We’re reporting live from the Ventnor Town Meeting which has been called by six members of the public to discuss the Ventnor Town Council.
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[19:08] People still coming in. Rough count 330 people in attendance. Hush is descending. So full, people are now sitting in the choir pews.
Asking if Mayor + dept-Mayor here. Protocol.
Former Ventnor county councillor Jonathan Fitzgerald-Bond (JFB) asked to be the Chair. Voted and approved.
JFB: Amazed at the number of people here. It’s in the church as the meeting has to be in an unlicensed premises.
Proposed that 15 mins per agenda item (seven of them)
(Names and addresses were taken at the door – to ensure they’re from Ventnor)
(Very few non-Ventnor)
[19:18] Update 2
Agenda 1 – Rob Chuter proposer. Mr Gibbs seconds. Says he’s not qualified to talk.
Doug Nettleton stands to speak. Reading out his statement when he resigned as councillor.
Roger Moors (sp?): Been in Ventnor 5-6 years. Went to a meeting at WG for parking. Mayor said write to the council. I don’t feel that they’re fit and proper to represent Ventnor.
(Applause)
Michael Jennings: Principle chair doesn’t have experience. Chair should run a meeting well. No need for.
Richard Wright (CP) doing count. Lots for. None against
Agenda item 2: Rob Chuter proposes. Disrespect paid to clerk.
People visit the Island and Ventnor are affected. Maureen Cawley seconds.
[19:26] Update 3
Stewart Blackmore: This is a serious allegation. Need to be specific.
Rob Chuter: I can’t comment due to standards bodies.
Rob Davis: I’m a town clerk. There’s training that clerks and members could go on. It’s required
Stewart Blackmore: That’s not naming.
JFB: Can any one say which people have been reported?
Chuter: Cllr Welsford and Cllr George.
Rob Davis: Also Cllr Perks and Cllr Stubbings.
Perks: I was reported over the way I voted, by the Mayor
Vote: Lots for. 10 or so against
[19:31] Update 4
Agenda 3: Proposer Don Prescott. Geoff David Seconder
I’ve been in Ventnor for 9 years. Questioned it 5 years ago.
£23K costs to council of taking someone to court came out more recently.
Last meeting: wanted to ask why £68k increase. I was told that I couldn’t see the report.
Town councils do not run businesses.
(Applause)
Town councillors are required to ask if they want changes.
Precept is nearly £150k – an unbelievable amount.
Don Prescott: I’d like to speak. To say that it’s divided is an understatement. I think the only solution is to ask for the resignation of all councillors.
(Yes + applause)
Tony Minx: This is all very well, but who will replace them? I’d vote for people who I thought were good people.
(Some applause – not much)
JFB: That’s a very fair question.
Jennings: The answer is a hustings – make a public address. (A little applause)
Cllr Buster Bartlett: The sooner we get rid of them the better. Some 3 months ago. In my opinion Cllr Welsford is a dictator. Wrap it up – start again.
(Applause)
JFB: This is not a slanging match.
[19:41] Update 5
Debby Frost: Been to lots of meetings over the years. There are a lot of councillors both past and present. Lots of the people here who have never been to the town council meetings.
Some meetings have been bad, others have been good. I don’t think it’s helpful to have these agenda points. The Hustings won’t show anything. You need to let people have the chance
Vote: Lots of votes. One vote against.
Agenda point 4: Rob Chuter proposes. Maureen Cawley seconded
Currently there’s very little going on at the WG. Guess they’re making loses, not sure if there’ll be enough money for reserves.
(JFB didn’t give ….)
(Much less votes for. None against)
Agenda point 5: Rob Chuter. Alan Skeets seconds.
Is there an example of where this has happened.
Denis Russell: This is a most peculiar question. If it was applied to IWC, it would be in grid lock. Don’t know what’s behind this motion.
This a white wash and totally meaning less.
[19:51] Update 6
Christine Benson: The decision to not having polling cards for the St Lawrence elections. This small group that made this decision.
(Simon stood up and said that he understood that the town clerk made the decision)
Cowes town clerk is speaking again.
Susan Scoccia: Decision made by the clerk and town mayor. It wasn’t emailed out to the other members.
Update: someone else (I think): People didn’t know that there was a vote – so it’s null and void.
Richard Downing: 8th March meeting – I went to abandoned meeting. Councillor objected to the meeting being made. If you vote for this – you are supporting Cllr Bonney.
Matt Whishaw: Employment of the administrator at the WG is one thing we can point out.
It doesn’t appear that there’s any evidence for this, so we shouldn’t vote.
Graham Perks: No monies of over £500 should be spent. I assure you this has happened twice.
In contravention of standing order should be added.
Vote taken – passed. Many votes for the motion.
[20:00] Update 7:
(Graham Perks said he couldn’t detail as complaints to WG)
Agenda 6 : Rob Chuter and Christine Benson
Chuter: Winter Gardens – treated as employees
Maureen Cawley: Fact that there are letters at the Standards Board and they’ve been accepted should speak for itself.
JFB: I’ve just learnt of standards board complaints.
Q: Shouldn’t this be withdrawn? As standards board are investigating.
All voted for removal of the agenda item.
Agenda 7: Rob Chuter and Maureen Cawley
JFB: What’s wrong with the WG?
Maureen Cawley: No shows booked until the end of the year.
This is whether this council is doing what it can.
(Lots of people wanting to speak)
We need to know where the money is coming from, going to, before we vote.
Man who put on Blues event: When I first called up I was told it would be nothing to hire. I paid £300 in the end.
Q: I think we need realism. The building is in a bad shape. I think it will be redeveloped.
(Shame – from the audience)
The best time it’s been is when Graham Perks was running it.
Christine Benson: Can Graham Perks tell us what’s happened in the last 18 months?
GP: I’d like to, but I can’t due to Standards board complaint.
Debby Frost: We can dig back and find lots of problems.
Can we talk about Community scheme?
Scoccia: We haven’t discussed it. It’s been proposed by Cllr George IW council won’t spend any more money on it. We need to have an open discussion with the the people
I have today met with Cllr Welsford + IWC officers
It has been suggested that setup like Ryde and Shanklin
We’ve put aside money for a town poll to ask the town
Michael Jennings: We should look at a range of options.
Matt Whishaw: Current + Future plans for the Winter Gardens. What are the immediate plans for the WG. Will they go out to concession?
Scoccia: I didn’t want to come here to talk about the division. Mayor went to IWC with concerns. We didn’t have a manager, because we had a very good concessionaire – Graham Perks.
The audit was done without discussion – as it should have been done. Why the budget is so high? Because we need a general manager.
[20:20] Update 8:
Matt Whishaw: We live in a seaside town – it’s quiet, but it will change. Very good team and the town should support it.
JFB: It’s the bookings not being made we were focusing on.
Q: Mike Wolleyet (sp?): While these discussions are interesting, this is the clearest motion of the night. We don’t have confidence in this – we should vote like that.
Votes: loads of votes in favour – none against.
JFB: Propose a motion from the chair that he’s just been scribbling down – (sounds pretty structured to me – details of short hand version coming down)
Lots of votes (not sure what it was for???)
(Applause) [END OF MEETING]
