Minutes of the March Meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on Monday 1st March 2010, at the Sweeney Memorial Library, Kilkee

Cathaoirleach sa Cathair

• Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan

I Láthair

• Cllr. P. Collins
• Cllr. B. Keane Cllr. PJ. Lardner
• Cllr. M. Owens
• Cllr. E. Haugh Hayes
• Cllr. K. Reilly
• Cllr. C. Haugh

I Láthair

• N. Kaye, Acting Director of Services Housing and Social Policy,
• J. Corry, Acting Town Clerk

Minutes of the February monthly Meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on Monday 1st February 2010 at 8.00 p.m. at the Sweeney Memorial Library, Kilkee.

Cllr C. Haugh asked the Town Manager if any decision had been made with regard to resuming street cleaning at weekends.

N. Kaye said that she expected that it would resume possibly in May.

It was suggested by the Members that street cleaning be carried out on Easter weekend as a once off until the service resumed again during the holiday season.

N. Kaye indicated that she would examine the possibility of same.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan raised a query regarding the diverting of the water at Allender’s Field that was causing the gravel on the tracks to be washed away.  She said she would be concerned if the river through the field was diverted away.

J. Corry indicated that he had discussed with the Town Foreman a solution to diverting the storm water away from the pathways in Allender’s Field and that there was no suggestion of diverting the river as all that was being proposed was diverting the surface storm water.

Cllr. P. Collins queried if there was any update with regard to the wildlife ranger attending a meeting of Kilkee Town Council, to update the members with regard to implications of the revised Special Area of Conversation around Kilkee.

N. Kaye indicated that she would discuss same with planning in advance of the next meeting.

J. Corry updated the members with regard to the amount of NPPR charge collected for the Kilkee area since 01/11/2009.  He indicated that there was 1,051 properties for which a charge had been collected amounting to a total of €212,460 up to 21/02/2010.  He added that these charges had been collected for the Kilkee area at large and not just for the Town Council administrative area.

N. Kaye indicated that the letter, which was sent to the Members by the Head of Finance, indicated that this was a national scheme, which was administered by County Councils.

J. Corry indicated that in accordance with the regulations that as Kilkee Town Council was a former Town Commissioner that they would not be entitled to directly receive the charge from Clare County Council.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan asked if the Town Council could ask Clare County Council that some of the monies collected could be reinvested in Kilkee as a gesture.

J. Corry suggested that perhaps that this could be raised at the information sessions for the Councillors to be held in Ennis, which would be attended, by both the County Manager and the Head of Finance.

This was agreed by the Members.

The minutes were proposed by Cllr C. Haugh and seconded by Cllr. K. Reilly.

Presentation to Elected Members on the Draft Clare County Development Plan 2011 – 2017

Cllr. P. Collins updated the Members with regard to the Planning, Land Use and Transportation SPC meeting on the 1st of February 2010, which he was the nominated member to attend for Kilkee Town Council.

B. McCarthy, Senior Executive Planner gave a presentation to the Members on the Draft County Development plan 2011 – 2017. He advised that there were 5 volumes to the plan, i.e. Text; Maps; Strategic & Environmental Assessment; Record of Protected Structures and Wind Energy Strategy, which comprised a very large document, and therefore same would be circulated to the members on CD.  He distributed a disc containing the draft plan to each of the members.

Cllr P. Collins queried as to how easy it was to have a protected structure included or removed from the Development plan.

B. McCarthy indicated that they could be included or removed at the stage that the development plan was being prepared and that proposal should be submitted by 6th of April i.e. closing date for submissions for the County Development plan.

N. Kaye indicated that going forward that the policies for all plans would be contained in the County Development Plan as opposed to having same in each of the Area Plans. She added that Area Plans would not contain policies but rather zoning maps etc.

The Members & N. Kaye both thanked B. McCarthy and indeed all the planners for all the work that they had done in preparing the draft County Development Plan.

Boundary Extension

N. Kaye indicated that the draft report on the proposed Boundary Extension had been circulated to the Members at the last meeting and if they had any comments that they were to bring same forward to the March meeting of the Council.

Cllr. P. Collins queried if Burns Cove & Georges Head should be included in the proposed extension.

N. Kaye indicated that if there were monies available to Clare County Council to carry out improvements to these locations that same would not be available to Kilkee Town Council if these areas were taken over by Kilkee Town Council in the proposed boundary extension. She added that she would check same once again with the Planners to see if they had any queries with regard to same, and that she would update the Members at the next meeting. 

Allender’s Field

J Corry indicated that it was suggested at the last months meeting that a monthly meeting be held with the Kilkee Tidy Towns committee regarding Allender’s Field.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan confirmed that a meeting of Kilkee Tidy Towns would be taking place on Wednesday night and that she would come back to the Town Clerk regarding any issues or suggestions raised at that meeting which could then be discussed at the next monthly meeting as Allender’s Field would be a recurring item on the agenda for monthly meetings.

J. Corry indicated that the Head Gardner in Vandeleur Walled Garden was continuing to supervise and inspect the field. He suggested that funds had been secured from Clare County Council for Allender’s Field and that he would be discussing with the Gardner i.e. planting another flower bed.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan suggested that the Tidy Town’s committee could also look at planting another flower bed.

