MEETING HELD AT 7:30PM ON TUESDAY 10th JANUARY 2017
IN THE SUPPER ROOM AT THE KIRKCOLM VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT: – Thomas Cochran (KCC), Angus Carrick Buchanan (KCC), Malcolm Baker (KCC), Ian Morral (KCC), Peter Joiner (Resident), Sara McCulloch (KCC), Susan Irons (KCC), Gail Adams (KCC), Mark McFern (Police Scotland), Bobby McKie (Bowling Club), Iain Dick (Councillor)
APOLOGIES: – Morag Rowley (Loch Ryan Sailing Club), Willie Scobie (Councillor)
Ian Morral said there was a minor alteration that needed to be made to previous minutes in that they should say Susan Irons was co-opted onto KCC. Proposed by Sara McCulloch and agreed by all, this will be changed.
The minutes of the last meeting were verified by Thomas Cochran and seconded by Sara McCulloch.
POLICE BUSINESS
Mark McFern told the meeting there was an incident reported in Kirkcolm of a male knocking on a door asking about carrying out pressure washing jobs. The informant agreed to the work for £100 and the male returned a short while later to complete the work. He then suggested about further work but informant said no and told the male just to complete the work and go. As he left the man said he would be back for his £400, he has since been back several times but the informant has not answered the door. The informant felt threatened and has now reported it to the police. He is using a white transit van with a window in the side and it is about 12 months old. Mark McFern said if anyone sees this van it would be helpful to try and get the registration and report it to the police. The man is about 5 foot 9 inches, roughly 30 years old, of a stocky build, brown hair, clean shaven with a strong Irish accent.
Mark McFern also said to continue to be aware of bogus workmen which was already touched upon at last month’s meeting. He also said there has been quite a few housebreakings in the region so security advice the police are giving to the public consists of:
- Make sure all windows and doors are securely closed.
- Ensure all valuables/keys are out of sight.
- Install secure lighting or alarm systems.
- Lock all sheds and outbuildings.
- Ensure all side gates are secured to prevent easy access to rear of property.
- Ensure door keys are out of reach.
- Security mark your property.
- Leave lights or radio on a timer when property is empty.
- Ask a trusted neighbour to watch your property, to open and close blinds or park cars in your driveway.
- Consider joining or setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme.
Mark McFern also updated the meeting on Air Weapon licensing. There have been 8 and a half thousand licenses issued and another 5 and a half thousand to be issued. However, if you have an air weapon and you haven’t applied for a license as from the 1st of January 2017 you are committing an offence as it illegally held. Bobby McKie asked if he was correct in thinking if someone else had a license you could give them your air weapon to keep until you got your license. Mark McFern confirmed this was correct it could be gave to someone with a shotgun or firearms certificate or air weapon license or put it in to a registered firearms dealer and they can securely store it for you at a price. Thomas Cochran asked if you have a shotgun or firearms license does that cover you for air weapons. Mark McFern replied that if you have either of these licenses they are asking if you want to run them alongside your air weapons license. It is £72 for an air weapon license and £5 for a second license.
Sara McCulloch there was an elderly couple that live near the roundabout past Soleburn that had a young man arrive at their home last weekend in a little grey sports car saying that he had a slip saying he had a parcel delivered there but he was from Bayview Terrace in the village. He wanted to look in the garage for the parcel even though they said they had no parcel delivered. The couple have several old-fashioned cars in the garage and they were worried he was there to look round in a view to breaking in. Sara McCulloch said she told them to phone the police to report the matter as they are elderly and don’t keep very well. Mark McFern said they would be best to report it to the police by the 101 number so it is logged on Storm.
Mark McFern asked if the CC needed anymore no cold calling stickers and Sara McCulloch said we did as there was none left for the country. Mark McFern said he would get some more and contact Susan Irons regarding the girl from Trading Standards coming to a meeting and try to tie it in with an agenda.
- Dr Peter Joiner resigned from the Kirkcolm Community Council. He told the Community Council they had some exciting times ahead and he hoped that Angus Carrick Buchanan would be able to take his place. The Chair, Ian Morral thanked Dr Joiner for his input on behalf of the Community Council. Malcolm Baker also thanked Dr Joiner for his support and help with attending Windfarm meetings.
- Gail Adams was co-opted onto the Kirkcolm Community Council. Proposed by Sara McCulloch and agreed by all.
- Angus Carrick Buchanan was co-opted onto the Kirkcolm Community Council. Proposed by Dr Peter Joiner and agreed by all.
- The consultation document was discussed and Malcolm Baker said there was a few formatting problems with the document we had been sent already. Angus Carrick Buchanan asked who oversaw this as it would be up to them to alter it. Thomas Cochrane said regarding the printing of the questionnaire Peter Caldwell would print 1000 copies for £100. He said he also went to the Free Press but there were lots of questions and he is waiting on a price. Ian Morral said he got a quote from the printers the consultants mentioned and it was £256. It was agreed that providing the quote from the Free Press is not less than £100 we will go ahead with Peter Caldwell printers.
