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AGM Minutes |
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The meeting was attended by 58 residents. Committee members on the platform were: Babs Coleman (Treasurer), Teresa Knowles, Les Asquith and Peter Widdop (President).
The President opened the meeting soon after 6 p.m. by welcoming all subscription payers and non-payers together with any newcomers attending for the first time.
He thanked Peter Barnard for auditing the Statement of Accounts and John Tandy for his general help during the recent period of burglaries. He then outlined the agenda for the meeting.
Approval of the minutes of the A.G.M. held on 24 November 2008.
The minutes were taken as read and deemed to be correct by those present.
Matters arising from the minutes.
There was only one item regarding work not carried out by the Mayor in 2008/2009 and the President indicated this would be covered in his report.
Financial Report.
In simple terms, the Entidad, during the accounting period, had received 1220 euros and spent 1134 euros. This leaves 2115 euros at the bank to cater for any possible unforeseens.
Up to the end of the accounting period (31 July 2009), 41 members had paid their subscriptions and since 1 August 2009 a further 13 have contributed. The President considered that a total of 54 payers out of 99 was a not an unreasonable return given that contributions are now not mandatory and he thanked those who had paid.
The President pointed out that in addition to the expenditure up to 31 July 2009, a further 308 euros would be spent on certain items before the due date for 2009/2010 subscriptions. Notably amongst these are maintenance payments to Barry Sylvestre and other sundries.
The list of actions for 2009/2010 was presented:
1. To ensure that all outstanding items brought to the Mayor’s attention in 2008/2009 are dealt with satisfactorily in 2009/2010. (Cost to us: 0 euros).
2. To continue to employ Barry Sylvestre for six hours per month. (For those unaware, Barry’s work includes weed killing on the highway, cutting back overhanging branches where dangerous and/or impeding vision, sweeping up highway debris, special sweeping and clearance at the basura, maintaining the irrigation to the basura area and to the landscaped area at La Rota/Penyes Roges junction, burning quemador material on a regular basis, painting and any other works deemed necessary to enhance the general condition and appearance of El Capso). (Cost to us 75 euros per month).
3. To provide and fix street nameplates especially at junctions. (Cost to us 100 euros).
4. To vigorously encourage the Mayor to negotiate a new refuse collection contract to provide an improved service for the residents of El Capsó. (Cost to us 0 euros).
5. To ensure that any new development (highways, Eco Park, industrial estate, etc. does not impact disbenificially to the residents of El Capsó. (Cost to us 0 euros).
The cost of the list of actions in a full year (1000 euros), plus the expenditure August to October 2009 (308 euros), prompted the President to request that the subscription level be maintained at 30 euros per household in 2009/2010. He then asked for the approval of members to the list of actions being carried out with the necessary funding from subscriptions, which would remain at 30 euros per household. This proposal was approved overwhelmingly by a show of hands.
President’s Report.
The report was largely for the information of members and covered a range of items. There were several questions put to those on the platform and the information provided, together with answers given and outcomes are shown below :
Drainage. Pereto, acting as the Town Hall’s contractor, are laying sewerage pipes from the campo to the cemetery entrance. Properties with frontages on Dels Plans will be able, at cost, to be connected to mains drainage should the owners wish it. It will also be possible for some of the properties that back on to the north side of La Rota to connect as well. At the present time, only seven properties with frontages on Dels Plans and potentially four on La Rota may be connected. Each property owner will pay for the cost of an average connection plus a Town Hall licence of 350 euros. The connection will end at the highway boundary with costs of connecting to each individual’s foul water outlet within the property from the boundary to be additionally borne by each property owner.
The property owners primarily concerned on Dels Plans are Messrs. Wallace, Day, Ward, Osman, Petherbridge, McNamara and Weiss. Those concerned on La Rota are Messrs. Steiner, (Sylvia), Metcalf and Scully. Pereto are currently apportioning costs to each property affected and some help is being given to the property owners regarding explanations of what is to be done, particularly by Les Asquith. Work on laying the new sewerage pipes and the provision of connections will continue during November 2009. Pete Smith stated that a substantial amount of money was paid by El Capso residents to the Town Hall and felt that residents should see a larger proportion of it being spent on them.
