Steinmeyer Legacy Interim Committee
Meeting at 7.15 p.m. on Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Comrie Parish Church Annex
MINUTES
1. Attending: Colin Sears, Gordon McCartney; Ian Pinkerton; Jane Reid; Jimmy Laing; Joan Carmichael; John King; Joyce Carnegie; Judy McDowall; Leigh Doy; Mairi Philp; Murray Lauchlan; Stephanie Cameron; Vicki Cottrell; Andrew Reid;
2. Apologies: George Lees; Alan Laing; Ken Heiser; Lynn Duke, Amanda Laing
3. Minutes of Meeting 24.1.17 – noted that Joyce Carnegie had proposed Murray Lauchlan as Interim Committee Chair – otherwise, the minutes were accepted as accurate.
4. Survey
a. Draft
Two separate draft surveys had been circulated before the meeting. Murray Lauchlan explained that both were designed to encourage people in the community of all ages to express their own personal views about the use of the legacy funds without any form of restriction or direction from the interim committee.
Judy McDowall felt that full addresses should be requested in whatever final survey form was adopted. It was agreed to be important to try and establish where respondents live in the village, both in order to be able to identify where certain issues are arising, and in case the legacy group wants to get back to individuals about their proposals. It was also agreed to ask for people’s age on the survey form, so that the views of older people and other age groups can be separately identified. On the basis that only one survey form would be delivered to each household but may involve completion by several people, the survey form should also ask for some details, e.g. age about each person involved in completing the form.
John King asked what definition of “elderly” is to be used – does this relate to actual age, or needs related to issues such as mobility? It is essential that the survey form reaches people who are unable to get away from home. Ian Pinkerton did not think it was necessary to settle on age brackets. Joan Carmichael wanted the form kept as simple as possible. Joyce Carnegie, Leigh Doy and Stephanie Cameron all supported the use of a survey form, which would be simple and easy to engage with, and having a single box for people to set out their views and ideas in whatever way they want. It was agreed that all households should certainly receive a delivery of the survey form, with people of all ages encouraged to complete it.
Colin Sears asked about the comments which had already been made by individuals, including his own, and submitted after the details of the legacy became public. Andrew Reid said that he had gathered up everything that had come to him from the CDT office and summarised it in the paper which had been circulated to everyone at the first Interim Committee meeting. Joan Carmichael suggested that these early comments should be taken account of alongside other comments made during the consultation process.
b. Accompanying letter and Survey Format
It was agreed that page 1 of the survey form should be a letter from the Interim Committee providing background information, inviting people to complete the survey on page two of the paper, and saying briefly how the survey would be used. It would then be possible to use most of the second page space for people to write their views and proposals. Jimmy Laing suggested that there should be a single simple question at the top of the box space. It was agreed that the final contents of the letter and survey form would require agreement via email by interim committee members.
c. Delivery arrangements
It was agreed that all of the group members would take on a delivery round to an allocated area of the village and the glens, with a survey form delivered to every house – about 1,500. The letter and survey should be distributed during the week beginning 6 March, so that people would receive their survey form in advance of the public meeting on Tuesday 14 March.
d. Individual support
Joyce Carnegie spoke of the need to think outside of the box about how some people are isolated in rural communities, and might need support to complete the survey questions. Jimmy Laing also highlighted the importance of offering assistance with filling in the survey form, and that there needed to be a list of volunteers available to provide this help, with a phone number available to people wanting to make this request. Jane Reid’s offer to take messages on her home number was accepted by the group, and offers of volunteering came from Joan Carmichael, John King, Judy McDowall, Jimmy Laing and Jane Reid.
e. Agency meetings
John King suggested the need to involve staff at Comrie Medical Centre. Murray Lauchlan and Stephanie Cameron offered to meet with them. It was agreed to pursue this after the initial community consultation, as it was important for people in the village to have their say and make decisions, but also appropriate to look for discussions with health and care professionals about proposals coming from the consultation, which are particularly relevant to them.
f. Survey deadline
It was agreed that survey forms should be returned by Tuesday 28 March.
g. Collection arrangements – location
It was agreed to try and arrange for form collection boxes to be located in the Medical Centre, Post Office, Primary School, White Church, The Parish Church, Hansen’s Kitchen, Butchers and Chemist.
