The real cost of four years of financial mismanagement is blatant for all to see…
This week, not only is there the scheduled Finance Meeting, there is also an Extraordinary Council Meeting which has been called by the Chair – Jean Eccles.
There are again some items that are worthy of a mention for differing reasons:
07 KINSLEY WAR MEMORIAL
To consider a request from a residents’ steering group and WDH to improve the war memorial in Kinsley.
This is a long outstanding issue that the Independent Town Council has avoided facing up to.
In fact, they even claimed at one time that Hemsworth Town Council didn’t have responsibility for the memorial.
Its refurbishment should never have been in question.
Those brave heroes and their families, from our community, who paid the ultimate price while serving their country and whose names are immortalised in these memorial gardens should have been treated with the greatest respect.
All Ferret has to say to those Councillors who have neglected this memorial is:
Hang your heads in shame and now raise your hands to vote through the work that is requested and let those who have given their lives for us to live in a free and democratic society receive a memorial that is befitting their sacrifice.
Ferret believes that the money would have been better spent on this than on the Eccles’ car park.
09 BUDGET UPDATE The town clerk to report accordingly.
Dear Councillors when Mr draper has finished, with the help of that great financial wizard Jim Kenyon of course, please will you take a vote on whether it is true or false?
10 ACCOUNTS TRANSPARENCY To discuss/review accounts transparency.
Accounts’ transparency, as well as agenda items would be better described as being “opaque”
Ferret believes a forensic audit may be appropriate but then again didn’t we have one voted for before?
Well we can live in hope can’t we? One day good will prevail.
11 1 BANK STREET – ROOF The town clerk to report accordingly.
Oh dear where has all our money gone? Where is this going to come from?
No prizes for guessing, the list of spending is far too extensive and expensive.
14 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
Members of the public and the press to be excluded for the consideration of business of a confidential nature, as per the Public Bodies Admissions to Meetings Act 1960.
15 STAFF TOILET PROVISION – HEMSWORTH WATER PARK
To consider the provision of separate staff toilets in the park during peak periods.
Will someone on Hemsworth Town Council (Mr Draper) please explain why this item is in exclusion?
Who could possibly want to use a toilet? Oh yes that’s right, all of us.
So what is the real reason? Could there be some firm, that somebody knows who could just be able to tender before May?
Is this just another attempt to cream as much money off while they can?
Once again, where is this money going to come from? Was it even in the Budget?
Remember that 4 bedroom flat in the Waterpark, of course you do, well originally it was two, two bed roomed flats that were converted into one.
Perhaps they could use one of the two toilets in there?
Ferret’s sure the free tenant and Jim Kenyon won’t mind.
17 HEMSWORTH COMMUNITY CENTRE To consider quotes regarding a replacement boiler, roof repair and rendering at the community centre.
Once again this is work that has been outstanding because the money has been used elsewhere.
Perhaps the financial genius of a Councillor will suggest pushing the Fitzwilliam land sale through will solve all their problems.
Isn’t that a surprise!
18 CCTV AND SECURITY To consider quotes regarding CCTV cameras and to review security.
More CCTV? Just how much more do they want?
How much more of our money do they want to give to those security firms?
As for reviewing security, well don’t all laugh at once, all those cameras we have now recorded the quad theft very nicely but for some reason the alarm failed, probably human error, well that’s the excuse that seems to be doing the rounds just now, it’s even applied to untaxed pickups with no mot Christmas floats.
In the Extraordinary meeting which follows:
03 HEMSWORTH WATER PARK – REMEDIAL WORK To consider the recommendation of the Leisure and Recreation Committee to expend some of the council’s reserves for necessary remedial work in Playworld and the second beach in Hemsworth Water Park.
More of the Town Council reserves?
Are they never ending? Unfortunately for us the reserves are nearly empty, Ferret has reported on this many times over the last 18 months, but nothing has been done to stem the flow of spending.
Maybe this remedial work is required? But if so, why?
We’ve had the “experts” of Kenyon and Eccles in charge for four years, haven’t we?
Surely, within all of the money they have haemorrhaged since 2019 some was actually spent on routine maintenance, keeping the facilities up to standard to allow them to open?
After all, they are self-professed experts, aren’t they?
Ferret will say this: They maybe experts in something, but it’s certainly not how to run a Town Council for the benefit of the community…
The real cost of four years of financial mismanagement is blatant for all to see…
There is only one way to stop this: VOTE in May to ensure this debacle of a Town Council cannot continue…
Looking at the agenda, I see an obvious opportunity for the good honest councillors to show us they mean business by voting down all of this nonsense. By the 10th of March we will know who’s who.
Time to put the people of this community first.
Where on earth is all this spending money going to come from,the reserves are more in danger than ever.How on earth have all these repairs suddenly mounted up with less than 8 weeks to the May elections.Was all this ludicrous proposed spending even budgeted for well looking at the 23/24 budget the answer is NO.
