(Minute Secretary)

P Copland welcomed everyone.

Apologies: E Hughes

None

3.1 (3.1)(3.6)  MUGA (Multi-use Games Arena)

Bill Buchan and Gordon Bell had a meeting at the MUGA about a month ago.  Bill Buchan said that he had been given the keys to switch the MUGA lights on and off.  He said that, to ensure that the lights cannot be left on, trip switches need to be set.  The lights have to be aligned.  P Copland asked if Bill Buchan could pursue this.  Bill Buchan said that he would contact Alan Bisset.

One of the snags has now been attended to – the bolts can go down so it can be closed.  (Thanks to David Brisland for his help.)  Bill Buchan said that they did ask Alan Bisset if we can get it made to be self-closing.

Bill Buchan added that the insurance is in place and the children can play in the facility now.

Regarding the official opening of the MUGA, Bill Buchan said that he had spoken to Alan Bisset and asked for Willie Rennie to open the MUGA.  P Copland said that we have to get organised.  He suggested that a couple of dates in March would be best and we will try to co-ordinate a date for the official opening.  P Copland added that the CC need to speak to the Caravan Park as well.

[Bill Buchan said that the Caravan Park are so pleased with what has been done regarding the 30 mph limit.]

Bill Buchan

P Copland / CC members

Dog Fouling – In answer to P Copland’s question, Nicola Wallace (Head Teacher of St Monans Primary School) said that no-one had contacted her regarding the Dog Warden.

Overflowing Bins – Cllr Riches said that she thought that this was more to do with Holiday Lets’ bins.  She said that the Council is trying to do a joint approach to contact people who own Holiday Lets to deal with the servicing of the Holiday Lets as well as waste.  She said that progress of this has been slow as officers who usually deal with this have been dealing with food poisonings.

A member of the public complained that bins at the bottom of

Station Road were overflowing at the New Year; and wondered how many holidays there were for waste collection, as it was the Thursday before the bins were emptied.  Cllr E Riches said that the binmen were on holiday on the Monday and Tuesday.

Cllr E Riches

Cllr E Riches said that she had asked for them to be inspected, but she said that she thought that what M Ashworth had said last time was most helpful – that people are cutting into the verge.  She said that they are coming back to re-assess.

Cllr E Riches /

M Ashworth

P Copland said that the Burns’ Supper will be on Saturday, 11 February 2017, at the Mayview Hotel.

V Salvage said that she had had nothing from Archway Metals: despite getting in touch 4 or 5 times, they did not have the courtesy to reply.  V Salvage said that she had sent a letter to Fife Council saying that this had been going on since October.  Archway Metals were given the first opportunity to get the job.  Ian Barbour has asked one of his department to find out if there is a reason for this problem.

V Salvage said that (before approaching another firm) we have to make sure that these firms are recognised by Fife Council.

W Porteous said that Fife Council will not adopt the railings.  He had received a letter from Kevin Smith saying that Fife Council will not accept it.  The reason is that the footpath is not adopted.  V Salvage said that she would deal with this and follow it up.  She thought that the CC have to argue regarding this, because in the past Fife Council have tarmacked the path.   P Copland said, whether this is adopted by Fife Council, we will get it done; and added that it makes sense to do it, so that Fife Council cannot use the railings not to adopt it.

So at the moment, V Salvage said, we are waiting for Fife Council’s department and other departments to find out if there is some reason for Archway Metals not to do it.  V Salvage said that at the moment she is satisfied that Iain Barbour (as well as Roger Hanman and John Easson) will get an outcome.  Cllr E Riches said that she would support this.

V Salvage /

Cllr E Riches

Cllr J Docherty informed the CC that he had received an email report at the end of December from the new Police Community Sergeant – saying that he had visited the areas and looked at the cars concerned, but due to the fact that no law was being broken (even though the cars were in such a state), the police referred the matter to the Safer Community Team.

Cllr Docherty had contacted the head of the Safer Community Team who stated that all the owners of the vehicles concerned had been contacted and they “claimed ownership” – which is a legal term that leads to the Council being unable to remove them. But, hopefully, he said, the message has got through, because the Vauxhall Astra has been removed at 2.30 pm this afternoon.