Ian Morral said he had spoken to Gabby from the Guides and they are willing to help certainly with the collection and distribution of the questionnaire if needed. It was said we were going to aim for the 24th January for distribution if the printing was done in time but Ian Morral said we should maybe put it back to the end of the month. It was said that we are hoping to put two copies in each house and extra copies in the shop if needed. Also, it could be put on the Kirkcolm website to print off but Malcolm Baker said the Creetown Initiative needed to have control of how many copies were given out as it influences percentage of return. It was decided to put it on the KCC website saying contact a CC member to get an extra copy emailed so we can track the figures given out.
Thomas Cochrane said that it would be better to have a logo in the top corner to make it look more attractive. It is quite a long document so Malcolm Baker suggested printing on both sides of the paper to cut it down to 4 pages. There will be a draw after all the questionnaires are returned and the winner will receive a £50 voucher for the Blue Peter this will hopefully encourage people to complete them and hand them in. This prize will be printed at start of questionnaire so everyone sees it.
Ian Morral commented that in section 7 of the questionnaire it says “supporting non-for profit groups”. Some of the consultants from the Creetown Initiative asked if we wanted to add “clubs”. It was agreed no it was fine just saying groups.
Peter Joiner asked why refurbishing the hall was on the questionnaire. Ian Morral told the meeting it was not something the KCC had decided to do it was just a suggestion. Thomas Cochrane asked if he wanted to find out how much the hall has made in rent over the last five years how would he go about that? Ian Morral said Susan Irons could do this for the KCC through the CCES system. Ian Morral said something else that had not been put on the document was availability of extra copies. So, he suggested putting on “extra copies of this questionnaire are available from Cochrane Stores in Kirkcolm and can be requested from Kirkcolm.org website.”
It was decided to add to “Would you be interested in being a member of the new trust to support its activities and there will be no charge” near the end of the questionnaire with “we need to show public support when we apply for funding that’s why we are doing that.” Ian Morral also said after that it says “Are you aware that Kirkcolm runs a Welfare Committee” should we change it to “has a Welfare Committee” this was agreed by all.
Angus Carrick Buchanan said the questionnaire didn’t have a very sexy title and needs one that everyone will identify with. It needs to say “Windfarm” and “money” to catch people’s attention. It was agreed to change the title to “Kirkcolm Windfarm income money of around £30k pa, tell us how to spend it!!” It was agreed the closing date for the questionnaire and draw is Valentine’s Day, the 14th February 2017. It was agreed that the questionnaire would say to contact any member of the CC if the public had any questions. The CC member’s names and contact details are to be typed up and put in the noticeboard.
AOB
Ian Morral said that at the last meeting Peter Joiner gave Angus Carrick Buchanan his proxy vote but there is no proxy voting allowed on the CC but the new Kirkcolm Trust will have proxy votes. Malcolm Baker asked if the new CC members would be going on as trustees for the new Kirkcolm Trust. Ian Morral said the application is already put in so once we get it back the others cannot become trustees if they wish.
Thomas Cochrane said to the meeting that the balance sheet shown to the meeting was not legal as it was just a piece of paper as it is not showing where money is going, He said the CC should be seeing a bank statement to stop fingers being pointed. He proposed that a bank statement and a balance sheet go on the noticeboard every month to keeps everyone happy.
Angus Carrick Buchanan said we need to agree who runs our website as it not transparent enough. He suggested it would be best if they were paid to come to meetings and then go away and upload whatever is agreed by the CC. This takes the pressure of the Committee who are all volunteers. He said it would also be best to appoint a paid minute taker for the CC/Trust and a Treasurer. He said we didn’t need to agree on this at this meeting but agree it in principal. Angus Carrick Buchanan said we should email ideas for these posts and asked if Liam Bailey would come along to a meeting to discuss pricing etc. for him to take up the web side of the CC. Susan Irons said this would be a problem as they would not have a babysitter for both to attend. Angus Carrick Buchanan said he may not be interested but we need to outsource this to someone else. This was agreed to go on the meeting for the next agenda. Ian Morral commented that we need to have a Treasurer on the ground in case of cheques signing etc.
Sara McCulloch asked if anyone can come and help take the Christmas tree down at 11am the next day. Thomas Cochrane, Susan Irons, Gail Adams and Angus Carrick Buchanan all agreed. Sara also asked for volunteers on Sunday at 1pm to help take down the Christmas decorations in the village hall. Malcolm Baker said he needed someone to take over the Windfarm stuff from him as his health wasn’t great and he has been wanting to hand it over for a while. Ian Morral suggested that once the Trust is set up we have a meeting to discuss other Trustees joining perhaps non-CC members and discuss the Windfarm position as well. Sara McCulloch asked who to contact regarding the state of the outside of the village hall as residents have commented on it. Susan Irons is to contact the Council through the CCES regarding this matter.
Bobby McKie asked if there had been anything done about the poor Broadband in the area as it was discussed a couple of meetings ago. There are things happening in the area but residents perhaps need to subscribe to fibre to try and get superfast broadband as it is into the exchange. Ian Morral said he would contact BT Openreach to try and find out any updates on this before the next meeting. It was decided to contact the local MSP’s Finlay Carson and Richard Arkless to ask for their help. Ian Morral said he put a post on the KCC Facebook page asking the community to contact the MSP’s to try and get some support.
Date of next meeting is Tuesday 14th February 2017.