(Minute Secretary)

Apologies: N Wallace, Headteacher

None

3.1 (4) MUGA (Multi-Use Games Arena)

W Buchan confirmed that the date for the formal opening of the MUGA is Friday 31^st March 2017 at 10 am.  He invited anyone who wants to be there to please come along.

Everyone

P Copland said that unfortunately Nicola Wallace was not at the meeting to give the Community Council (CC) any update regarding the work the school are doing regarding signage.   Cllr J Docherty said he would get back to her about the Dog Warden.

N Wallace

Cllr J Docherty

This is an ongoing project.

M Ashworth reported that these have not been filled in.  She said that they had been in touch with the Council because there has been a lot more damage to the banking.  The Council was going to get in touch with the lady who checks the potholes.

M Ashworth

V Salvage said that the firm who she was trying to get a quote from would not give her a quote because they were waiting for a job list from the Council, and said that they could do nothing without a job list.  V Salvage said that this has been going on since the end of October and that this is not good enough.  Cllr E Riches said that you do not need an order with a Council number on it, because the order comes from the CC and the CC are paying it. Cllr E Riches said that she would try to speak to the boss of the firm about this.  (In answer to a question by a member of the public V Salvage said that the CC felt that they had to get such jobs approved by the Council for insurance purposes.)

Cllr E Riches

V Salvage

Cllr J Docherty had nothing further to report.

A member of the public said that the hedge had been cut back off the pavement.

P Copland asked whether the CC need to get a plan from

Stuart Goodfellow for our approval.  Cllr E Riches said that he is going to carry out all the things that were approved.  A member of the public reported that the double yellow lines had been painted.

P Copland suggested that they wanted the double yellow lines to be extended, but at the moment the existing yellow lines have just been repainted.

A member of the public reported that the police van is there every day at East Street; cars toot at night; and the dog barks through the night.  P Copland suggested members of the public should report noise problems to the Council, noting the car and the time.  He added that you can do this anonymously.  Cllr J Docherty said that you can contact: Environmental Health; and the Noise Abatement Team with noise problems.  Cllr E Riches added that they are all the same telephone number.

P Copland said The big boat is still there, and that they have had 3 weeks at it already.  V Salvage said that the smell was awful.  A member of the public asked if there was anything else that would take the seaweed away.  P Copland said that he hoped that the dredging of the harbour would help with this.

P Copland said that he sent an email to Moir Gibson and he had said that he would pass it on to the Harbour Master.

A member of the public said that when it was the Council they used to have a drag chain to clear everything away.

V Salvage said that there was a big truck clearing drains in the village the other day.  Cllr E Riches said that they will do it on a routine day, but if there is an exceptionally bad one they will do it ad hoc.  A member of the public said that their drains had not been done for a long time.  Cllr E Riches said that she would arrange for them to go to her property.

Cllr E Riches

A member of the public said that this had never been cleaned up.

V Salvage said that when there is an exceptionally high tide it washes up.  Cllr J Docherty asked if there was any possibility that it might have been cleaned but the tide had brought things back up again.

V Salvage said that it has not been cleaned every week.

A member of the public said that they should replenish the water at the churchyard water barrel every week, as it is coming to the time of year when it is needed.  Brenda Allan to check on this and to ask when they will cut the grass.

B Allan

Proposer: W Buchan                       Seconder: P Copland

The Chairman said that we had a very successful Senior Citizens Tea Party.  As always our thanks to Ena Hughes and her staff for beautiful food and for providing the venue.  V Salvage said that the teas and coffees and shortbread provided by Ena was also much appreciated.

P Copland said that the International Food Festival was a great success as well.  He thought there were slightly fewer attended than previous years, but there was still a good number.  He said that the funds raised will help with the Sea Queen Day which is on 24 June.

Nothing to report.  V Salvage asked the Councillors if the person from the Council who should be getting the Minutes of the Meetings was Beth Flynn, as nobody has been sending them on.  She said that she would forward on the Minutes that have not been sent.

V Salvage

P Peddie said that it was a short report.  He said that there had been quite a lot of sorting out between himself and George Brown (the previous Treasurer) regarding statements etc, but as regards to cheques written, there has not been a lot this month.

P Copland asked if there had been a slight mistake regarding the figure for the Common Good Fund.  P Peddie said that G Brown had applied for £5,000 from the Common Good Fund; £5,000 has been received (this refers to the 2016 application).

P Copland said that nothing new has come through this month of interest to us.  The application to build a single dwelling house at the West End has been withdrawn.

However, he said that, when he was reading the Planning Report that came out that day, he had noticed that regarding East Wemyss and Methil that a lady had applied for retrospective planning regarding windows and had been refused.  He said that it would be interesting to see what the outcome would be, and whether it would be enforced.

A member of the public asked how they decide what is a Conservation Area and commented that you cannot put in PVC windows but you can put up a monstrosity of a house.

7.1 Street Sweepers

A member of the public said that the street sweepers came last week, but she said that they will not sweep outside the railings.

8.1 Beach Clean

M Ashworth said that she had not yet contacted N Wallace regarding dates.  She said that she had sent an email to the Council. She said that, if she could get everyone in place, the date of the Beach Clean would be Friday, 19^th May for the school; for others it would 12.30 pm on Sunday 21^st May in the West End Car Park.

M Ashworth

M Ashworth said that there would be a Coffee Morning this Saturday

(25 March) from 10-11.30 am.

Everyone

V Salvage said that there had been a question last month about this.

She said that she had emailed Iain Barbour.  He said it would not have been his department.  Fife Council was supposed to take the height down so that people could see the Church and the sea, but he took them all down.  They were supposed to be replaced by the Council.