The other 2 cars are still in the areas mentioned above and are a blue Peugeot and a Renault Clio.  Cllr Docherty said that he hoped that the pressure applied will make the people who own the cars do something.

Point of information: Fife Council Abandoned Vehicle help line:

Tel No – 03451 550022.

W Porteous said that it was at No 26A Gourlay Crescent.  In answer to P Copland’s question W Porteous agreed to pursue this by contacting Ross Walker, Fife Council to ask them to send a letter to the person.

W Porteous

P Copland said that Traffic Management is coming to visit in the New Year to investigate.  N Wallace said that she had concerns regarding school crossings and had contacted Head of Janitorial and had spoken to Brian Schultz at Fife Council.

Cllr E Riches said that she wondered if they can come together.  She said that Traffic Management (Stuart Goodfellow) is coming on the 25^th at 8.40 am.   N Wallace said that she would contact Brian Schultz to see if he can be there at the same time.

A member of the public said that there is nobody on the crossing at the minimarket and quite a few children cross there.

Cllr E Riches /

N Wallace

Cllr Riches said that she had passed on a request that speeding should be measured.

Cllr E Riches

P Copland said that he had emailed PC Elder and asked for attendance, but they had commitments elsewhere, but he was told that if we wanted updates we could go on their Twitter account.

P Copland said that he would do his best to keep the CC updated.

A member of the public complained that the drug use was difficult for elderly neighbours to cope with.

Cllr Riches said that Anstruther is starting a new ‘Brew and a Chat’ session – so people who need help can get off their addictions.  She said that if you want information for St Monans that it could help some people.  She added that the Poster for Anstruther is being designed.

A member of the public said that people are frightened to go away and leave their house and were afraid to complain.  Cllr E Riches said that they were trying to get Crimestoppers information out because if you ‘phone Crimestoppers you never have to leave your name.

Cllr E Riches

P Copland said that he had spoken to and emailed Moir Gibson.  The seaweed will be removed in March.  He is also going to check for sewage.

P Copland

V Salvage said that she had checked a couple of times.  They do seem to be put away – quite timely last week.

V Salvage

Cllr E Riches said that they are awaiting a new part for this light.

A member of the public said that, along at the West End a globe has come off a light.  P Copland advised that if you ‘phone yourself you are more likely to get this done.

Cllr E Riches

Cllr J Docherty said – regarding funerals walking from the Burnside to the Cemetery encountering seaweed and leaves where they walk –  they will be cleaning it up.    A member of the public said, “Thank you”.

Cllr J Docherty

Proposer: V Salvage                       Seconder: P Copland

Between the last meeting and now P Copland said he had been contacted by Fife Press asking for an interview.  As you may have seen in last week’s East Fife Mail, there was a report of that interview.

P Copland said that his telephone number was given, but no-one rang.  No-one has come forward for the post of Secretary or Treasurer. The Secretary’s role is just catching anything that comes from Fife Council and using your best judgment to decide whether it is important to forward it on.

P Peddie agreed to take on the role of Treasurer.  P Copland thanked him very much.

P Copland said that there has not been anything that has come through that he felt was relevant to our community.

The Burns’ Supper is on Saturday 11 February in the Mayview. 

The Senior Citizens Tea Party – (for anyone over the age of 60 years) – will be on Saturday 11 March from 2 pm in the Mayview.

P Copland said that a Planning Application had been made for

24 Station Road for an extension to the rear of the building, plus raised decking.  P Copland said there was no detail on the website at the moment – just 2 letters of notification – in the Press and neighbourhood notifications.

A member of the public said that there is the wall and the right-of-way there.  P Copland said that if he found anything more he would let the CC know.

