1. Deimhniú Miontuairiscí
To consider the confirmation and signing of the Minutes of the Meeting held on 15th December 2014.
Proposed and seconded.
Matters arising:
Cllr D’Alton: We had asked for an update on the proposed route of the N28 at the last meeting. Some of us attended the public exhibition at the Carrigaline Court Hotel on 15th December where the preferred route was shown. The people of Ringaskiddy are very unhappy with this latest preferred route. The previously agreed route ran to the south of the peninsula. This latest proposal has the route running along that of the pylons, thereby cutting Ringaskiddy village in two. The people of Ringaskiddy have waited for so long for a road to take heavy vehicles out of the village. Now they may get one, but at a very high social cost. Some of us elected reps had written to the National Roads Office when the route options were being prepared asking that the route would not run along the line of the pylons because of the social cost to Ringaskiddy village. We were very disappointed to see that our request had not been heeded. Apparently the reason the new route is being chosen is cost and ecology. Asks that we write as a Municipal District to the NRA stating our concerns about the potential social impact of this preferred route on the village of Ringaskiddy.
Also to ask whether the Area Engineer has spoken with the Garda Sergeant in Passage West about the double yellow lines on Strand Street.
Cllr McGrath (FF): Supports what Cllr D’Alton suggests in relation to the proposed route of the upgraded N28. There are clearly issues with it. There have been two significant changes from the previously agreed route. One concerns the quarry/Fernhill Golf Club and the other is at the Ringaskiddy end. The preferred route is much closer to the village and close also to a new school site. Supports that we would write to the NRA and express our concerns.
Cllr Collins (FG): The proposal for 30 km/h speed restrictions in 5 pilot estates – how far along are we with this?
Maurice Manning (MM): All Municipal Districts have come up with the list of pilot estates at this stage. Not sure where it goes now. Definitely has to go to public consultation. Will check out and report back.
2. Consideration of Reports and Recommendations:
3. General Municipal Allocation.
MM: Before the next meeting takes place, we are likely to be advertising for groups to apply to the general grant scheme. New grants schemes/forms will come before full Council meeting next week. There will be 3 separate schemes (capital grants, replacing Community Grants scheme), Amenity Grants and Community Contracts. All of these will be funded from the GMA. We will advertise early in February giving groups a month to respond. Hope to make allocations in March or early April. Any groups that would have got ongoing funding from TCs will be required to make applications again.
Closing date of early February applies to ALL groups – Francis, Dawn and otherwise.
Cllr Canty (FG): Will there be an even playing field between Ballincollig which never had a Town Council and Passage West which did?
MM: It is a general allocation. When the budget was approved, the GMA was increased. It is based on the population and the number of members per municipal district. It is evenly distributed.
Cllr. D’Alton (Ind): Believes Cllr Canty is asking that if 8 groups which always were funded from the Town Council are seeking funding, they will be guaranteed it but if another 8 groups from Ballincollig are seeking funding, because they never had a Town Council are they equally certain of receiving funding?
MM: Yes, there will be enough in the GMA to go around.
4. Cork County Council Litter Management Plan 2014
MM: Making of a litter management plan is a reserve function of the Municipal District. The next step is to advertise it, invite submissions.
Cllr Canty (FG): Are we going to get any extra litter wardens?
MM: There is no question of taking on additional litter wardens. The litter function might be delegated to additional staff within the municipal district.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): When we advertise it and invite public submission, will we be referring the public to the draft Litter Management Plan that has been circulated today? What is the status of this document?
MM: Suppose we will be. It has been approved by the Environment SPC.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): This was brought before the SPC before the election?
MM: My understanding is that it was discussed at the January SPC meeting.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): But there was no discussion at all about it. It wasn’t even presented.
Cllr McGrath (FF): Frustrating because we are to make a litter management plan with no additional litter wardens. Had lots of complaints about the state of Carrigaline town over Christmas. Have to back the litter plan up with resources.
Cllr O’Laoghaire (SF): Objectives laid out in the shorter document make sense. In general, shares the concerns that increasingly local authorities are looking to the community to take up work that the local authority is not doing. Public expected an improvement in local services with the LPT and this is the kind of thing they expected the Council to do. This weekend, people contacted him about litter blackspots.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): If the public submissions indicate that, for example, the way to deal with Objective 3 on advertising hoardings, is to put up a central advertising noticeboard in the town and, will it be the Municipal District’s GMA that will pay for it or will the county fund pay for it?
MM: The intention with the GMA is that it would look after grants. The Town Development Fund could perhaps help with litter. There isn’t agreement yet on what the level of funding from the pay parking dividend will be but this will be additional to the Town Development Fund. There is no particular litter budget. There is a certain budget for clean ups but that covers individual areas and litter pickups that might be done in those areas.
Town Development Fund is for towns within the MD. The pay parking fund is additional. So if we have an idea under litter control that we think might be worh advancing, we can potentially fund it under the Town Development Fund.
Cllr O’Laoghaire (SF): Thought the GMA was for more than the grants.
MM: Correct. If members want to spend the GMA on other things, that can be done. Members may wish to take a different view. As of now, if the intention is to offer the 3 grant schemes that we have operated in the past and we get a sufficient number of quality applications, there may be little GMA left.
The elected members may make submissions to the Litter Management Plan also.
5. Chun na Ruin so leanas ón gComhairleoir a mheas:
To consider the following Notices of Motion in the name of:
Cllr S McGrath:
1) To request a written update on the commitment to progress with the Lehenaghbeg / Lehenaghmore Road Improvement Scheme design work.
