Board Minutes – 10 September 2018
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Present
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Apologies
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CCDC Matters Arising
3.1 Current accountancy matters and end of year accounts
3.2 Companies House - Director or Trustees
3.3 Meeting with Community Council on Town Hall etc
3.4 Toilets funding proposal
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Financial reports.
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Joint GHCL/CCDC Matter – NHS/NAC social care hub proposal.
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CEO report
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AOCB
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DONM
Agenda
The Chair confirmed the agenda and that the meeting was quorate.
1. Present
Deborah Ferris [Chair], Bryony McLachlan [Vice-Chair], Davie Stevenson, Davie Williamson, Rena McIntyre, Douglas Laidlaw, Stewart Kennedy and CEO, Michael Bertram.
2. Apologies
James Taberner and Robert Pringle sent apologises.
3. Matters arising
April 2018 minutes proposed by David Stevenson and seconded by Deborah Ferris.
It was agreed that the next board meeting would be 8th October 2018.
3.1 Current accountancy matters and End of Year Accounts.
CEO apologised that he had hoped to have the final end of year accounts [consolidated] ready for the Board approvals but we had some issues still to resolve with the Company Accountants [Gillespie and Anderson].
DW asked what these issues were.
CEO replied that the new accountants needed to be fully aware of intercompany transfers, such as grants provide by CCDC to MHAL for flat improvements etc.
CEO added that we had also asked Gillespie and Anderson to investigate the finer workings of conversion to an incorporation Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).
CEO stated that this investigation had taken time and the issues were around the need for valuations on investment properties. For example, how we showed Garrison House on the books and if the new SCIO entity would be exempt from obtaining costly annual valuations, which currently could only be carried out by a registered conservation chartered surveyor.
CEO added that he had obtained current valuations on the MHAL properties.
DS asked when the accounts would be ready for inspection.
CEO replied that the new accountants had indicated mdi-September as they were aware that we hoped to have a mid-November date for the 2018 AGM.
3.2 Companies House - Director or Trustees.
CEO advised that he had inquired to Companies House if we could change from being called “Directors” to Trustees and was informed that as we were a company, that was not allowed.
3.3 Meeting with Community Council on Town Hall etc.
CEO advised that we had originally wanted to try and meet with the Cumbrae Community Council on the 21st June but had to cancel due to work pressures of the CCDC Directors.
Discussion took place around the current status of the Town Hall project.
DW asked if we knew how the project was progressing securing funding and if the council reports had been delivered as requested, to the Cumbrae Community Council.
RM advised that as a member of the ‘Save the Town Hall’ that she was happy to take our queries to the committee and revert back on their progress.
CEO advised that he had been to several of the Cumbrae Community Council monthly meetings and when pressed, had advised that CCDC was always in support of any other group on the island wanting to develop their own projects and this was no exception.
Board Directors agreed with CEO that this was the case.
CEO asked if the Board Directors still wanted to have a follow-up meeting with the Cumbrae Community Council.
Chair [DF] replied yes, that it would be useful to see where the project was and to listen to the CCC feedback.
3.4 Toilets funding proposal
CEO advised that CCDC have now managed the six toilet/shower blocks since 1 April 2017 and that total income was £73,722.55 and expenditure £ 48,519.82.
DW asked if this included all the council funding and this meant that we were spending nearly £30,000 per year keeping them open.
CEO replied that it was and adding that was one of the reasons why we needed to have an ‘e-business program’ to raise funding and also allow visitors to make a donation electrically via ‘Just Giving’ type app.
CEO stated that he was concerned how quickly we will burn through these funds and how to avoid being in the same position as Council in two years’ time.
CEO presented a proposal to engage with OMG [Outside Media Group] to deliver a multi-media campaign. CEO added that he has applied to Business Gateway for funding and we have been provisionally granted 50% towards the costs of an ‘e-business campaign’ and that the CEO requires approval for this proposal.
DF asked for the costings for this work. CEO add that it was £ 2,695.00.
Resolution 1:- it was agreed that CCDC would engage the services of Outside Media Group for a multi-media campaign to assist in raising funds for the Cumbrae Public Toilets.
Further discussion took place on whether or not the general public were aware of how costly funding these six toilet blocks were for CCDC.
Resolution 2:- it was agreed that the CEO would draft a Press Release for local media and round robin this for Board Directors approval.
CEO continued to add that we would need to serious consider the long term future of maintaining six toilet blocks open, as in the long run he felt that this was not feasible.
CEO added that we had received inquiries on manging the toilets from the George Hotel for the Pierhead toilets and also from Fintry Bay for their toilets, in the past.
DW asked how this would work.
CEO replied that we owned Fintry Bay so that could either be a leasehold or sale agreement, whereas the Pierhead toilets we merely have on lease from Council.
