Kilmun Community Council

AGM 2019

Annual General Meeting – 14th May 2019, Younger Hall, Kilmun at 7.30 pm

PRESENT

Brian Tester (Convenor), Diane Nicholson (Vice Convenor), Russell Humphreys (Treasurer), Janet Holm (Secretary), Graham Revill, Victor Sandall, Fraser Smith, Lachlan Macquarie, Mandy Grout and Dale Mallin.

Also Present:, Bob Darracott (LATNP ), Councillor A Reid, Bruce Marshal and Helen Giles

APOLOGIES: Councillor Y McNeilly, Councillor G. Blair, PC Donald MacKay, Kirsty Manual Gordon Holm and Andrew Paterson (residents).

MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 14TH MAY 2013

The minutes of the last AGM (12th June 2018) were accepted as a true record of events

Proposed by: Russell Humphreys

Seconded by:- Gordon Holm Carried

CONVENER’S ANNUAL REPORT + ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

So, here we are again....still alive and kicking...and working!

Without a wish to be repetitive, still a brilliant Committee for starters, working together with very committed local Councillors and residents. KCC continues to work closely with Argyll & Bute Councillors, to the silent benefit of the residents whom we represent. Thanks guys.

The Shore Festive Lunch (and thanks go to Eileen and Marion at ACC for their help here!) was a success again, thoughbeit with numbers slightly reduced from the previous year

We’ll kick off with some negative bits.  As we all know only too well, our local Council has further cut back on its services, and this has hit our area as hard as some (but not all.... what’s their secret?) of the others that are also governed by A&BC. We need to shout the message to all residents who have the belief that “the Council will do that”....and “that’s the Council’s job”, that this quite simply is not the case anymore. Unless we are happy to see our beautiful surroundings falling into disrepute, we need more residents to be pro- active in their support to KCC and Shore Sweepers. Unfortunately, at any ‘working party’, the same old (haggard in my case) faces volunteer their time. We need some younger, able bodies and pairs of hands that work like they should do! Despite the amazing support we receive from Alan Reid, A&BC are also failing in some of the areas that they have promised (and is documented), to the detriment of our area. These issues include lack of maintenance to verges and removal of vegetation from footpaths, which will (as we can see already) result in damage to the structural surfaces and component parts thereof. We will pursue this with vigour, as we believe this lack of care to our area is a ‘step too far’. Leading on from this, whereas last year we were able to obtain paint and materials to enable us to maintain the benches etc, having been promised the materials to paint the railings, the route we had to obtaining such has been removed from the A&BC structure, and our area, I believe is in serious danger of becoming the ‘poor relation’ within Argyll. Last gripe....FES (Forestry Enterprise Scotland) and FCS (Forestry Commission Scotland). We had a close contact.....who gradually became less and less supportive....then...and now...NOTHING. We have no contact at all. A very poor treatment from such a large, supposedly community supportive, organisation. This is now a work in progress for me, until we get them back on board. In the meantime, we are not being informed about works, road movement, colures, or any other issues!!

I could go on, but I won’t. Now for some cheerier bits.....

As you will recall from my note of last year, we had 8 (Andy and Sheila left....shame), so we now have 7 residents trained in basic CPR and use of the defibrillator, so we can still perhaps help to save a life if SAS can’t attend in time, or if they are unavailable. Being fortunate to have Russell as our Treasurer, he has successfully applied for and obtained grants on our behalf.

Not only do we have a ‘healthy’ bank account in hands we can trust, but we now have a ‘state of the art’ new defibrillator. For those that are au-fait with these things, when you are dealing with a patient that is not breathing, you attach the pads immediately. The result is, that when you perform chest compressions, a metronome (built in) informs you that you are compressing in the correct rhythm, but it also informs you whether you are compressing hard enough to circulate the blood to the heart.

With such good equipment, we have a greater need for more trained residents, because if we are called out to an unfortunate resident who needs our help, we also need someone to retrieve the defibrillator from its (new) case at Younger Hall, Kilmun. I am in the process of arranging further training for basic first aid and defibrillator use, so please, volunteer if you can, for the training. It only takes a few hours, and you will be amazed at how much confidence such training (from a great instructor) can give you!