5. Public meeting
a. Date
It was agreed to hold the public meeting from 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 14 March if the White Church is available that evening.
b. Transport
It was noted that some people might need transport to attend the public meeting, it was agreed that enquiries should be made about the availability of the Coco bus. Requests for assistance with transport could be made through the same phone number as for requests for individual support with survey form filling.
c. Presentation
It was agreed that the public meeting should start with a short presentation, given by Murray Lauchlan, as Chair of the Interim Committee. This should present background information and give details of the legacy, as well as explaining about the group discussions, and the vital importance of ensuring that all present are given a chance to have their say.
d. Discussion group arrangements
It was anticipated that Interim Committee members would chair the discussion group sessions at the public meeting, and that arrangements would include note taking and report back from each discussion group to all of those attending.
e. Legacy group elections
Joan Carmichael raised the need for volunteers to be identified to become members of the formal Legacy Group, and that the public meeting provided an opportunity to elect people to the Legacy Group.
f. Sound system
It was noted that the White Church has a sound system available with microphones which can be used for a starter presentation and by groups reporting back on their discussions
g. Other group meetings
Joan Carmichael made the point that some people, including certain older people, would not get to a public meeting during the evening. This would become clearer through the attendance and numbers at the public meeting. Joyce Carnegie suggested that a second meeting could be held on an subsequent afternoon, if a need was identified for this. Stephanie Cameron thought that a drop-in session for people to come and put forward their ideas might be useful. It was proposed that the Silver Circle, the Sing-Along Group, the50+ group and the tenants at Cameron Court should be provided with batches of survey forms and asked to give some time over to a legacy discussion, and to come back with the ideas from those sessions.
6. Publicity
It was agreed that the survey and public meeting should be publicised via posters in the various village locations, including notice boards, shops and library (Judy McDowall has the key for the display box at the south end of Dalginross), as well as online through the Comrie Community Website and Comrie Facebook page. It might be possible to arrange for a flyer to be taken home by children from the Primary School. Lynn Duke had asked to be kept in touch, and there should be contact with Lynn about an article in the Strathearn Herald.
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7. Draft Work Programme
Murray Lauchlan indicated his view that there was no deadline as yet for the consultation period. The important principle was to ensure an inclusive approach, with whatever time was necessary. Ian Pinkerton said that the relative merits of different proposals should come after views had become known through the consultation process.
Andrew Reid suggested that the survey contents and notes of views expressed at the public meeting and in discussion groups should be brought together and collated, with some analysis by age, gender and home address. The results should be set out in a brief report, which should be available for a second round of consultations. It might be that all of the different ideas would come together under a number of themes or main proposals, which people in the community could be asked to put into order ranked by their individual preferences. However, any second consultation would depend on the comments made in the first round.
8. Communications
a. email address
It was agreed that the interim committee should establish its own email address, available to all committee members.
b. BBC
It was noted that BBC journalist, Elizabeth Quigley, had been trying to make contact with the Interim Committee and was looking for an update report on developments with the legacy.
c. Future enquiries – contact arrangements
It was noted that the interim committee would need to arrange some regular contact arrangements to enable communications both with local people and others from elsewhere.
d. Printing
It was agreed that any printing costs for surveys etc, such as paper and printer cartridges, should be claimed as expenses by anyone carrying out agreed printing work.
9. Finance – budget
Judy McDowall had made arrangements with Bob Hughes, CDT Treasurer, to discuss financial arrangements for the legacy committee work. It was understood that CDT would require two signatories from the legacy committee and also invoices and receipts related to money paid out. It was anticipated that the bank interest coming from the legacy fund would be more than sufficient for any anticipated committee expenses.
10. Next meeting – Date and Venue
6.00 p.m. Friday 10 March at the Church Annex
The meeting should focus on finalising the arrangements for the public meeting
Steinmeyer Legacy Consultation Timetable – March 2017
6th To 12th 10th 14th 28th
6.00 p.m. 7.30 p.m.
Letter/Survey Delivery Village Organisation Discussions Interim Committee Meeting Public Meeting Survey Return Deadline
Every House Church Annex White Church
Minutes the Inaugural Meeting 19 January 2017
Minutes of the Interim Committee 24 January 2017
Minutes of the Interim Committee 8 February 2017
