Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found at:-

http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=419&MId=3665&Ver=4

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Sub Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 14 April 2014.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute.

The Sub Committee had before it a paper by the Head of Finance which (a) provided information concerning (1) the amount of allowances paid from the Guildry funds to Burgesses of Guild, widows and widowers of Burgesses and children of Burgesses from 1995 to 2013; and (2) the number of people receiving allowances for the same period; and (b) proposed that the allowances be increased by either 3% or 5% rounded up to the nearest £10, backdated, for 2014/15.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to recommend to Council that the following increases (5%) in annual allowances be approved backdated from 1 May 2014:-

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Corporate Governance which advised of a request from Aberdeen City Heritage Trust for funding towards the cost of repairing the Hamilton Monument within St Nicholas Kirkyard, and confirmed the balance of funds within the Graveyards Mortification Fund.

The report recommended:-

that the Sub Committee consider the request from Aberdeen City Heritage Trust and agree to provide £2,000 towards the repair cost of the Hamilton Monument.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)        to request officers to report back on the future use of the Graveyards Mortification Fund.

With reference to Article 4 of the minute of its meeting of 14 April 2014, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Dean of Guild which provided an update on possible uses of the Guildry funds.

The report put forward the following requests for funding for consideration:-

(1)          approximately £2,000 towards the cost of an anniversary dinner on 27 February 2015 to mark the 800^th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter to the Burgesses of Aberdeen;

(2)          up to £4,000 for the commissioning of a coat of arms for the Burgesses of Guild, and approximately £10,000 towards an event marking the formal presentation of the coat of arms;

(3)          approximately £2,000 towards the production costs of leaflet on the history of the march stones;

(4)          up to £5,000 towards the cost of developing a new website for the Burgesses of Guild, reproducing a booklet on the 800 year history, and the replacement of four missing assessors’ medals; and

(5)          between £10,000 and £20,000 to create a permanent feature in Aberdeen to recognise the 800^th anniversary and the long-standing connection between the Burgesses and the city.

The Dean of Guild spoke in furtherance of the report, advising that he had since met with officers in Finance and Legal and Democratic Services in relation to the appropriateness of the various requests for funding in terms of the qualifying criteria.  He added that the anniversary dinner on 27 February 2015 was fully subscribed and would be self financing; therefore the request for £2,000 was withdrawn.  Furthermore, the proposed event marking the formal presentation of the coat of arms was not considered to be an appropriate use of the Guildry funds, and it could also be self financing, and therefore the request for £10,000 was also withdrawn.  Lastly, he explained that the final request for funding towards a permanent feature in the city was at a very early stage, and therefore a further report would be submitted at a later date.

The Sub Committee discussed the various requests for funding and emphasised the need for the Burgesses of Guild to have a formal constitution.  The Sub Committee also discussed the Burgess Awards and noted that discussions were ongoing with various organisations vis-à-vis the establishment of a form of scholarship.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

(i)           to approve the following requests for funding:-

·                up to £5,000 for the commissioning of a coat of arms; and

·                up to £5,000 towards the cost of developing a new website, reproducing a booklet on the 800 year history, and the replacement of four missing assessors’ medals;

(ii)          to not approve the request for funding in respect of the march stones, noting that this was the responsibility of the relevant service;

(iii)         to note that a report would be submitted to a future meeting regarding the establishment of a permanent feature in terms of (5) above;

(iv)         to note that the remaining requests for funding had been withdrawn;

(v)          to request the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Chairperson intimated that a further meeting was likely to be required within three to four months.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to agree that the date of the next meeting be fixed in consultation with the Chairperson.

- ANDREW FINLAYSON, Master of Mortifications, Chairperson.