Municipal District Officer (MDO): Road design office will prepare tender documents for the design to go out to consultants. Got a reply back to this motion from the Road Design Office at the end of the week. Will circulate to all Members. Road lining has been done by the Area Engineer. This will be finished when the weather improves.
Cllr McGrath (FF): It is disappointing to hear that the tender hasn’t commenced at this stage. Thanks the Area Engineer for the work done – residents are grateful but they ask for an on site visit also please.
Cllr O’Laoghaire (SF): Supports what Cllr McGrath has said. Regrettable that the design has not started already. Welcome that there are markings done. A number of other interim things were discussed at the residents’ meeting with the Executive – cats eyes in particular.
Cllr O’Donnabhain (FF): Asked about salt/grit storage close to Lehenaghmore.
Area Engineer (AE): Rochestown is the nearest salt/grit depot. You can take it for granted that roads are salted at this time of year when it is necessary. But if the residents want more, estates can apply for salt bins which for a sum of €50 will be supplied full of salt.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): The meeting between the residents and the Executive was on the 10th November. That’s two months ago. Not familiar with the detail that is involved in the preparation of the tender but as the Members are all in agreement as to how badly infrastructure is needed in the area, could they write as a group to the Roads Design Office to remind them of the urgency of the project.
AE: They really are working on it in the design office in Ballincollig. There is much liaison between many departments in the CCC involved in the preparation of the tender. Assures that this tender preparation really is underway.
She has been talking to a contractor about cat’s eyes but it is better to have a meeting with the residents before advancing these further.
2) To receive a briefing from the Engineer on the maintenance of Cemeteries.
Cllr McGrath (FF): Has received a number of complaints (over the summer and in relation to the cemetery in Douglas recently) about the appearance of cemeteries. Would like information so as to be better able to help constituents.
AE: There are 3 cemeteries in the Municipal District (St James, Ballinrea and Douglas) with a permanent caretaker in residence. We will be putting a maintenance contract in place for the upkeep of the rest of the cemeteries (Ballygarvan, Passage West and some from Ballincollig). Department caretakers would also take on duties in the bigger cemeteries but they wouldn’t be there permanently. So most of the work in Passage West or Carrigaline would be picked up by private contractors.
Cllr Canty (FG): Ballincollig is a lawn cemetery. It used to have a permanent caretaker but no more. The rules now seem to be relaxing because of the absence of the caretaker. Asks that the AE would have a look at it.
Cllr O’Laoghaire (SF): Signage at St Oliver’s where it says Relig is mis-spelt in a few places.
AE: We are investigating the option of using the Gateway staff for cemetery maintenance.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): Does the maintenance contract cover older graveyards such as the Old Church Cemetery in Passage West?
AE: No, older graveyards like PW are not included but issues there will be considered on a case by case basis.
3) To request that a cleanup be carried out on the public walkway between Ardcarrig and Mount Rivers estates.
Cllr McGrath (FF): Is aware that this is outside the Municipal District but it is in a very poor state.
AE: We are aware of it and are going to get it cleaned.
6. Aon Ghnó Eile
Any Other Business
Cllr Desmond (FF): Douglas pay parking – knows there is work being done on this at the moment. But recent reports show that 1 in 5 parking fines and half the Southern Division parking fines are from Douglas. On average, there are 47 parking fines a week in Douglas. We are 12 months on from when the Transport SPC was to revise this. Asks that the Municipal District would write to the SPC to encourage them to move the matter forward.
Also from Council meeting last Monday, we would like this Municipal District to put forward that Cork County Council would pass a resolution to reject the Minister’s notice of intent in relation to the CDP. This will go to full Council on Monday.
Cllr D’Alton (Ind): Supports both of Cllr Desmond’s suggestions. Attended the last Transport SPC where pay parking policy was being discussed. Strongly supports that this Municipal District would ask full Council to make a resolution in relation to the Minister’s Direction. Had wanted to raise a motion to request that signage in the Municipal District, particularly on the back roads, would be cleaned. Some is very dirty at present. Would this be possible? Aware that the last cleaning took place about 2 years ago. Could we at least start a programme of cleaning?
AE: Is aware of this issue. Hoping to use Gateway staff for this task. But it will be some time before they are organised to do so – training and equipment are necessary. So yes, it will be done, but not immediately.
Cllr McGrath (FF): Supports Cllr Desmond’s suggestions. This is mid way in January – we are waiting on policy for pay parking since last February. Supports that we highlight our annoyance at the ongoing delay. Also trees in Raffeen – raised it before – but we have had high winds recently and the issue keeps coming up. Knows the AE said it was actively being pursued.
AE: Is meeting the contractor about the removal of the dangerous trees tomorrow afternoon.
MDO: In relation to the recent report on parking fines, 1,276 parking notices related to play and display. The others were for illegal parking or road traffic offences. So there were under 5 notices/day for pay and display. There were 117,802 pay and display tickets purchased over the same period. So 1% of tickets purchased resulted in fines.
Cllr O’Laoghaire (SF): Draft policy was discussed by the SPC. Could we have a copy and comment? Understands that the policy has a start point of the financial advantages that can be gained from pay parking.
MM: No. That will delay things further. New policy is being drawn up and will be presented to them next week or so. At the end of the month if the SPC cannot decide on all-county policy, it will have to revert back to the Municipal Districts to take their own decision.
Cllr Murphy (SF): Would like to pass a vote of congratulations to Daniela Burke who won a cap in Irish U16 ladies team.