The Independent councillors have bled and squandered hundreds of thousands of pounds of the community’s money until the pot is almost empty but I am sure councillor Kenyon and co will spew their tales and lies and fabricated figures to anyone that will listen
The wasteful spending over the last 4 years could now prove to be catrasopic and that is just on the hundreds of thousands of pounds on legal fees on a certain councillors vanity no win legal claims.The good councillors must now say NO and stop and suspend any more spending until after May,the good councillors should say NO and listen to what the community are saying No,No,No to any more spending of what little money the disgraceful Independent run HTC have left in our communities money pot,4 years and what a legacy the 3 DS Destroyed,Decay,Destruction and suddenly it all needs thousands of pounds of repairs what a disgrace,hope the Independent councillors are very proud of their achievements but the parishioners are certainly NOT roll on MAY and our VOTES.
Please can you post on the FB site Thankyou.
I would hope that the new council in May will halt any newly awarded contracts until a full review of the council’s finances has established the true position, including reserves.
A review of the state of all the council’s assets will be next, with a list of priority repairs – WHICH ARE AFFORDABLE. There will need to be some tough decisions here and some service might need to be suspended on H and S grounds.
The Council then needs to agree a strategic plan to put things right – a program of works over the next 4 years.
The current low level spending needs to be curbed/controlled. We need every penny to go towards long term repairs and investment. Short term whims will need to stop.
The staffing structure should be reviewed, as this is the highest cost to the council.
The time and effort spent on FoI’s should be replaced with up to date published, meaningful information.
An active and well informed internal auditor is needed – has anyone heard from the current Internal Auditor this year? They should report regularly to the public as well as the council.
So much more needs to happen but, yes, approving more spending from reserves at this point in time is irresponsible and inconsiderate behaviour so close to the May election.
It’s definitely time for all the councillors to show their true colours and stand up and counted. We know which way some will vote, it’s those trying to play on both sides that need to show this community what type of people they really are.
It’s now more evident to see,last final pushes by individuals to push even more spending through, (megalomaniac/narcissists springs to mind)
More cctv , who put that forward? wonder who wins the contract 🤔 have we got that much anti social behaviour/thefts to warrant more spending. Or are we expecting some.
Parishioners in councillors wards send emails to them asking for explanations as to why they voted a certain way on key spending decisions it’s your right to know .
Toilets in exclusion the mind wonders,
Cannot comment on budget/accounts let’s see what happens.
Anonymous,
100% agree with everything you have said,to vote and sanction anything that involves vast amounts of spending will have very serious consequences on the next budget and very serious consequences for our community .The word NO as to be applied the good councillors need to and must show our community they are together on this and say NO and Vote NO otherwise the next 4 years could be as disastrous as the last 4 years under the Independents and they must put the community first and be seen by the community to be doing this,VOTES from our community’s parishioners will count and the good councillors also need to remember we will vote for the councillors who put the community first .
Hi can anyine attened the meeting referance the war memorial on the 9/3/23
Yes. Hemsworth Community Centre 9/3/2023 from 7pm.
Let’s hope everyone that can turns up and attends the meeting on 9/3/23 ,have your say voice your opinions let the councillors know enough is enough ,show our support for the councillors who are willing to put the community first and show the rest of the councillors the parishioners do exist and we will have the final say in MAY.
Possibly talk of a new toilet block, well I hope we don’t use the same planners and builder’s who gave us that monstrous storage building, seen better sheds on allotments £30000 for a building that’s nowhere finished, different coloured cladding ,come on, HTC its a showing up ,wonder if they bought job lot of a mate?, roof sheeting different sizes, no water capture and run off ie guttering/fall pipes and no flashing to stop water ingress (look above roller shutters). And this is viewed by just walking past .Needs demolishing and building properly, anyone know who did erect it.
Anonymous
The planning was finally approved today – but a condition was put in place, that the building had to be painted with a 3 month time frame.
To match its surroundings.
Anonymous
The HTC staff built the building with the help from JK.
Jason Begg from Your choice Fire & security was given the job of doing risk assessment and overseeing the project see minutes
Town council 15th October 2020.
Ferrets done a complete post if you do a search there are photos available
The stores got to be painted to match it’s surroundings omg another eyesore then .
Hard hat ,safety harness (working at height)eye protection possibly no appropriate safety footwear, no gloves, well did this risk assessment include PPE if HSE had come along that would have been embarrassing 😳, just a thought did RA have a method statement, and was PPE included in RAMS if so the picture doesn’t lie oh dear and if PPE wasn’t included then another oh dear, at minimum there should have been a responsible person over seeing the project enforcing HSE, but they should still have a record including anyone who worked on the shed I do hope they were competent/qualified and trained to do the task ,obviously JK was he’s got the torque drill in his hand, just some minor observations.
Missed it he’s working off step ladders.
Here’s my thoughts on both Hemsworth town council and Wakefield district council
Ask a good old fashioned housewife where the money is spent and she will tell you if haven’t got can’t spend and if we have not got do we need it.
No put the bread on the table look after the voters that look after you. Spare money keep the council taxes where they are now at least help those that’s struggling, again same with rents and any money left give it to the community food and clothing banks, give to the poorest left to me local politicians would be done away with and the community groups take over non political just plain simple community looking after the community