J. Corry indicated to the members that the infrastructure was in place to have Allender’s Field lit up.  He added that he would follow up with the ESB to see what needed to be done to have the lighting connected and as to how much same would cost.

Beach Bye Laws

J. Corry confirmed that the draft beach bye laws would be going on display for public consultation on 12th March and that they would be on public display until 12th of April.

Cllr. P. Collins suggested that the Strand Races should be specifically included as an exemption in the Beach Bye Laws.  He also suggested that an amendment be included to the times at which horses and dogs were allowed on the beach.

Fix date for an information session and tour of Aras Chontae an Chlair

Same was fixed for Wednesday 7th of April at 12.30 pm.  N. Kaye indicated that an agenda would be sent around to everyone.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan suggested that the question of Kilkee Town Council making a case for NPPR funding collected from properties in Kilkee be spent in Kilkee should be made with either the Head of Finance or the County Manager at that meeting.

Notice of Motion submitted by Cllr. P. Collins

“Could Clare County Council please inform Kilkee Town Council what works it intends to carry out to the Court House to protect it from further deterioration”.

Cllr. P. Collins suggested that he raised this Notice of Motion, as he understood that the Courthouse in Kilkee was a protected structure.  He added that on checking the list in the Draft County Development Plan that it was not on that list and he was querying how same had been removed from that list.

N. Kaye said that there were two lists i.e. a Protected Structure list and a Listed Buildings lists. She said she was not sure if the listed buildings were included in the County Development Plan and she added that she would check same.

Cllr. P. Collins said that he would like a reply to same for the next meeting.

N. Kaye said that letters of support should be sought from as many of the organisations in Kilkee i.e. Kilkee Tidy Town’s, Civic Trust, Chamber of Commerce etc. who could possibly use the courthouse, which in turn would strengthen the case for the improvement of the courthouse in Kilkee.

She added that she had made every effort to try and have the courthouse utilised as the temporary home for the library in Kilkee whilst the library was being refurbished so that some improvement works would have to be carried out to same.

She felt that the more voluntary organisations that came on board the better.  She added that there may be funding available from different grants however she added that unfortunately that as Clare County Council were so strapped for cash that no funding would be available from them.

It was agreed that Kilkee Town Council would write to the various organisations that might use the courthouse i.e. the Tidy Town’s, the Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Trust, the GAA, the Drama Group, Active Retirement etc., to try and get these organisations to make a case for the continued use of the courthouse which in turn could then be used to try and make a case for funding to carry out improvements to same, on a phased basis.

Correspondence

Cllr L. Marrinan Sullivan suggested when discussing head shops that letters of support would not be much good here as there was a wider issue.  There was a discussion on same.

N. Kaye indicated that the bill, which was sent to, the DoEHLG for damage to local and non national roads in the County was for €11 million. She added that it was unlikely that Clare County Council would be fully compensated for same

Cllr. P. Collins asked should Kilkee Town Council have their own Litter Management Plan.

J. Corry indicated that only Towns, which were rating authorities, would be preparing their own Litter Management Plans

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan mentioned the dog soiling which was taking place outside the school.  She indicated that it was appalling.

Cllr. K. Reilly agreed.

J. Corry indicated that he would get the Community Warden in Kilrush to carry out a number of inspections for dog soiling and he could take photographs etc.

 A.O.B.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan asked the Town Clerk to write to Mary Halpin, Teach De Paor, Gort Road, Ennis as she had heard strong rumours that it was only a matter of time before the Acute Psychiatric Unit in Ennis was removed to Limerick.  She wanted a letter to be sent out to either confirm or deny that.  She was looking for the support of all the Councillors for this letter to be sent.  This was agreed to by the Members.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan suggested that a letter be sent from Kilkee Town Council to the Kilmurry Ibrickane Footballers to wish them all the best in the upcoming All Ireland Final.

Cllr P. Collins suggested that a letter wishing Amphitheatre the best of luck in their shows be sent.

Cllr. E. Haugh Hayes mentioned that she has gone on a recent trip to Hook Head to try and promote the Loop Head tourist centre and she said that it was very worthwhile and that there was a great determination to see the Loop Head project succeed, which would be of great benefit to Kilkee.

Cllr E. Haugh Hayes raised letter to the editor in Clare Champion regarding lack of accommodation in Kilrush and she indicated that she was very disappointed with it.

Cllr. L. Marrinan Sullivan indicated that Kilrush and Kilkee and indeed all West Clare needed to work together and benefit each other for the improvement of West Clare.  She indicated that as they were all working together on the West Clare Economic Task Force that they needed to have a unified approach.

J. Corry indicated that the two towns working together would be the best way forward for the benefit of both towns.

N. Kaye suggested that there needed to be positive publicity with what the West Clare Economic Task Force was achieving.

Cllr K. Reilly raised a query regarding double yellow lines put in front of 3 new houses built near the school which was resulting in difficulties because of a lack of parking in front of the school.

J. Corry indicated that he would check same with the Town Engineer.

As there was no further business the meeting concluded.
Cathaoirleach
A/Town Clerk