SK asked if we had approached Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) regarding them assisting us in operating the toilets as the slip.
CEO replied that he had in the past, written to the CEO and Finance Director of Caledonian MacBrayne, without success to see if they would assist in the upkeep of the slipway toilets.
Resolution 3:- it was agreed that the CEO would write to Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) regarding assistance towards keeping the slip toilets operating.
CEO stated he required Board approval for a grant application of £30,000 to the Scottish Land Trust. CEO added that we had applied for this some 18 months ago, and this was funding that came from the landfill tax and had been provisionally approved.
Resolution 4:- it was agreed that the CEO would write to Scottish Land Trust regarding assistance towards keeping the toilets operating and accept their grant offer.
4. Financial reports.
CEO advised that they were not ready for inspection.
5. Joint GHCL/CCDC Matter – NHS/NAC social care hub proposal.
DS advised CCDC Directors that Garrison House Board had requested a meeting with Council to find out their long term plans for their social care hub proposal and until that meeting was held he suggested that we hold off on the follow-up meeting with the Cumbrae Community Council
Discussion took place around Garrison House tenants and the implications of any future changes either by North Ayrshire Council or NHS on the financial viability of the Garrison.
6. CEO report
CEO advised that the first four points were already covered in matter arising and he wished to report back now on the Millport Moorings.
Chair [DF] agreed and asked CEO to continue.
CEO stated that revenue for this year’s moorings so far was £ 2,373 and added that last year [2017] we took in £ 2,320 and paid out £596 in volunteer/staff wages, thus making a grand total to CCDC of £ 1,724, less £500 insurance fees.
General discussion took place over this year’s operations and if we should continue in 2019 if council would fund the operations [again].
CEO added that we did have less moorings this year as some were lost off the pier and we also did not relay the moorings previously sited at Kames Bay.
CEO advised that the North Ayrshire Council tourism manager Mr. George Hunter had indicated that we could get funding for two years, but it was dependent on his own budgets not being cut for the 2019 season.
DF and DS were thanked for their assistance in the management of the operation this past season.
SK added that we had put up a banner highlighting the service and the honesty box at the pierhead but it had been vandalised.
General discussion took place and it was agreed that there was a need for better signage and improved visibility of the honesty box, if we were operational next year.
Resolution 5:- it was agreed that the CEO would confirm with North Ayrshire Council that CCDC would be prepared to continue with this operation should funding be made available.
DS stated that the CEO had sourced an additional defibrillator from North Ayrshire Council and it had been kindly install (free of charge) by local electrician Mr. Gordon Lundy. DS thanked Mr. Lundie for his generous services.
CEO stated that he had prepared a special performance report for Millport Holiday Apartments and took the Board through the year’s performance so far.
RM asked about flat Bute and how this was being managed.
CEO replied that when we sold the property the new owners agreed that they would honour the forward bookings [festival weekends etc] and then see how that was working for them. They were happy to let us manage the bookings on their behalf for a commission of 10% plus additional charges for cleaning and are still happy to continue with these arrangements.
RM asked about how Bob Campbell was managing this for MHAL.
CEO replied that he was on the MHAL books and we paid him a monthly in arrears based on his submitted time sheets.
General discussion took place around how we inspected the flats and how we needed to invest in the properties.
RM asked about discussion that the Board had in the February 2018 regarding allowing £2,000 per flat to be spent to create a more inviting appearance for the flats.
Chair [DF] replied that this was still the case but as everyone had been so busy over the summer, that it was a project for the winter.
Further discussion took place around which flats were to be invested in and how much money could be allocated.
CEO confirmed that it was Cumbrae and Gigha, the two top floor flats at 8 Quayhead that had been identified as requiring the initial make-overs and investment.
Resolution 6:- it was agreed that a sum of £4,000 be allocated towards refurbishment of two flats as 8 Quayhead.
7. AOCB
Chair stated she had a couple of questions that she needed to raise.
Chair asked the CEO to revisit all staff contracts and update their job descriptions and work profiles for the next board meeting.
General discussion took place around staff contracts and pay.
CEO advised that this was actually a Garrison House issue. DS confirmed the same.
Chair also added that we needed to get the websites up to date.
RM added that it appeared from the CCDC website, that we had not met since February 2018 and that was not the case.
CEO replied that we had a meeting on the 30 April and the 11 June, but we had not been quorate to sign off those meetings minutes, but that he would ensure that the website reflected the meetings and that fact that we were not quorate.
Further discussion took place around the need to find future Directors who could committee to the company and attending regular meetings.
8. DONM
Next CCDC Board meeting - Monday, 8th October 2018.
Meeting closed 7.10pm.
