Ferret was as intrigued as others when an agenda appeared on the website of Hemsworth Town Council last week.
Mr Jim Kenyon – Chair Independent Hemsworth Town Council is inviting questions to be submitted either in writing or verbally which he will answer during the meeting.
Ferret feels any questions must also be answered in writing, the meeting live streamed and also recorded to ensure it is “open and transparent”.
As my readers are aware (Hello Mr Jim Kenyon) I have posted numerous questions which to date, remain unanswered.
I fully intend to send a list of questions to the Clerk – Mr Alan Draper clerk@hemsworthcouncil.co.uk prior to the meeting.
If any of my readers would like Ferret to send your questions, please send them to me and I am happy to send them in on your behalf. Please either email me news@hemsworthferret.co.uk or use the contact page on my website.
I will publish a full list of all the questions which are submitted to Ferret on this site to be fully “open and transparent”
Streaming the meeting, I doubt it I bet they don’t even find the microphones they have for their sound systems. I’ve been to events there where both radio headsets and radio microphones have been used at the same time from the system in the function room that he says can only handle one, another lie! or he could use the portable system he uses when playing soldier or both together. Anyone would think Councillor Pinocchio doesn’t want you to hear the gobshite that spouts from his motor mouth. Then again he could always answer in writing, only he doesn’t want to do that even or is it because they only have one pen and somebody else is using it or he hasn’t worked out which end to hold yet.
Wouldn’t send anything in until after the 7th you’ll get out of office reply.
I wanted to know when Agenda for Town council meeting on 14th October would be available to view.
my question mr kenyon will you consider releasing the evidence you have gathered on the your claims that the previous elected labour councilors were fraudulent with precept monies, if this turns out to be a false accusation will you consider along with subsequent independent councilors elected under the same fake campaign of accusing faithful lawfully elected councilors all retiring forthwith please, a true attempt at redemption and the very least you can all do we anticipate a written
apology vindicating the falsely accused former councillors with as much energetic publicity as the claims of wrongdoing
I feel this meeting has been called so it won’t be live streamed. It was agreed that main council meetings would be streamed so a kind of cop out? I’ve emailed asking for it to be online and sent a message via their page, no reply to message.
An extraordinary meeting is for items of utmost importance/urgency that require immediate attention. Let’s see if they are open and transparent and put it live.
I’ve got quite a few questions to ask, I hope they allow time for them all.
Can ferret ask Kenyon how he intends to recuperate the losses already made from the lakeside and water park. Also how he intends to then make the WP and lakeside a profitable concern, going forward.
Thank you
Should also add you do not need permission from the clerk / council. If anyone attempts to prevent recording then call the police immediately.
Interesting, without a deputy town clerk in post it would certainly mean that a stand-in Town clerk would have to be sourced and they don’t come cheap.
The Town clerk must authorise all financial transactions etc. Councillors alone cannot do this.
There is a significant percentage of our community who have no idea how our local council are managing our finances as not everyone uses Facebook, or looks on the Council’s web pages to find an Agenda, or is aware of our Ferret’s website.
I have no idea how many people will attend on Thursday, but maybe it’s just a distraction tactic?
Are we missing something?
Personally, I doubt very much if our Councillors will answer any questions on Thursday.
They deferred our questions raised on 26 May, until a meeting with WMDC had taken place in June, but still no answers, even now.
I’m disappointed that the WMDC Monitoring Officer isn’t investigating on our behalf on all these issues.
The Monitoring Officer in York just sanctioned a Parish Chairman for a relatively minor breach of the Code of Conduct!
It all makes no sense to me. So frustrating!
We should have the ability to challenge and prevent any wrongdoing!
Has someone asked the Clerk if a recording can be made, or a live-stream on YouTube using a laptop?
Yes they can
Anyone by law can record and live stream council meetings as long as they don’t disturb the meeting. The council should facilitate this by providing seating and chairs in a suitable area.
So, any of the Councillors can also do this. No need to keep pleading with Mr Jim Kenyon or the Clerk, just use Facebook etc and live stream the meeting.
The meeting needs to be recorded and the recording then made available on their website (or elsewhere). If they have nothing to hide, there is no excuse.
He seems to be off alot. Does the job stop if Mr. Draper is off work? What would happen if he went on long term sick for example?
Excellent question Kevin. Anybody with any sorts of morals would have done this the day the report arrived vindicating the previous Labour Town Council and the Clerk.
If they have had the questions in writing then there should be no problem answering them on the night. If you fail to get an answer send in a Freedom of Information request for the answer and then share it.
Yes Ferret can.
That’s a question for Mr Kenyon then. It seems strange not to have a deputy in place when the previous one, who was sacked has been off for so long and is not returning to the post.
Brilliant!
This means we can avoid putting people at risk of catching COVID in an enclosed, possibly packed out, meeting room (hopefully).
Many thanks – to Ferret and all Ferret friends.
Ferrets Friend
the extraordinary meeting is on the 12th October which is a Tuesday, would hate you to miss it. The town council meeting is on the 14th ( which is Thursday)
You can view the policy for recording council meeting on their website.
mmmmmmm i was told they not doing live meeting on zoom it was a one off in august to test water they voted not to do it again via zoom?dont know how right this is but they alwayst asking to exclude press and public
Thanks for the dates Carol, I’ll try to not miss it!
They were trying out the Facebook Zoom option in August and apparently they will review how it went on when they meet on 14 October.
You are so right about excluding the public, and calling Extraordinary Meetings – it has become normal practice and no longer for exceptional circumstances. But let’s be honest, the way our councilors have deviated from how they are expected to adhere to their procedures, policies, practices, roles and responsibilities, code of conduct, transparent and timely communications, procurement, electorate engagement, means it has become “normal to deviate”!
Does that make them deviants? Probably.