In addition, plans to connect another 27 properties in Penyes Roges (17), La Rota (6) and Dels Plans (4) to mains drainage have been presented to members of your Committee and subsequent to the A.G.M. a meeting was arranged with the Mayor to further progress those plans. It seems mostly likely that the Mayor would be persuaded to apply for grant to Valencia to secure the construction costs to connect the 27 properties to mains drainage. No construction would take place before the latter half of 2010 and the 27 property owners would have several weeks to decide what course to take as grant application would not take place before February 2010. The Committee has decided to write to each of the 27 property owners who would be affected by the proposals in the very near future.
Post Situation. Most people have suffered from a lack of service during the last two months or so. It was reported that the situation was temporary and that a normal service is now back in operation, especially as staff shortages due to illness and other reasons are now over. A letter of complaint was generated and sent to the main post office in Alicante but no communication by way of a reply has been received.
Quemador. The Eco-Park is not now a reality until the middle of 2010 according to the Mayor. In the meantime, Barry Sylvestre, on our behalf, continues to burn garden rubbish on Wednesdays between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., weather permitting.
Cemetery. All works to the cemetery and its entrance are due to finish on 31 December 2009. It is understood that there will be about thirty parking spaces allocated in front of the cemetery. Trees will also be planted, but Tony Lemm asked if there would be cemetery lighting. The President undertook to raise this with the Mayor. At a subsequent meeting the Mayor indicated that the lighting would be switched off after 8 p.m. and a promise was made to keep the lighting to a minimum at all times.
Security. Four houses in Penyes Roges were subject to either burglary or attempted burglary with property damage during October 2009. The liaison role with the Guardia Civil was undertaken by John Tandy on our behalf and he arranged for a locksmith to secure the properties where appropriate. The properties in question were not alarmed and it reminds everyone to be vigilant and especially watchful when neighbours are known to be absent.
Industrial Estate. There are still potential proposals for the site of the new Orba Industrial Estate to be located somewhere close to the new cemetery. It seems that the opposition party in Orba want it to be close to town, rather than off the Benidoleig Road near the Orba Garden Centre, as the party in power have indicated.
Any proposals are for the long term, but your Committee consider that there must be a strong opposition to it being constructed near the cemetery and will continually lobby the Town Hall to have it built elsewhere, if at all.
A firm of ecological consultants have been engaged by the Mayor to carry out surveys and gauge public opinion regarding a range of proposals for Orba, which include the location of the Industrial Estate. A nine page form issued by the consultants has been acquired, copies of which should be completed by Orba residents either directly or possibly on-line. Your Committee is already in the process of translating the form into English and German with the hope that it will be favourably completed by all El Capsó residents in due course so that there is an overwhelming vote shown locally against building an Industrial estate on our doorstep. Your Committee is also committed to combining with the residents in the adjacent urbanisations of Palmeria and La Plana and is already in discussion with their representatives in pursuit of our common objective.
It will be our main objective to energise and combine the foreign vote in Orba towards removing the possibility of building an Industrial Estate in our line of sight. As this situation develops, it will probably be necessary for all residents to register on the padron. For the moment, expect to receive a copy of the nine-page form with an indication of how to complete it to our favour, within the next two weeks or so.
Election of new Committee Members.
The President reminded the meeting that whilst the people on the platform were sufficiently contented to remain in their jobs for another year, they would have to either seek re-election or withdraw under Entidad rules. The President then asked if anyone wished to stand or if there were any nominations for the roles of President, Secretary, Treasurer and 2 Members. There were no responses. A nomination from the floor was seconded to allow the present post holders to continue for another year and this nomination was generally approved by all present.
Any Other Business.
Mrs. Petherbridge raised the issue of the refuse bins not being emptied regularly whilst Dels Plans was under construction. This would be brought to the Mayor’s attention.
The President thanked all for their attendance and the meeting closed at approximately 7 p.m.
PLEASE SEND YOUR 30 EUROS SUBSCRIPTION TO BABS COLEMAN AT 30 PENYES ROGES OR TO BUZON 130. YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECEIPT.
PAW 5 NOVEMBER 2009
