Minutes of Council meetings- list.:

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS AT MONTHLY MEETING OF THE COBH TOWN COUNCIL, HELD AT CARRIG HOUSE, COBH, ON MONDAY 9^th OCTOBER, 2006

Presiding -                  Cllr. Noirin Doyle, Mayor.

Present -                     Cllrs.P. Whitty, S. Meade, D. Crowley, S. O’Connor,

J. Mulvihill, K. McCarthy, P. Histon, M. Keating.

Officials Present

Ms. M. O’Halloran, Town Manager

Mr. P. Lynch, Town Clerk

Mr. G. O’Hora, Town Engineer
 

In Attendance:- Mr. Peter Sommer, Mayor of Apensen

The meeting commenced with the recitation of  the Lord’s Prayer.

Cllr Doyle welcomed Mayor Sommer to the Meeting. She advised the members that Mayor Sommer was in Cobh  on a private visit and that he was welcome to attend the meeting and observe.

1.                  CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

The following minutes of Council meetings held having been circulated, were adopted as follows:

Monthly meeting        11^th September, 2006               Proposed – Cllr Crowley                                                                                              Seconded – Cllr Mulvihill

Committee meeting     18^th September, 2006 Proposed  - Cllr Mulvihill

Seconded - Cllr Crowley

Matters arising from Minutes.

Cobh Landslide Programme – The Town Manager advised the members that Cork County Council had issued a further letter to the Department in relation to the landslide programme. She stated that in the letter the County Council asked that the Department official dealing with the file would visit Cobh to see the situation.

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Cllr. O’Connor stated he wished to thank the Manager and the Town Clerk for their help to-date and asked that the Manager would follow up on this letter. The Manager stated that she would contact the Department Official again to ensure follow up.

On the proposal of Cllr. O’Connor seconded by Cllr. McCarthy it was agreed that if there was no response from the Department  that the Town Council would arrange for a delegation  to visit the Department to discuss the matter with the relevant  officials.

Litter Audit Committee

The Town Clerk advised the members that Mr Michael Whalley and Ms Paddy Carey had been nominated as members of the committee by the Cobh and Harbour Chamber and Cobh Tidy Towns respectively.

On the proposal of Cllr. Crowley seconded by Cllr. Mulvihill it was agreed that the Town Clerk would write to Ms Brigit O’Driscoll, Green Flag co-ordinator for the Schools in Cobh to invite her to join the committee.

Derelict sites

The Town Clerk advised that a notice had been affixed to the front of 30, Harbour Row on foot of a report prepared by the Town Engineer. He stated that in relation to numbers 1 and 2 Casement Square, he had written to an Auctioneer seeking a valuation of the properties to allow the Council to impose a levy under Derelict Sites Act in relation to these properties. In relation to the notices that had been served in the previous months he stated that he had met with the owner of 5, Pearse Square who had given a commitment to comply with the terms of the notice. He stated that as far as he was aware work had commenced in relation to the work required for that property.

Progress on the Litter Action Plan 2006.-

The Town Clerk advised that the Litter Leaflet had been sent to the Printer that he hoped it would be completed within the next two weeks. He advised that the clean -ups which had been promised were ongoing this week He stated that ten skips had been hired. He stated that he wished to thank those who had sponsored part of the cost of this work. He stated that the two Secondary Schools Transition years had organised a clean up along the front of the Town in the last week.

Cllr Crowley stated that he wished to thank the children for their efforts in ensuring the success of the clean up.

Kerbside collection of recyclable waste

 The Town Clerk advised that the collection of recyclable refuse by the County Council was now fully in place and that he understood that the County Council were due to remove some of the recycling bins from the Bring sites over the next number of weeks.

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Condition of Public Toilet

The Town Clerk stated that it was hoped to start work on painting the public Toilet during the week.

Pool Lease

The Town Clerk advised that the Council’s Solicitors had been asked to arrange a meeting with the solicitors acting on behalf of the Cork County V.E.C. with a view to discussing this matter.

Cllr. McCarthy stated that he had been advised by a member of the public that the family prices for the pool in Youghal were lower than the pool in Cobh. It was agreed that the Town Clerk would examine this issue and report back to the members.  

Parking at Whitepoint

The Town Engineer stated that he intended examining the issue of double yellow lines with a view to making this issue safer.

Pedestrian Crossing at Midleton Street

The Town Engineer stated that a Contractor had been engaged and that it was hoped that this work would start within the next two weeks.

Footpath at West Beach

The Town Clerk advised that a letter had been issued to the owner of no. 5 West Beach. He stated that the owner had advised that the letter had been passed on to the Builder and the Engineer with a view to regularising this matter. The Town Engineer stated that the Contractor was due to carry out repairs to the Footpath close to the Lusitanian Monument at Casement Square in the coming weeks. He stated that the Contractor would look at the condition of the footpath along West Beach close to the Centra supermarket.

Right of Way at Ringacoltig 

The Town Clerk advised that a letter had been issued to the Developer asking him to provide an alternative means of access during the construction process.

