MAIDENS HARBOUR TRUST
Minutes of the 2011 Annual General Meeting
Held in Maidens Bowling Clubhouse. 10.30am. 16th. April 2011
Final
Present: (21)
James Eaglesham (Chairman)~ Dennis Mason (Harbour Master) ~ Dianne Wilson (Treasurer) ~
David McGettigan (Secretary) ~ Pete David~ Hugh Wilson ~ Gordon Munro ~ David Kerr ~Duncan Barr
Steven Rodger-John Thorburn ~ Donald McLean ~ Sandra Thomson ~ Astrid Rae - c. McCulloch
Melanie McTaggart ~ Margaret Wood ~Gordon McCulloch ~William Sloan ~Alistair McClelland~ +1 other?
Apologies: Hugh Murdoch ( Working at Harbour ) & Jim Provan, ( Working at Harbour ) ~ Julia Whitaker
Chairman’s Report:
Chairman, James Eaglesham, opened the meeting at 10.30am, welcomed the good attendance and asked all to sign the Sederunt. He pointed out that our time slot in the bowling club was limited as we had to vacate by noon.
The minutes of the 2010 AGM having been distributed and time given for them to be scanned, the Chairman asked for any objections and as none were forthcoming, the adoption of the 2010 minutes was proposed by Steven Rodger and seconded by Pete David.
The agenda having been issued, the Chairman proceeded to review the years activities in which a lot had been achieved.
He again extended his thanks and gratitude to the volunteers doing the Harbour maintenance and pointed out that without their unpaid time and expertise none of the improvement works could have been undertaken.
He stated that he was particularly grateful and indeed proud of the extent of the work done and the skills shown by the volunteer work parties in repairing and maintaining our ageing plant and establishing the pontoons alongside the harbour. The fact that the Terex engine was totally replaced by our band of "amateurs" was, he felt, a very considerable achievement worthy of record. The huge amount of digging and spoil removal from the main channels was really impressive and would be ongoing as long as we could keep the plant working.
Whilst acknowledging that the ex-fish farm pontoons were perhaps not the most attractive ones on the market, they had proved to be very functional and should last for us for a few years.
It is still intended that we extend them a bit further and probably re-configure their format once the slip is extended.
He pointed out the difficulty now in obtaining LOTTERY grants and the enormous amount of paperwork, know-how and form filling these grant applications required.
His disappointments were that we had been rejected for the three grants we had applied for and particularly the fact that ENTRUST had blocked the £19K. grant, awarded to us by SAWET, on grounds which we definitely continue to dispute. Being turned down for this award will in time lead to a considerable hole in our finances but it has been decided that we will go ahead anyway with the slip extension, using our own resources. Adding some 60 feet to the length of the slip, down to the low water mark, will make it much easier for boat owners and the Dolphin House Kids to launch and access their vessels without a tramp through the mud.
The Sail West award, which will commission a feasibility study from Consulting Engineers as to the possible development potential of the Harbour ( but will call for an element of matched funding from the Harbour Trust) is still going ahead but is tied up in procedural complications and might in the end be affected by the general economic situation.
Co. Ltd by Guarantee.
South Ayrshire Council have been contacted concerning this for a pre-exemption waiver before we can go ahead with a change to Co. Ltd. by Guarantee status for the Trust We are still awaiting word back from them. However, if SAC do decide they want ownership of the Harbour to revert to them, we will have to look at the situation again as we do not want to loose village control of the Harbour to a body who might at some future point decide to dispose of it to a commercial enterprise.
The Chairman asked if there were any questions from the floor relating to his report or the minutes but none were forthcoming.
TWO
He then said he would especially like to thank the following for their assistance during the year…………..
Firstly to Duncan Barr and his son, newcomers to the village, for their invaluable practical advice plus the loan of plant and materials which will greatly facilitate the forthcoming construction of the slipway extension?
Jim Provan for hours of engineering expertise and digger driving, Pete David for keeping our dodgy vehicle and the Harbour store electrics "sparking" properly, Hugh Murdoch for the hours he spends bobbing about digging on the barge and the 'love and attention' he lavished on the maintenance of our aging plant and to Dennis Mason for all the 'snash' he has to take in handling bookings and chasing up fees. He also acknowledged the work done by Dianne Wilson for keeping us on the straight and narrow path to solvency and Sandra Thomson for her innovative ideas, enthusiasm and go-ahead in running several very successful Gala events. Thanks were also due to Garry Coltrop for his many unsolicited hours of labour in helping us to lay concrete & stabilise the gabions and a load of general building work he had done for us. The Secretary was also thanked for his minute taking and Press Reports which had resulted in extensive local newspaper coverage of our activities.
IAN TEMPLETON
It was with great regret that the Chairman reported the resignation, on health grounds, of Ian Templeton who had been a founder Trustee of Maidens Harbour Trust from the very start.
We would hope however to continue to benefit from Ian's advice and considerable background knowledge. The Committee has had commissioned a painting of Ian's boat "Stroma" which we will be presenting to him in thanks and acknowledgement of his years of support.
