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Notes on the Community Council Meeting - 7th September 2004 A member of the public suggested that Councillor Wales should apologise for his behaviour at the previous meeting that he was then chairing following the shock resignation of Mr Beddoes the previous chairman. Councillor Wales had advised one councillor that if he did not like the way he was running the meeting he should stay away and another councillor to shut up. The member of the community felt that this was disgraceful behaviour by Councillor Wales and that he should apologise to both councillors and public. Councillor Wales said that he did not need to apologise for his behaviour. Election of New Chairman Councillor Needs proposed that Councillor Wales be the new chair to the amazement of County Councillor Calver who felt that Councillor Wales' behaviour at the previous meeting, meant that Councillor Wales would find the task of carrying out the role as chairman in an independent and impartial manner difficult. Both Councillor Davies and Councillor Calver voted against the proposal to make Councillor Wales the Chairperson. Councillor Patricia Griffiths was elected vice chairperson and no objections were recorded. Notice Board outside the Village Hall Previously Mr. Crisp had written to the Community Council regarding the notice board that he had made and erected for an anonymous donor. The Clerk informed the meeting that Mr. Crisp was concerned that notices provided by the Member of Parliament, Nicholas Ainger, and Welsh Assembly Government Member, Christine Gwyther, had appeared inside the glass fronted notice board. Mr. Crisp gave the council an ultimatum that if notices other than Local Community Council and Church notices appeared the anonymous donor would withdraw permission for it to be used by the Community Council and would suggest to the vicar that it be for the sole use of the church. Community Councillor Griffiths felt that Mr. Crisp had placed the Council in a predicament in that they would have to abide by the conditions laid down by Mr. Crisp in his letter or face the loss of the use of the notice board. Councillor Calver recalled that approximately two years ago Mr Crisp offered to replace the dilapidated notice board that is still in use on the wall outside the Hall. He also indicated that someone who donates something to the village cannot put restrictions and that such restrictions would prove difficult to enforce without a lock. It was proposed by Councillor Griffiths that the Council accept the conditions laid down by Mr Crisp. Letter written to Community Council by Mr. Crisp to Mr Beddoes ( then Chairman of Community Council ) Mr. Crisp had written to the then chairman of the Community Council, Mr Beddoes, on 23rd. June wishing him a successful and enjoyable term of office. Unfortunately Councillor Beddoes resigned from the chairmanship of the Council at the meeting on 10th. August 2004 partly over the letter written by Mr. Crisp (see August Notes for the resignation letter). Mr Crisp informed Mr Beddoes in the letter he was sending to the Clerk a copy but he wanted the letter to br treated as confidential until it was read out at the next Council meeting. In the letter Mr. Crisp highlighted the fact that none of the councillors had been elected. He hoped they would put to one side the specific problems of the immediate area in which they lived and also hoped that if they did consider co-opting new councillors they would give consideration to approaching people who had a wealth of knowledge of the area. Mr. Crisp was aware that Mr Beddoes had a very political background as did two other council members and he hoped that "party politics" would be put to one side. He also pointed out that the Council had the benefit of a County Councillor as a member. He stated that he hoped that the Councillor concerned would be given clear directions by the Community Council in releation to highlighting of issues to Pembrokeshire County Council that they believed to be important. Councillor Calver wished it to be recorded in the meeting that he had no intention of presenting just the Community Councils directions to Pembrokeshire County Council. In the Community Council he was just there like the other councillors on the present Community Council, which sadly was not elected by the community. He felt that he was elected as County Councillor to represent the majority opinion of the electorate as well as individual concerns of the electorate. Councillor Vacancy The Clerk was to inform the County Council over the vacancy and make arrangements for a replacement for Councillor Beddoes. Declarations of Interest The thorny problem of Community Councillors who are also members of the Manorbier and District Community Association not declaring interests when matters regarding one body being discussed in meetings of the other reared it head again. Community Councillors were discussing an e-mail sent from Councillor Davies to the other Community Councillors highlighting his concerns that the Manorbier and District Community Association had failed to submit their returns to the Charity Commissioners for the year ending October 2003 and were now in default. Councillor Neads, the Treasurer of the Association, informed the meeting that he had now secured an extension until the end of September and that they were being independently audited and that he would collect the accounts the following Sunday. Councillor Coleman declared that the e-mail informed his that he was a trustee of the Association a fact that of which he was unaware and to which he had not agreed. Councillor Calver pointed out that no one could deem you to be a trustee against you wishes and he was of the opinion that the Association had nor rectified the situation with the Charity Commissioners over this issue and that of membership of the Association. Councillor Davies suggested that that any Councillor who was a member of the Association should declare an interest at this stage. The Chairperson, Councillor Wales, informed Councillor Davies that although he had been a member of the Association since August 2003 he had no intention of declaring an interest and that Councillor Davies could report him to the relevant body. Councillor Calver presented copies of an e-mail to all Councillors from Mr Huw James at County Hall regarding the issue. Councillor Coleman felt that the e-mail could have written by anyone and doubted its authenticity. Councillor Calver pointed out the e-mail address, pam.price@ pembrokeshire.gov.uk, was also on a copy e-mail that the Clerk had received from Huw James. Councillor Thompson was more concerned about how Councillor Calver received the e-mail rather than its contents and intimated that the Clerk had kept other Councillors out of the loop by just sending a copy to Councillor Calver, which was totally untrue. It was decided that a subcommittee would be set up to discuss the matter. Councillor Calver asked the Chair if the services of the Clerk were to be employed to take minutes of this subcommittee.