Minutes of the July Meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on Monday 2^nd July, 2007 at the Sweeney Memorial Library, Kilkee.

Cathaoirleach sa Cathair: Cllr. P.J Lardner.
I Lathair: Cllr. Linnane, Cllr. Michael Martin, Cllr. Michael McGrath, Cllr. Tom Nolan, Cllr. Lily Marrinan Sullivan, Cllr. Brian Keane, Cllr. Carmel Deloughery, Cllr. Claire Haugh
I Lathair: David Timlin, Director of Service & Town Manager, Derek Troy, Executive Engineer
Siobhán Curran, A/Town Clerk

1.Adoption of minutes of June monthly meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on Monday 5^th June, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. at the Sweeney Memorial Library, Kilkee.

Cllr. Nolan requested that a point be clarified from the minutes of the June meeting and that was that Kilkee Town Council had never adopted the Kilkee Traffic Management Plan.
The minutes of the June monthly meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on 5^th June, 2007 were then adopted having been proposed by Cllr. Linnane & seconded by Cllr. Haugh

2. Presentation to William Keane

This item was deferred as William Keane was not present. Members understood that he was in hospital.

3. Update on Town Twinning

Written report submitted by Siobhán Curran, A/Town Clerk

Information Night / 25^th Anniversary Celebration

A successful information night was held on 14^th June in the Diamond Rocks café. Over 30+ were in attendance. The twinning message was well received and all in attendance signed up as ordinary members paying a €10 membership fee.

The Inaugural General Meeting

The Inaugural General Meeting of Kilkee Town Twinning Association took place on 27^th June in the Stella Maris. To date over 50 persons signed up as ordinary members.

At meeting, 10 ordinary members were elected to form the Management committee (together with 2 elected members as nominated from Kilkee Town Council (Cllr. Linnane & Cllr. Deloughery) and A/Town Clerk as set out in the Constitution)

Committee Meeting

A meeting of the Town Twinning Management Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 4^th July at 9:00 p.m. in the Stella Maris. Election of officers (Chairperson, Assistant Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer & PRO/Fundraiser) will take place at that meeting. Report Ends

4. Public Lighting in Kilkee

Written report submitted by Derek Troy, Town Engineer

The most recent review of public lighting in Kilkee indicates that works are required at the following locations;

• Light No.'s 1 to 9 - Carrigaholt Road
• Light No.'s 1 to 10 - Stella Maris to N67
• Light No.'s 9 and 10 - Strand Line
• Light No. 15 - Marian Estate (one additional light required)
• Light No. 2 - St. Patrick's Terrace
• Light No.'s 3 to 7, 13 and 14 - Circular Road (one additional light required)
• Light No.'s 1 to 9 - Doonbeg Road
• Light No.'s 1 to 8 - Grattan Street
• Church Road - two additional lights required

Totals: 48 upgrades & 4 additional lights
Lighting upgrades cost approx. €800 per light. Additional light costs vary depending and ESB requirements but normally range €3,000 - €5,000. Improvement works may proceed when a priority list is drawn up based on pedestrian and traffic safety and when funding is available.
Report Ends.

Cllr. Haugh added that additional lights had been requested for the area around the entrance to the convent and that the lighting at Corry Lane is very poor. Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan felt that the elected members were in a better position than the roads section of Clare County Council in Ennis to advice on the lighting requirements for Kilkee. Town Manager, Dave Timlin, advised that now was an opportune time of the year given that preparation for the budget will commence in September. He asked members to make contact directly with Derek regarding lighting requirements and requirements could then be prioritised at the September meeting.

5. Presentation to William Keane on the occasion of his retirement after 33 years of service to Kilkee Fire Brigade.

Cllr. Lardner welcomed William Keane to the meeting. He introduced him as a great sportsman and a man very proud of his home town of Kilkee. He said that 33 years service in the Fire Bridage was a magnificent achievement and one he should be very proud of. On behalf of the elected members of Kilkee Town Council, he presented William with a token from Kilkee Town Council, he wished him the all the very best in his retirement and hoped that he had many more years of health so he could continue to enjoy his running.

William Keane thanked the elected members for this gesture. He said he was thankful he was able to make tonights meeting saying that he had just been released from hospital earlier this afternoon. He wished the members of Kilkee Town Council all the best in their endeavours for the good of the town.

6. Update on Hodges Green UVR Scheme

Reply submitted by Mairead Corbett, Administrative Officer, Economic, Development & Planning Section, Clare County Council

Progress report for Urban & Village Renewal Scheme at Hodges Green, Kilkee

The Urban & Village Renewal Scheme at Hodges Green, Kilkee is being undertaken in-house by Clare County Council. The masonry stone wall is complete. The lighting has been installed and the ESB have been contacted with regard to the connection of same. The flag stone paving has been ordered and will be put in place as soon as it arrives.
Work is ongoing on the soft landscaping and the railings and it is expected that the railings will be installed in approximately 2 weeks.

Report Ends

Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan asked the A/Town Clerk to make sure that Hodges Green would be included in the grass cutting contract once completed.

• Notice of Motion submitted by Cllr. Tom Nolan

"That the draft bye-laws relating to drinking alcohol in public places, previously not adopted by this council in January 2007, be now adopted."