Treasurers Report
The accounts report for the last year's income and expenditure having been distributed to the meeting, Dianne Wilson went over in detail the items on the accounts sheet. A small correction was made to one of the items and the Treasurer reported that our funds as at 31st. December 2010 stood at…….. £23,786.51
She anticipated that major outlays were still to come since that date regarding recent supplies of Cement, Concrete and Stone for the slip, plus an expected account from Jock Patterson relating to the recovery of the digger which threw its tracks whilst well down the harbour and required urgent recovery.
Harbour Dues, income this year was…….. £ 7, 919. 96.
Income from slip use…………………… £ 315. 00.
Gala profit. (After outgoings)………..……. £ 2, 420. 00.
There were no questions from the floor and subject to a corrected account sheet being issued, the accounts were accepted.
Lifebelts
Dennis Mason reported that these had now been bought and will shortly be installed. Three will be situated on the pontoons and two on the Harbour itself.
Steven Rodger again offered ones he had and will bring them down to the Harbour.
Signage and Interpretation Boards.
Discussion followed regarding the installation of informative notice boards outlining the history of the Harbour and the boats built in the area. It was suggested that we involve the older school pupils in the collation and possible presentation of this material. Julia Whitaker has offered to liaise with the school on this and it was agreed that we would cover the cost of the production of the boards.
Astrid Rae reported that she had heard several adverse comments about the messy state of the Harbour top / slip area with the beached spare pontoons and building materials lying about.
The Chairman assured her that once the construction of the slip was finished this area would be tidied up and made more attractive. Conversely, he had had several most complimentary comments made to him by passing public about the fact that we were doing so much at the Harbour and the improvements we had already made.
At this point a boat owner, attending the meeting, complimented us on the work done to date.
Sandra Thomson related that she was compiling a book of Maidens childhood memories and several people mentioned the importance of learning to swim off the steps. She was therefore most concerned that our future plans for the pontoons would make this area unsuitable for swimming.
The Chairman replied that this point had already been noted at earlier meetings and though our focus was on the harbour and boats we would see what could be done for swimmers within the grounds of health and safety which was his primary concern.
The secretary added that it had already been discussed that the pontoons at the steps could be clad in timber and provision could be made to provide a method of access to and from this pontoon for swimmers. This facility will be bourn in mind when we reach that stage.
Meantime work on refurbishing the lower steps is being put in hand and will commence shortly.
THREE.
TOILET BLOCK
We were asked from the floor whether we would be interested in taking on the running fr the Toilet block adjacent to the Harbour.
John Thorburn replied on our behalf that this had been looked at and was part of the submission to the Sail West brief that we had already issued.
The Chairman pointed out that other areas such as Straiton had taken on the toilets and had found it took some £2,000 plus a year to run and maintain them. It was also understood that the "comfort Stop" allowance formerly paid out by SAC had been cut back severely.
Duncan Barr mentioned that he had been involved in the take over of their toilet at Barrhill and warned about the insurance and long term running costs which could become a real burden.
The Chairman pointed out that the incorporation of a shower facility would not be of much interest to the boat owners currently using the harbour but in years to come visiting boat owners might have use for such a feature.
Pete David warned that if SAC feel we could be interested they might be tempted to close them as had been the case elsewhere.
Margaret Wood expressed concern that we might be intending to close off the access walkway to the Maidens rocks. The chairman assured her that this was not our intention. We had erected a warning sign at the end of the pier but the surface, though uneven, was still sound.
With the help of future grant applications we might apply to have this surface upgraded and re-surfaced.
There were no further questions from the floor.
The main business of the AGM having been covered, the Chairman again thanked all who had attended and closed the meeting at 11.15pm. The existing committee members now stood down to allow for the appointment of the new office bearers.
Applications to become a member of the Harbour Trust Management Committee were invited from those assembled. None were forthcoming and despite wide spread notification, the Secretary had had received no other post or phone applications.
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Harbour Trust Management Committee Meeting
There was only time to have a brief Management meeting so the focus of this was to appoint and establish the new Committee and office bearers for the forthcoming year.
Notification had been received from Sharon Barr that she was no longer available to serve on the committee and we were sorry to also hear from Sandra Thomson that she no longer wished to be considered for the new committee, all previous members other than these agreed to serve again.
Julia Whitaker will be therefore now be moved onto the new committee and Gordon Munro, (as a non resident) will join the co-opted members together with Mathew Reilly who is currently in the USA but is understood to be willing to continue as a co-opted member.
This will give us Nine Full Members and FOUR, Co-Opted members.
Appointed Office bearers
Chairman………..James Eaglesham
Harbour Master……Dennis Mason
Treasurer……….Dianne Wilson
Secretary……….David McGettigan
Hugh Wilson~~~~~ Pete David~~~~~ Steven Rodger~~~~~ Julia Whitaker~~~~~ Hugh Murdoch
Co-Opted Members
Mathew Reilly
Gordon Munro
John Thorburn
Jim Provan.
