Board minutes – Jan 2020

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CCDC BOARD MEETING HELD 21ST JANUARY 2020.

 

Meeting Chaired by Deborah Ferris

Also, present - David Stevenson, Stephen Dobbin, Doug Laidlaw, Rena McIntyre and Jan Wilkie.

Apologies:  David Williamson

Minutes of meeting held 19.11.19 approved by SD and seconded by DF.

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DF welcomed all to the meeting which opened at 4pm.

MHAL

DS presented a quote from an island tradesman regarding the painting required at 8 Quayhead and 4 & 6 Cardiff Street.  The Board will wait until they have received all quotes requested, to go with one already submitted, before deciding.  JW informed the Board that she is still waiting for a quote in relation to work to be carried out in the holiday apartment shower rooms and external work to the gutters, which need attending to at 8 Quayhead.

 

COMPANY CONCERNS

RMc raised the matter of the position our 3 companies are in – a crisis situation which we need to make our CCDC members and the public aware of.  Much more support is needed.

SD commented that due to the low number of Directors who sit on our 3 Boards, it is difficult to always be quorate.

DL suggested to the Board that our CCDC members are made aware that a public meeting is to be held via e-mail and letter.  Then this information can be made available to the wider community.

SD noted that the main areas of concern, which need to be discussed and the community need to be made aware of are:                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

1. Company finances - the drain on funds due to the running of the public toilets on the island.                                       

2.  Low director and membership numbers.                                                                                                                                   3.  The work urgently required in relation to water ingress through stonework & windows within Garrison House and

4.  The long-term plans for MHAL going forward.

General discussion took place amongst the Directors present regarding a proposed date for an Emergency Meeting and a date for our AGM (possibly end March 2020).   Also, what preparations were required prior to our Emergency Meeting.                                                                   The Board decided on Sunday, 1st March, 2pm – 4pm for the Emergency Meeting and JW was instructed to book the DA Hall for this purpose.

RMc suggested a flow chart showing each company separately and listing Directors in each, to let the public see how few Directors we have, who, as volunteers, must cope with all issues which arise.

 

FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TOILETS

SD asked where we were with calendar sales.

RMc explained that the first one hundred had been sold and of the second batch of one hundred calendars, fifty had already been sold, as a bulk purchase, made by a local businessman and the rest were available from Mapes, to purchase from their shop or to order online.                RMc continued to explain that the Expression of Interest Grant Application which was prepared for us by Kathleen Dow (NAC), to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, had been submitted.  The funding is for improvements to our Public Toilets and development of a serviced site for motorhomes within the grounds of Garrison House.  Also, RMc made the Board aware that she has been in touch with a company called Healthmatic and had arranged a site visit from one of their reps. to look at our Public Toilets in relation to the installation of coin pay entry doors (excluding Bomb Shelter & Quayhead) and costings for internal refurbishments at Croc Rock and Fintry Bay.  RMc continued to say that she had also submitted another grant application for £40,000 towards these costs and is in the process of putting together an application to Aviva for the same purpose – grant amount available £50,000.

Discussion then took place between those present regarding the prepared Public Toilet donation letter and accompanying donation slip.  This is to be mail-dropped to businesses on the island and to clubs such as the Bowling and Golf Club.  JW to print off for distribution.

RMc raised the subject of our Cumbrae Cludgie Cleaner fundraising page and suggested we investigated rebranding the site, with a new name - Cumbrae Community Public Toilets and a new picture promoting our toilets being there for families from our island and for visiting families.  JW was asked to contact the designers of our website, OMG, regards costs involved.

 

FINANCIALS

SD issued those present with a copy of the 3 companies financials and general discussion then took place.

 

GARRISON HOUSE

JW made the Board aware that she had been in conversation with HES regarding a note of interest for their Building Repair Grant but was advised, at this stage, to contact other architectural grant providers available and to look at other possible match funding available, from other sources, to support an application to HES.

RMc commented that perhaps smaller grants were the way forward, in our aim to get funding for the urgent building repairs required for our Garrison House building.

 

MOORINGS

DS informed the Board that to date, NAC have not been able to confirm when the moorings are to be lifted.  This should have taken place in October 2019, but NAC have had issues with the contractors in relation to this.  DS sort advice from Cumbrae Yacht Slip owners, as to whether their vessel would be able to assist, if we were not getting any further forward with this matter.  However, they explained that their vessel was not of a size which could lift our moorings and they did not have the specific equipment or manpower available to be able to assist, if ever required.

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COLLECTION TINS

SD suggested to the Board that additional tins were purchased, so that when the tins were taken in for counting, we had spares available, to ensure that local businesses were not without a tin for any length of time.  The Board agreed and JW to price and order the amount needed.

 

MCMF

JW informed the Board that Gavin and Christine Chittick had been in to see her to discuss the proposed dates for MCMF 2020.  The areas they are looking to hire for this event, if confirmed, are:                                                            

Nashfield (formerly the camping area), the Marquee and the Drop-in Centre. The Board instructed JW to let Gavin and Christine know that we are reviewing our price structure for 2020 and to request that they put their requirements in writing, to the Board.                                                The Board also asked JW to confirm with Ross Newton, the space he requires in relation to Bouncy Castles, Dodgems etc., as agreed last year. RMc asked, in relation to the siting of the Marquee for 2020. Was the ground now suitable to take the Marquee in the area prepared?      JW explained that the land was still soft and in need of levelling and more soil, to allow this to be done.  Then the area required re-seeding.

 

CCC MEETINGS

RMc put to the Board the suggestion that CCDC Directors take it in turn to attend the monthly CCC meetings which are held within Garrison House on the 2nd Thursday of each month.  The Board agreed to discuss and look at diary dates going forward.  In principle, it is planned that DF attends the February meeting and SD, the meeting to be held in March 2020.

 

JAN WILKIE JOB TITLE AND SALARY

JW presented the Board with her proposal in relation to her current ‘interim’ position and her salary & job title going forward in 2020 onwards.  JW then left the room.

 

DONM:  Tuesday, 26th February 2020 at 4pm.

 

MEETING CLOSED AT 7PM