekes, Cllr R Woodgate.  Clerk: Sue Wilson.

1.1       Public questions.  There was one member of the public present, Mr Neville Rhodes of Maresfield who attended to enquire about the possible partial experimental closure of School Hill, Maresfield.  The Chairman explained what was proposed and the actions to date.  In answer to Mr Rhodes' question, Cllr Gutteridge confirmed that the majority of members of the Maresfield Conservation Group were in favour of the proposal.  Mr Rhodes confirmed he would support it.

The Chairman opened the meeting.

1.2            Apologies for absence.  No apologies had been received.

1.3            Declarations of interest.  There were none.

2.1       To consider the basis on which we recruit a new Clerk.  The Chairman began by saying that he had advertised the job immediately as Cllr P Tester had pointed out that if someone was appointed quickly there could be a handover period with the present Clerk.  Four people had already replied to the advertisement which had appeared in the Friday-Ad on the previous Friday.  The advertisement was also due to appear in The Courier, East Grinstead Courier and Sussex Express.

The Chairman queried whether Councillors felt the job should be cut back if the work took more than the 37 hours currently allotted to it, or whether an extra person should be sought.

Cllr Ogden said he would like Councillors to invite the present Clerk to stay on and an extra person sought to assist her.  He believed there was a great deal of work associated with an ambitious Council, keen to achieve improvements for parishioners.  He also mentioned that there should be no "open hours" for parishioners; now that there is a bell, all calls should be by appointment. 

Cllr P Tester expressed concern at the cost implications and said there was not sufficient benefit to parishioners.  Cllr Sparrow explained that there is a limit to what percentage of the annual budget can be spent on administration.  Last year it was 50% and it could be as much as 60% this year because of setting up the parish office.

Cllr Street said that what the Clerk does reflects outside to the parishioners and is not measurable.  He felt it would be sad if this were reduced and suggested that assistance from councillors should be formalised into regular help. 

Cllr Fry queried where the Clerk's job description came from and how the hours were assessed, to which Cllr P Tester replied that the previous Clerk had written the job description together with Cllrs King, Gutteridge, Sparrow, P Tester and Bruce Morley who had formed the sub-committee.  Cllr Sparrow said that the previous Clerk had been allocated 22 hours per week.  She had many years experience and said this was not sufficient time.  Councillors took the view that for someone who was efficient at doing minutes, 37 hours should be adequate even taking into account that the new Clerk was inexperienced and took over a backlog.  There was, after all, a new office with simpler, better equipment. 

Councillor Gutteridge said he believed there was a lot of work associated with the clerk being the responsible financial officer.  It was also mentioned that the existence of the office and it being open will have caused the job to expand.

Cllr Fry asked the present Clerk to advise about the hours required for the job.  She said that the previous Clerk had said it frequently took her more than 40 hours a week to do the job and she had many years experience.  The Clerk said it took her more than 37 hours to do the job and she found the work overwhelming as stated in her letter of resignation.

The Chairman suggested that Councillors must move forward and employ someone for 37 hours a week with Councillors taking more work if necessary as the new Clerk gains experience.  If it
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seemed then that the work was too great, that would be the time to reassess the job or to employ a second person.  This was agreed.  It was also agreed that one of the Councillors should act as mentor and confidante to the new Clerk. 

Cllr Leaney said it was important to release the bottleneck in the office.  His experience was that things were not dealt with in a timely manner as the present Clerk always seemed to have other priorities.  If the Council was going to become a Quality Council and increase its ambitions, it would be necessary to look at support.  He went on to query how much of the job was not subject to the legal requirements governing the Clerk and could be absorbed by a junior.

The Chairman said he believed it would be better to have a new full-time clerk rather than splitting the job between two people.  Cllr Fry said he believed an assistant would be necessary unless some of the work was taken out of the job description.  He felt any new clerk should be taken on a month's notice.  He also suggested that advice should be sought from someone with experience of employing clerks and the requirements of the job, to which Cllr Sparrow replied that Linda Butcher, the Clerk of Crowborough Town Council had assisted with the appointment of the present Clerk.  She is one of two senior clerks in Sussex who does training of clerks.

Mr N Rhodes left the meeting.

The Chairman said it was intended to set up a sub-committee again in the hope of engaging someone by the end of October.

Referring to the Job Description for the Clerk, Cllr Hardy said he felt that everything from Item 5.5 onwards was aspirational and that it was the responsibility of Councillors to handle reports.  This, he believed, would cut the job down.  On the same subject, Cllr Fry said he thought some of the adjectives such as "careful" administration of finances, were misleading and Cllr Sparrow agreed that some of the wording could be more positive.

Cllr Mrs Weekes thought shorthand would be a useful attribute for the minute taking at meetings.

Cllr Leaney said it was important for the Clerk to be qualified.  The Clerk explained that she had been advised that the AQA Certification, which is required for the Council to become a Quality Council, takes about 40 hours for preparation of a portfolio.  She had also been advised that, due to her inexperience, it would be necessary for her to take another course, before attempting the AQA, called 'Working with Your Council' which consisted of six modules of two hours written work plus mentoring sessions.  She had felt it more important to get the day-to-day work of minutes, agendas, accounts, letters, preparation of meeting papers, done first.

Cllr Fry queried whether use of the salary scale was obligatory and wondered what other councils pay.  He asked whether the salary was enough to attract a competent person.  Cllr Leaney agreed that it was unlikely a person with all the skills required by the job description would work for the salary stated in the advertisement.  Cllr Sparrow said that the scale was useful and the Council could pay more to a person with the right strengths as they were not currently paying the top salary.  Cllr Street thought a person with another income such as a pension would find it an interesting job.  He questioned whether the Council provided a pension and was told that the Council is required to register as a stakeholder but not required to pay any contributions to a pension scheme. 

Cllr P Tester said he was not happy with the method of expressing the holiday allowance in the contract and Cllr Street felt this needed checking with the legislation on minimum holidays.

The Chairman spoke about the intended timetable for appointing the new Clerk.  The closing date is 16 September with a shortlist to be prepared by 22/23 September.  Interviews are to be held on 29 September in the hope of appointing a new clerk by the end of October to allow a handover period with the present clerk.

Cllr Fry said the job should be re-advertised if the applicants were not considered suitable.  Cllr Sparrow advised that locum clerks were available if necessary.

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In answer to a question from Cllr Fry about how a conclusion would be reached, the Chairman said the sub-committee would nominate an interview panel who would score points for the answers to

questions.  Extra weight would be given to some attributes.  Applicants would be asked to supply copies of written work as minute taking abilities could not be tested.  The application form includes a question about the effects of evening working.

Turning to the Summary of person and job profile, Cllr Ogden said that in his view the skills listed in Item 2.1 to 2.6 were more important than the attributes in 1.1 to 1.4 and should be placed at the top of the summary.

In connection with the Application, Cllr Street said he considered Item 5.1 to be an unfair question and that Item 5.2 should be reworded to say "found guilty" rather than "cautioned".

After some discussion it was agreed that the Chairman should be part of the sub-committee to appoint the new Clerk as he had a lot of contact with, and needs to get on with, the Clerk.  Cllr Leaney and Cllr Street agreed to join the sub-committee as it was felt important to include new Councillors.  Cllr Ogden volunteered to take part as he has a lot of contact with the Clerk on planning matters.  Cllr P Tester said he thought that Cllr Sparrow should be on the committee as he has a lot of experience of the work impinging on the clerk.  Cllr Sparrow agreed to support the team.

The Chairman said the sub-committee would agree an interview panel who would draw up a shortlist for approval by Council, who must make the appointment.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.55pm.