Meeting Agenda:
Emergency Planning
| Meeting Date: | Monday 26 Oct 2020 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Councillors | Jon Aldridge Vice-Chairman, Angela Baker, Alan Damodaran, Alan Layland, Margot McArthur Chair, Stuart McGregor, Peter Smith, Steve Taylor, Bob Todd. |
| Committee: | Emergency Planning |
| Venue: | Rickards Hall. 72a High Street Edenbridge, TN8 5AR Kent |
| Notes: | |
| Summary: |
Agenda
Minutes
Formal co-option provides non-councillor committee members with the opportunity to speak at meetings (though not to vote on decisions) and also insurance cover during activities. It is reviewed annually, and the current list of individual co-optees is as follows:
Helen Doyle, Rose Briggs, Ben Brownless, Charles Laver, John Martin, Lesley Martin, Steve Mercer, Robert Peters, Paul Byrne, Richard Rooth, Helen Burgess, Jill Davison, Robert McKillop, Helen Jackman, Jenny Brown, Mary Grieve, Marjorie Johnson, Margaret Watts, Jan Hart, Doreen Howe, Gwen Chappell, Wendy Sneyd, Linda Brown, Vicki Raeburn-Ward, Ronnie Pearman, Gill New, Gill Lambert, Sara Young, Mick Cross, Nick Harris, Bob Hart, Mark Ilsley, Jim Kimber, Steven Knightley, Malcolm Rogers, Colin Thurston, Richard Williams, Rev Stephen Mitchell.
Do members support these co-options?
The budget and expenditure up-date to 31 August is attached. The figures include £30 annual charge for storage of committee equipment at the WI Hall. The annual radio licence fee will fall due in November.
The annual budget for the committee was £360 for this current financial year. Do members wish to request the same budget for the next year?
| EPC Finance to October 2020 |
The Town Council reacted swiftly to the changing situation after “lockdown” was announced in March. The Emergency Planning Committee and Town Clerk established daily briefings and within days had established a team to work with SDC’s Care for our Community, ensuring there was a cohesive response with the appropriate agencies. During the ensuing weeks, the team worked with 80 local volunteers registered through the SDC initiative and helped over 230 residents with shopping, running errands or being phone buddies. The Community Warden compiled a medications register collecting and delivering on average 60 prescriptions a week (some of these were cases in other counties). Cllr Baker co-ordinated the volunteers’ activities and arranged a weekly food delivery (approx. 40).
The office staff adapted to home working and being the central contact point. The number of phone calls and email enquiries increased significantly, with some days handling 200 calls a day.
Phone calls were made to arrange emergency food parcels, deal with welfare issues, as well con tacting residents to check on their general wellbeing. A monthly newsletter was produced to keep residents informed on what help was available and other initiatives in the town. Throughout, the team provided full phone service (at times 24/7) and the office maintained availability and sale of waste and garden bags.
Overall, it was a busy and intense period for the Council staff who worked hard to maintain ser vices to the town and its residents. It is not planned to reopen the office to members of the public for the foreseeable future, but residents can still access services and the sale of waste and garden bags by maintaining social distancing outside the office.
The Town Council is fortunate to have elected members representing the town’s interests at Dis trict Council level. This enabled a holistic and informed approach to this current Coronavirus event and changing outcomes. It will continue to work within the guidance from SDC and the Government.
The town’s Emergency Plan is reviewed annually, usually in November, though updates are added as necessary during the year. Which two or three members will undertake the review?