Thursday, July 07, 2016

Oakham Town Council Staffing Committee Monday July 11th 2016


Oakham Town Council
Victoria Hall, 39 High Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6AH
Telephone: 01572 723627
e-mail: enquiries@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk

A MEETING OF OAKHAM TOWN COUNCIL’S STAFFING COMMITTEE
MONDAY JULY 11TH 2016 AT 7.00PM

AT THE OFFICES OF OAKHAM TOWN COUNCIL,
VICTORIA HALL, 39 HIGH STREET, OAKHAM

Members of the public attending this meeting are advised that it will
be filmed and recorded, or photographed

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES – Standing Order 1(u)
(i) To receive apologies for absence
(ii) To decide whether to approve apologies for absence

2. MINUTES – (Appendix A)
To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Staffing Committee held on
Thursday 2nd June 2016

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members are asked to declare, if required:
(i) Any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest they may have in respect to items on the agenda
(ii) Any other interest they may have in respect to items on the agenda

4. DEPUTATIONS BY THE PUBLIC
Members of the Public are invited to address the meeting in accordance with the procedures laid
down in Standing Orders 1(d) – 1(i)

5. OUTSOURCING PAYROLL
To discuss and to agree on any recommendations to be made to the Council

6. EXEMPT ITEM
(i) To decide whether to exclude the Public and Press during consideration of Item 7 on the
agenda, under Section 100 (2) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended due to
the confidential nature of the matter to be discussed
(ii) To decide whether members of the Council who are not members of the Committee may
remain during consideration of item 7 on the agenda

7. UPDATE ON THE CLERKS ABSENCE
To discuss and to agree on any recommendations to be made to the Council
 (Acting) Clerk to the Council
Monday 4th July 2016


Yesterday I met the temp Clerk Malcolm Plumb

I was impressed by his manner, not at all patronising and he seems to know what he
is doing like this angenda and another meetings produced before he arrived which
contains an issue that I have in the past raised with the council and that is the
exempt it and Oakham Town Councils failure to use the correct legal descriptions.
So there is hope that things may improve over the next 3 to 6 months.

The Clerk is still absent on full pay. It is interesting that some members have
referred to the temp clerk as the new clerk and he himself described the absent
clerk as the former clerk probably just a mistake as since his many retirements
from other parish councils he has temped at many council where the Clerk has
departed.

OUTSOURCING PAYROLL

I asked the assistant Clerk why this was being considered by the staffing committee
and was told having the payroll in house could raise a security issue and it was cheaper
than buying the software each year.

Strange a security issue is being considered. The position of clerk and assistant
is one of trust even if this is outsourced a dodgy member of staff could give false
hours so this does not make any sense to me.
Personally as we are currently paying accountants fees for various jobs the clerk
to do I think the whole accounting role should be outsourced and the payroll part of
that would be an insignificant part of that fee.