AND BY THE WAY, THE CODE FOR THE NEW DEFIB CABINET IS 0000

Although we unfortunately lost Andy from our Committee due to his selfish need and wish to move home and leave us (only joking, but a real loss to us), we have been most fortunate to welcome Mandy, Victor and Dale to our Committee, so whilst other are struggling, we now have a full remit, so brilliant, thanks to our new members for volunteering to help structure our community and areas that surround it.

I mentioned our committed local Councillors, and said this last year, but no apologies for me repeating my sincere thanks again for their apolitical stance when working with KCC. We view Alan, Yvonne and Gordon as on our team, and they serve us with excellence....regardless of their political persuasion.... for the benefit our community. The same high standards have been provided by our LL&TNP Representative, Bob Darracott. Bob joined Parks about a year ago, and immediately showed his backing and commitment to KCC not least by his regular attendance at our monthly meetings. He has been supportive throughout, and this is a massive boost for our community, to have a proactive Parks representative as part of our community and one who attends our Community Council meetings. Our sincere thanks to you all!

Thanks to our friendly and supportive local Police Officer, Acting (or Temporary...maybe now substantive) Sergeant Donald MacKay! I/we still have hopes of his Senior Officers actually attending one of our meetings, as promised some time ago.....

Last year, I said “For the next year, I will be focusing on improving ties with Forestry, so that we are ‘in the loop’ when it comes to any and all ongoing and future works that might impact on our residents”. This includes the movement of Heavy Goods Vehicles on our roads, and we will liaise with ACC if necessary to ensure our roads remain in a reasonable condition”.

I obviously failed miserably here, because as I have mentioned, now we have nothing! Me and my big mouth!!

Last year, I also said that “I was looking forward to making progress with Grahams’ Point. At present, it is a complete mess regarding ‘who owns what’, and ‘who looks after what else’. Scottish Water, despite working to improve the treatment of our sewage, have been regularly criticised regarding the ongoing roadworks in Kilmun, the parking of contractors vehicles at Grahams’ Point, the over-run of the projected works, the condition that they have left GP in now due to the long term use of the site and the idiotic phasing of the ‘temporary’ traffic lights. The poor setting of the phasing and failure to prevent residents parking when works have extended has caused many ‘road rage’ incidents, which should have been avoided if reasonable common sense and planning had been displayed. I am awaiting confirmation from ACHA that we (KCC) can take some control regarding the use and protection of GP in conjuction with Benmore and Kilmun Development Trust. If and when this comes, I will have some authority to communicate with those authorities concerned.”

Well, after a meeting with the ACHA board, and no small thanks to Bruce Marshall, ACHA are absolutely on board. Not only have they promised to look after GP (including grass cutting), and fully accepted it as the asset that it is, they will assist as much as they can to make it better. Hopefully, in time, this will mean new play equipment, but in the short term, they are committed to maintaining what we have. They are to fund new goal nets, will ensure the safety of the equipment and curtilage of the land, and basically work with our Community to realise the potential of Grahams Point. A massive thanks to Alastair MacGregor and his team at ACHA.

Sincere thanks to Shore Sweepers (I like to call them the other arm of KCC), without whom, very little of the outstanding works would have been undertaken. Thank you.

I’m sure there is more, but if you have just read 3 pages of my rambling, you’ll have had enough, so thanks to everyone, who makes this a better place to live.

TREASURER’S SUBMISSION OF BALANCE SHEET & ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

The Treasurer’s report was presented (as above) and accepted as a true record.

Proposed by: Brian Tester

Seconded by: Diane Nicholson Carried.

At the meeting the minutes were still to be formally audited by Sue Minns. This is now done.

The meeting was taken over by Bruce Marshall in order to Elect the convenor. He said that KCC and its committee were working well.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Convener: Brian Tester was proposed by Janet Holm for this post seconded by Russell Humphreys Carried.

The Vice-Convener: Diane Nicholson was proposed by Graham Revill for this post seconded by Gordon Holm Carried.

Secretary: Janet Holm was proposed by Russell Humphreys for this post, seconded by Dale Mallin.

Carried

Treasurer: Russell Humphries was proposed by Brian Tester for this post, seconded by Fraser Smith

Carried

Victor Snadall, Mandy Grout and Dale Mallin were co--opted onto KCC committee at meetings earlier in the year.

The next AGM will convene on the 12th May 2020 in Younger Hall, Kilmun

As there was no further business, the meeting closed.