B Allan said that Fife Council planted small trees on the banking along from the old railway bridge many years ago, but the majority of them were destroyed by vandals.

W Porteous said the he had received 20 hawthorn trees.  Three of these have gone up to the windmill, but the rest are there for wherever we wish.  He said that in a conversation we had at the Beautiful St Monans volunteer gardeners meeting last Thursday it was suggested that it could be possible, with Peter Peddie’s approval, to put them behind the bus shelter, but, W Porteous said, that they were open to suggestions.  P Peddie said that behind the bus shelter would be OK as long as it is 2 metres from the cultivated land.  Cllr E Riches said that, before you plant, W Porteous should check with Fife Council (Iain Barbour), as it is Fife Council land.  W Porteous said that he would write an email to Iain Barbour.

W Porteous

V Bland asked if Damon Creevy gave Peter Copland a key for the Bowling Club.  P Copland said that Damon Creevy had not given him the key.

P Copland

Cllr E Riches said that a letter has been sent out from the Council with the wrong Sort Code, so, she said, if you hear of people saying they are having trouble paying their Council Tax, tell them not to panic – if they go online, the correct Sort Code is available.

Everyone

V Salvage said that unfortunately there are no police here today, as she had had 3 complaints about off-road motorcycles and quad bikes.  Most of it pertains to the land by the coastal path from the Church to Elie.  V Salvage she had received complaints of people feeling intimidated by the behaviour and about the noise and fumes.

B Allan said that there was 7 scramble bikes went down there on Sunday before last.  She said that one man said that he had stopped them and said that this is private land, you are not supposed to be on it.   They had replied that they had permission.  A member of the public said that it is a shame if they ruin the coastal path.  V Salvage said that when the tide was back they were going over the rocks and the seaweed and disturbing birds.  Cllr E Riches said that she was happy to contact the Coast and Countryside people.  Cllr J Docherty said that he would contact the police, and asked if we knew from a land-owner point of view if they had permission to do this.  P Peddie said that there had been no permission given for this sort of activity on his side of the village.  Cllr E Riches said that she was happy to go back to the landowners: Toby Anstruther and Alec Nairn.

B Allan confirmed that the incidents she had witnessed had happened the on Sunday and Monday (a week before last) mornings.

Cllr E Riches

Cllr J Docherty

Cllr E Riches

A member of the public said that somebody came out of their gate on Miller Terrace and just about got run down by a car that was driving on the pavement in order to park.  W Buchan said that because of a car parked on the pavement a person cannot get her mobility scooter round it.  He said that he had telephoned the police, but the car has still not been moved.  Cllr J Docherty said that under the Equality Act any public pavement must have room for mobility scooters or a pram.

W Porteous thanked the 12 people who turned up to the Beautiful St Monans meeting last Thursday in the Mayview Hotel lounge.  He said that a lot of work has been done round the village planting flowers and bulbs, which are coming up just now giving a nice look.

He said that a unanimous decision had been made not to take part in Beautiful Fife and Beautiful Scotland Competitions.

Also he said that we know the Council have got limited resources but it was suggested at the meeting that we should contact the Council before specific events, to help keep the village clean and tidy.

He said that we see that there is no weeding in the streets and that is something that we would want to be re-instated.  Cllr E Riches said that they spray, but the weeds have not stepped growing all winter.  She said that they do 3 sprays.

He said that when the development on the corner of Station Road and East Street is finished we will speak to the owners to offer help.

He said that generally it was a very good meeting and a great turnout.  He said he was particularly pleased that that included a young man who was keen to help.

W Porteous

W Porteous

A member of the public said that she did not know that if you let out a holiday house you are supposed to have a water meter.  She said she wondered how many holiday houses do not have water meters.

V Salvage and P Copland said that they had received a couple of emails (from John Easton who is on Iain Barbour’s team) about willow trees which have been planted at the Braes (against the wall that leads up to Miller Terrace), saying no-one should be planting anything without permission.

Cllr E Riches said that we were asked what we thought and she had said that they should speak to B Allan.  B Allan said she knew nothing about them.  V Salvage said that they had been asked if anyone knew anything about them, and that they will be removed.

A comment was made that they look as if they have been strategically placed – it is a marshy bit.  P Copland said if they perhaps should stay if are going to enhance that area by reducing the marsh, but they would need to be kept to a manageable height. M Ashworth said that the willows roots could cause problems by getting into drainage pipes.  Cllr Riches said that they were planning to chop them down unless you have any objection.

W Porteous said that it would be possible for Beautiful St Monans to take on the pruning.

Cllr E Riches said that she would write to them saying to leave them there.

Beautiful St Monans

Cllr E Riches

A member of the public said that there was talk about a 15 m mast for mobile communications.  P Copland said it was in 2-3 weeks ago and has been passed.  The member of the public said that it had not been brought up at a CC meeting.  M Ashworth said that it was not brought up at a meeting, but we saw an email about the change of materials.

A member of the public asked about whether there were any developments regarding the proposed allotments.  P Copland said that there was not and that it is up to Muir Homes, and things had been dormant regarding the development of the site for at least 6 months.  The member of the public asked if there was any reason why the allotments could not be activated straight away.  P Copland said that that would not be possible because of access and drainage etc requirements.

W Buchan said that Muir Homes have 3 years to start the development.  He said that it does seem to me that Muir Homes are developing things all along the East Neuk and that we are in the queue.

P Copland said that they are currently working on Castlefleurie Leven and Cellardyke.  Cllr E Riches said that they have done 200 of their 300 units at Cellardyke.

The meeting was closed.

The date of the next Ordinary Meeting is Monday, 17 April 2017 at 7.30 pm in the Mayview Hotel Function Suite.