Shannon.ie - Town Council Meeting Minutes November 2008

In attendance Mr. Gerard Dollard - Town Manager, Donal Hogan - Shannon Area Executive Engineer and Tomás Mac Cormaic - Town Clerk

Also present for the first item on the Clár Oibre were Maria Rowland - Coordinator of the Shannon Family Resource Centre and Lin Lin How a member of the Board of the Shannon Family Resource Centre

The representatives of the Shannon Family Resource Centre gave a detailed and comprehensive report on the courses, advice and other facilities offered at the centre to a variety of people including children, adolescents, single parents, unemployed people, people with disabilities and people suffering from various types of stress

These services are being offered at the "Respond Community Hall" in Rineanna View which has a number of draw-backs such as location and lack of access to the building for physically disabled people. Ideally the services should be provided in a more central area of the town to make it more accessible to all the community. Many requests have been made to Respond, from whom the premises is leased, to improve access to the building for people on wheelchairs - but without any success

Shannon Town Council volunteered to approach Respond in relation to the provision of "Wheelchair Access" to the Building

Proposed by Cllr. McCarthy seconded by Cllr. Duff and resolved;

"that the minutes of the October monthly meeting of the Shannon Town Council held in the Shannon Town Hall on Tuesday October 4th 2008, having been circulated, be adopted and signed by the Meara Bhaile."

Donal Hogan - Clare County Council Executive Engineer for Shannon Electoral Area - presented each member with a colour coded map of the town indicating a list of nine areas in the town where the upgrading of footpaths and the provision of new footpaths are currently needed

Some other areas were mentioned by different Councillors but the Area Engineer suggested these would come under normal maintenance

It was proposed by Cllr. McLoughlin, seconded by Cllr. McCarthy and resolved;

"that the footpaths listed on the colour coded map be adopted by Shannon Town Council, in order of priority as the list to be submitted for participation in the Special Grants Scheme 2009"

Proposed by Cllr. McCarthy, seconded by Cllr. Hillery and resolved;

"that the meeting to consider the Budgets of the Shannon Town Council for the year ending December 31st 2009 be held in the Shannon Town Hall at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday November 25th 2008, to be followed immediately by the December monthly meeting of the Town Council which will be brought forward one week from December 2nd 2008

Proposed by Cllr. Mulcahy, seconded by Cllr. McLoughlin and resolved;

"that no meeting be held to consider the distribution of the 2008 Community Grants until the ongoing investigation on "code of conduct" process has been finalised."

It was proposed by Cllr. McCarthy, seconded by Cllr. Hillery and resolved;

"that a written report on Joint Policing Committees be sought from the Shannon District Garda Authorities before the Town Council take any further action on this issue."

The Meara Bhaile reported on issues relevant to Shannon discussed at the October Shannon Area Council Meeting. These included funding for the Arts Centre, car parking near Gleann na Smol / St. Conaires N. S., Drumgeely Maze, parking at Mary Immaculate Church, cleaning of alley-ways and new footpath in Finian Park

At this stage, with the permission of the members, the Meara Bhaile brought forward a resolution jointly proposed by the Meara Bhaile, Cllr. Duff and Cllr. McMahon; It was seconded by Cllr. McKee

"that Shannon Town Council support the call from the Finian Park Residents Group to have the footpath on the green area in Finian Park removed by Clare County Council and restored to a green area."

There was a lot of debate on this issue but a decision on the motion was deferred until the next meeting when and where the concerns of some residents of the immediate area will be heard

Cllr. Duff reported on the success of the Halloween Party for Children

This was a pilot programme, which with everybodys cooperation, could be developed in future years to cater for all the children of the Shannon Community. Cllr. Duff and his committee were complimented on their initiative

Cllr. McMahon reported that the Industrial, Tourism and Development Committee are concentrating on road signs and signage and are also considering the issuing of a second Newsletter

Proposed by Cllr. McCarthy and seconded by Cllr. McLoughlin;

"that Shannon Town Council explore the options available to ensure the provision of a Pitch & Putt course as outlined by a deputation to a previous meeting of the Council."

Proposed by Cllr. McLoughlin and seconded by Cllr. McCarthy;

"that Shannon Town Council would suggest a suitable location for a Pitch & Putt Course in Shannon

There was no debate on these motions as it was felt more appropriate to wait for the outcome of a public meeting which is scheduled for the Oakwood Arms Hotel on Thursday November 13th 2008 at 8.00 p.m. on the issue of a Pitch & Putt Course in Shannon which will evaluate the support for such a venture and possibly appoint a steering committee if this is warranted by the interest shown

Proposed by the Meara Bhaile, seconded by Cllr. McMahon and resolved;

"that Standing orders be suspended to allow fifteen minutes extra to complete the Clár Oibre - the meeting not to continue after 8.45p.m."

Proposed by Cllr. Hillery, seconded by Cllr. McMahon and resolved;

"that essential repairs to footpaths from Tullyvarraga Hill leading to Coill Mhara be attended to presently."

Proposed by Cllrs. Flynn, McMahon and Duff and seconded by Cllr. Mulcahy

"that Shannon Town Council call on the Roads Section of Clare County Council to identify a location for a Taxi Rank in the TC01 area and also the TC02 area and that Clare County Council carry out the putting in place of a Taxi Rank in consultation with the relevant sectors of the community."

The debate on this issue was not finished at 8.45 p.m. so a decision was deferred to the December meeting

Two other notices of motion on the Clár Oibre not dealt with because of time constraints were also deferred to the December meeting. On of these was proposed by Cllr. McLoughlin concerning Air Traffic Tax and the second was proposed by Cllr. McCarthy concerning Medical Cards for persons over 70 years of age