Ferret is disturbed that the proven; incompetent, liar extraordinaire, former Chair Mr Jim Kenyon is still being allowed to control Hemsworth Town Council.
This says a lot for current Chair – Jean Eccles.
In a discussion at the Town Council meeting held on the 14th of July, he let slip that he had already decided how the section 106 money of £300,000, that is to be paid to Wakefield District Council due from the development of the old Sports Complex, is to be used.
According to Jimmy the money will be spent on:
The Waterpark Paths, Waterpark Fridge, Waterpark Play equipment, Sandygate car park, Cemetery Road Changing rooms.
All the areas that have been neglected because they, the Independent Town Council, spent the money that was originally budgeted for them, elsewhere, such as the Vengaboys concert and costly legal actions they never won.
Unfortunately there are problems with this statement, as there usually are with anything that is emitted from Kenyon’s mouth.
The decision is not Kenyon’s to make on any level:
- The full Town Council should determine what type of application they would like to make to be considered by Wakefield for access of the section 106 money
- Wakefield will consider all applications for the section 106 money and they will make any decision on its use
As part of the mediation settlement with Saul construction over the sale of the old sports complex, top negotiator Jim Kenyon, had to agree to a humiliating agreement that saw Hemsworth Town Council lose control of how and where the section 106 money would be spent.
That agreement had been in place since 2016 with WMDC, Sports England and the previous Hemsworth Town Council.
This has been confirmed in a Ferret post that highlighted a letter sent by the Town Clerk, Alan Draper to Wakefield, seeking them to reaffirm the 2016 agreement with the previous Hemsworth Town Council.
Another big humiliation for Jim Kenyon.
However, this also highlights another problem for not only Jim Kenyon but now Alan Draper, as councillors protested that they knew nothing about the application or how the money would be used by Kenyon.
Ferret would like to know why, when Alan Draper was approached by Kenyon, or indeed any number of councillors, he did not say:
“You will need to have this scheme put on the agenda and formally agreed by the town council before I can proceed with this matter”
One councillor commented on hearing of this unauthorised application “Unbelievable”
Unfortunately it’s true.
Any costs incurred in this, yet another breech of policies and procedures, should not be incurred by the Town Council but borne by the individuals involved themselves, Kenyon and Draper.
Ferret has one last thought:
As we are now seeing Jim Kenyon constantly interrupt in Town Council meetings and he is obviously still in control of Hemsworth Town Council policy making and control of the Town Clerk.
Who actually is in charge of Hemsworth Town Council?
It should not be the paid employees at any level, including Town Clerk.
It should not be any individual councillors regardless of positions held.
It should be the full Town Council and nothing less is acceptable…
In my opinion Jim Kenyon is still making all the decisions at HTC. He interrupts constantly without any reprimand. He responds to questions which are put to the chair and interrupts if he does not like the question put to her. He doesn’t even answer the question but digresses onto something else leaving everyone wondering what he is talking about!
The first meeting that the newly appointed NEW CHAIR councillor Jean Eccles presided over she strongly informed us mere community residents and voters that under her chairmanship things were to be run differently and people wishing to speak must raise their hands ,give their name and speak so in her words that she was having no more butting in shouting or we would be asked to leave,somehow every meeting since councillor Kenyon must not have heard the chair he constantly butts in no hand raised only a voting hand if it is something that he wants.At every opportunity he undermines the new chairs authority barking in time and time again he did it at the Town Council meeting on 14th July whilst the public and I can say the other councillors follow the new hand raising and wait your turn to be asked to speak councillor Kenyon does not just takes over again and again he has definitely forgotton his place no longer big chief chair he needs to be firmly told to follow the new chairs rules hand up name speak and get use till May at least he’s a councillor so the new rule applys to him.