Boat and Trailer parked on Bishop Street  

The Town Clerk stated that he intended discussing this matter with the relevant official in the Cork County Council this week.

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Housing Committee

The Town Clerk stated that he had discussed the matter with the Senior Official in Cork County Council who had indicated his willingness to meet with the Sub Committee.

On the proposal of Cllr McCarthy seconded by Cllr O’Connor it was agreed that the Town Clerk would arrange for the next meeting of the Housing Committee to take place on Thursday, 19^th October, 2006 at 3pm.

East Cork Tourism

The Town Clerk stated that he had received a request from East Cork Tourism for a meeting with a Representative from the Council immediately after the Spike Island Conference on Friday, the 13^th October, 2006.   The Town Clerk circulated Correspondence which he had received from East Cork Tourism, Cobh Tourism and Cobh and Harbour Chamber in response to a letter he had issued after the most recent Committee meeting.  It was agreed that the Council would meet in Committee on Monday, 16^th October, 2006 at 6pm to discuss this matter.   It was also agreed that the meting with the representatives from East Cork Tourism would be deferred until after this meeting had taken place.

Cllr. O’Connor raised the issue of a sewerage problem at Lynch’s Quay. He stated that the County Council’s Sanitary Engineer had given a commitment to deal with this matter when the Custom House Development had been completed. The Town Engineer agreed to follow this matter up with the Sanitary Engineer.

Cllr. McCarthy stated that there had been some dumping of Domestic Refuse in the old Town Hall Car Park. The Town Clerk agreed to raise the matter with the Town Foreman.

Cllr. Meade raised the issue about the Footpaths at Moore’s Place, the Town Engineer stated that the work was due to start on this project this week.

Other matters arising were dealt with as appropriate.

2.                   VOTES OF CONDOLENCE

On the proposal of Cllr. Doyle seconded by Cllr. Crowley it was agreed to omit the names from the minutes in future. The members felt that it was possible for the Council to fail to include someone who had died since the previous meeting and that on this basis it was better to omit the names.

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3.                  MANAGERS ORDERS

Cllr’s noted Managers Orders, copies of which have been circulated.

4.                  CORRESPONDENCE

Cork Harbour Forum – A letter from Mr Cathal O’Mahony in relation to the Cork Harbour Forum. The Town Clerk stated that the Forum had invited a member of the Council to participate in future Forum events.

On the proposal of Cllr. Crowley seconded by Cllr. Histon it was agreed that Cllrs. Paddy Whitty and John Mulvihill would represent Cobh Town Council on the Harbour Forum.

2. Notice of Motion    Clones Town Council - marked as read.

3. Notice of Motion    Longford Town Council - marked as read.

5.         OFFICER’S  REPORTS

Nothing raised under this item.

6. COMMITTEE REPORT

a.           Pride of Place Competition

Cllr. Doyle advised the members that she would be attending the Award Ceremony for the Pride of Place Competition in Tullow Co. Carlow on Saturday, 14^th October accompanied by the Town Clerk and the Chief Executive of the Cobh and Harbour Chamber of Commerce. She advised that Cobh had not won its’ category, the town had been shortlisted.

B)          Spike Island Conference

Cllr Whitty reminded the members that the first annual Spike Island Conference was due to be held on Thursday 12^th and Friday 13^th October.

C)          AMAI

Cllr. Mulvihill stated that he had been elected on to the National Committee of the AMAI  for the next twelve months.

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7)         ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Condition of Fascias and soffits at Sarsfield Hogan Place – The Town Engineer to discuss with Town Foreman.

Railing for Steps from  Albert Terrace, to Connolly Street – The Town Engineer to examine.

Cul-de-sac Signs at Albert Terrace, - The Town Engineer to examine.

Condition of sewer at Westbourne Place - The Town Engineer stated that the County Council was aware of the situation.

Litter Bin close to new retail Development at Ticknock – The Town Engineer to examine.

Local Bus service – The Town Clerk stated that he had forwarded a submission to the Department some months previously and that he had sent a reminder to the Department as he had not received any Correspondence from the Department in this regard.  He stated that he was aware that the Operator had contacted the Department directly with a view to setting up a meeting.

Cllr Doyle stated that she had been advised that it had been reported at the Chamber Meeting that the Town Council was holding up this process. It was agreed that the Town Clerk would seek clarification to this matter.

Condition of Burma Steps - The Town Clerk to raise with the Town Foreman.

Cul-de-sac Signs for Estates in the Town – the Town Engineer stated that these were on order and would be erected as soon as they would be available .

Proposed Marina – The Town Clerk to raise the matter with the Council’s Solicitors.

Condition of road way in Assumption Place – the Town Engineer to examine.

On the proposal of Cllr Mulvihill seconded by Cllr. Meade it was agreed to host a Civic Reception for people from the town of Cobh who had been involved in the recent Special Olympics Ireland competition in Belfast.

This concluded the business of the meeting.  

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CATHAOIRLEACH

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TOWN CLERK

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