Cllr. Nolan advised the members that Kilkee Town Council should empower the relevant authorities through the introduction of these bye-laws. He said that it was important to send out the correct signal that Kilkee Town Council would like to introduce some control of drinking. Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan said that while she was not against the sentiment of the bye-laws she did feel it was important to get it right and that some business people did have some concerns but that she would not stand in the way. Cllr. Lardner said that the Gardaí will evaluate each situation and will make a judgement accordingly and will not be out to get the person who innocently steps outside to have a cigarette while having a drink. Cllr. Martin said that this had been a problem for over 30 years. He said that while on one disregards the sentiments of these bye-laws it is possible that they may be abused. Cllr. Nolan went on to say that this was not about the interpretation of the law and that we must rely on the discretion of the Gardaí. He asked whether this council was going to disempower the Gardaí as at present Gardaí cannot act re drinking in public places. He said that while people may have their own individual concerns regarding this issue that the bigger picture needed to be considered.

Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan asked the Manager to confirm what was the resource open to Kilkee Town Council is they got it wrong. The Manager confirmed that the adoption of Bye-Laws was a reserved function of the elected members of Kilkee Town Council alone and so new bye-laws can be introduced, as long as the required consultation is carried out as set out in the regulations.
Cllr. Linnane said he felt that these bye-laws eroded the rights of people and was the equivalent of giving in. At this stage it was agreed to take a vote.
The following members voted in favour of adoption of the bye-laws;

• Cllr. Nolan, Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan, Cllr. Haugh, Cllr. Deloughery, Cllr. McGrath

The following members voted against the adoption of the bye-laws;

• Cllr. Keane, Cllr. Martin, Cllr, Linnane

Cllr. Lardner deemed the motion to be carried and the bye-laws to be adopted.

7. Notice of Motion submitted by Cllr. Tom Nolan

“That the Town Manager issue a full statement on the use of Clare County Council of material extracted from the quarry at Moveen East, Kilkee, and indicate its future relationship with that quarry”

Written reply submitted by Derek Troy, Town Engineer

Clare County Council currently does not use material from this quarry for construction or back filling of trenches on public roads. The material extracted from this quarry does not comply with National Roads Authority Clause 800 series specification for roadworks, nor does it consistently comply with the Department of Environment Specification.Material is used on a small scale, for drainage works and for back filling of trenches located off the carriageway. This quarry/material supplier is currently on Clare County Council's tender list, and where suitable material is required at a specific location, such material may be used. This practice will continue assuming that all suppliers' affairs are in order.

Report Ends

Cllr. Nolan said that he had submitted this report because of the increasing threat to Kilkee posed by this Quarry. He said that in the past he had asked Clare County Council to ask operators to contribute towards the cost of repair to the road but to date he has been disappointed to note that nothing has been requested from them. He said that an opportunity was being lost to develop the drive along the Dunlicky road and the walk back to loop head.
He outlined that to the best of his knowledge there are 11 people who have rights to some extent to the quarry at present but that the lease is up in Sept. He called on Clare County Council to take on the lease in September and become the sole operator moving forward. He said that in the past Clare County Council would have rejected licences for this quarry but that now it is a serious operation with crushing, blasting and grading taking place.
Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan supported Cllr. Nolans call on Clare County Council to take over the Quarry. Dave Timlin, Town Manager stressed that the Councils tender procedures did involve standard checks but that he would look into this matter.

8. Notice of Motion submitted by Cllr. Tom Nolan

"That no further line painting, as envisaged by the Traffic Management Plan for Kilkee, take place until the Plan, is reviewed in September 2007."

Cllr. Nolan said that he wished to withdraw this notice of motion.
The Town Manager advised Cllr. Nolan that a response to this motion had already been circulated and that he would be happy with the response given by Derek Troy, Executive Engineer that indicated that no further works would take place until the review in September.

9. Correspondence

(a) The members supported the notice of motion forwarded from Kilrush Town Council.

10. A.O.B

Official Opening of Allenders Field

Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan requested that Clare County Council should in future take into consideration that people work during the day and that 3:00 p.m. is not a suitable time to hold an official opening. She said that there should have been consultation on the date and time of the opening and that it had been discourteous not to consult the people who had been very involved in this project. Cllr. Haugh said that she did not agree with that and that it would be impossible to find a time that suited everyone.

Shelter opposite the Golf Club

Cllr. Haugh circulated a picture of the shelter opposite the golf club and asked that Derek would have a look at it with a view to demolition.

Seats around Town

Cllr Haugh circulated pictures of some seats around the town that needed to be repaired. A/Town Clerk, Siobhán Curran advised that the seasonal contract workers are working their way around carrying out repairs on the seats around the town.

Ladder at Edmunds Point

Cllr. Martin asked for the ladder to be replaced at Edmunds Point.

Courthouse

Cllr. Lardner requested that a letter would be sent to A.M.A.I requesting financial support to carry out works to upgrade the courthouse in Kilkee.

Burns Cove

Cllr. Nolan thanked the Town Engineer for work carried out at Burns Cove shelter and asked that he would consider putting a railing in place to improve the access.

As there was no further business the meeting concluded.

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