7.1 Dog Fouling

P Copland spoke to a member of the public saying that he knew that it had already been raised, but the escalation of dog fouling, he said, was beyond a joke.  The member of the public said that the fouling was from dogs of all sizes and it was not acceptable.  There was general agreement that it was a real problem.  V Salvage mentioned one particular owner who had 2 of her 3 dogs off the lead and asked if there was no law that dogs should be under control.  Cllr J Docherty said that dog owners must have their dogs on a lead so they have them under control.

Cllr E Riches suggested working with the primary school to get lots of notices put up.  N Wallace said that in her last school they ran a little competition to make posters.  V Salvage asked whether the school could run the competition in association with the CC.

Cllr J Docherty said that Dog Wardens speak to children and the information that they give the children has an impact on their parents.

Cllr J Docherty said that you can take a photograph of the dog doing the offending thing, but you are not allowed to take a photograph of the owner.  You can then send the photograph to the Dog Warden.

P Copland said that if we get – the Dog Warden going into the school; the competition; and an advertising campaign – that should help.

W Buchan offered to go along from the CC to the school.

All dog owners /

N Wallace /

W Buchan

A member of the public said that she had found out that the land at the bottom of the Dawsie had been bought from a Trust in France and they had paid £500 for it.  P Copland said that it sounds as if it is legitimate regarding the ownership of the land.

The member of the public said that she still did not understand how the owner is being allowed to cut the wall  – and we were not allowed put a seat there.  She added that that area must be a Conservation Area.  P Copland said that as far as we know the wall is of a particular type of construction.  Cllr E Riches suggested asking an Enforcement Officer to check.  The member of the public said that more has been built recently.  (The house is ‘The Four Winds’).

Cllr E Riches

8.1  Donation from Masonic Lodge of St Monans

V Salvage said that we have had a very generous gift of £200 towards the Senior Citizens Tea Party from the Masonic Lodge of

St Monans 1348 and the Patrons of the Social Club; received from The Right Worshipful Master David Brisland.  Our grateful thanks to the Lodge for the donation.

V Salvage said that Gardeners’ Question Time have asked to advertise it more.  There are 200 tickets to be sold.  So far only 80 or 90 have been sold.  Tickets are available from Ruth Mathers and from Stuart Woyka.

V Salvage

P Peddie and V Salvage confirmed that the Burns’ Supper will be on

11 February in the Mayview Hotel.  Because the Mayview is closed until 2 February, sales of the tickets cannot just be done through the Mayview.  As soon as we get details finalised, tickets will be on sale.  Ena Hughes has suggested that we make a list of people’s names, so we know who is coming, and how many have been sold.

V Salvage

W Buchan said that just before Christmas, at the hanging baskets there was a notice about a soldier who had gone missing.  Someone removed this notice and put up another advertisement.  W Buchan said that he thought that this was absolutely ridiculous.

W Buchan said that there have been two sudden deaths in Castle Street.   W Buchan said that one of the deaths was on 14^th November and he said that today was the first time that anyone went in to get this house ready for letting again.  He went on to say that the person had been dead for some time.  He said that the person was only discovered when someone had realised that he had not been seen for 4 weeks.  W Buchan went on to say that the rest of the block is being overrun with mice.  He said that someone ‘phoned Fife Council regarding the mice but got nowhere.

N Wallace said the school is doing a Scots language project at the moment and the children are wanting to talk about dialect in the

St Monans area.  If there is anyone who could help by coming in with stories  – to give examples of dialect eg how St Monans’ dialect is different from, say, Anstruthers’, please telephone N Wallace.

(P Copland suggested Phillip Hughes could help – 01334 659441.)

W Porteous said that there had been less income this year than last year, and less expenditure – roughly about £100 less, so, he said, we are treading water.  W Porteous said that G Brown had helped him to fill in the Common Good Application and that has gone to Fife Council.

Calendars with photographs of St Monans area are on sale to help funds.  [Available from W Porteous.]

Cllr E Riches asked whether W Porteous knew whether the CC have receive your grant for the floral application.  She said that those who have put in their applications have not received an answer yet as this has been delayed.

W Porteous

The meeting was closed.

The date of the next Ordinary Meeting is Monday, 20 February 2017 at 7.30 pm in the Mayview Hotel Function Suite.