Waterways Management Company
MINUTES OF WATERWAYS MANAGEMENT COMPANY BOARD
MEETING
14th January 2008
Location: 44 Lark Hill, Oxford.
Meeting Chaired by Nick Sampson
- Apologies
Wendy
Margaret Harris, David Trebilcock and Chris Attwater were present.
Introductions by each board member were provided. - Private business
No Private business was presented. - Approval of minutes from last meeting
Minutes of last meeting were agreed with change to Asif’s name.
Waterways Management Company
December 2007 to December 2008 Page 2 14/01/20008 - Matters arising (in order of Minutes 10-12-07)
Co-option of Asif Muneer to management committee:
This was agreed.
Draft minutes to Nov 07 AGM redrafted and published to web:
Agreed but without names attached and Peverel OM to be used.
GSC terms of reference
Agreed.
Bike cull:
The managing agent has made contact with firm that does the station cycle culls and is awaiting
proposal on this along with a meeting with the GSC to work through this.
Resolve slippery footbridges:
ACTION This is with the GSC to resolve
WRA spending plan and request for funding:
WRA was requested to put forward its plans for funding for 2008. WRA has a meeting on 29th
January at which this will be discussed.
Review constitution and communication plan:
TBD
Send proposed objectives to Chair:
Closed
Arrange convenient date for meeting:
Closed
Invite WRA, OCHA/Shout! and managing agent to our meetings:
Closed
MANAGING AGENT REVIEW - Complins Close Cycle store and bike Cull – being dealt with – see below.
- Trees – Council wants to do another report which will cost more money – Health and Safety
issues and so on – this will cost more per household but has to be done. - Roof on Lark Hill Sub-station – Southern Electricity finally dealing with this despite chasing.
- Culvert and Pumping Station – Views on this to be put forward.
- Path on Wildlife corridor – Costly . ACTION GSC to deal with.
- Water in lift pits: Proposal for way forward being done. Managing agent chasing BH.
- Refuse Store Clearwater Place: Locks being provided.
- 29/30/31 Lark Hill are now in Rackham Place!
- Recycling for Apartments – refuse bins – there is a backlog at the council which will take 2/3
months to resolve.
A lighting issue on Wildlife Corridor was raised – this is with the GSC to deal with
Gritting of Canal bridge – Parking and traffic SC to Action. Footbridge issues – GSC.
Waterways Management Company
December 2007 to December 2008 Page 3 14/01/20008 - Complaints portfolio
Ratify terms of reference
Report from Managing Agents
[Escalated complaints for action by full committee, if any]
Complaints Portfolio Holder presented his Terms and addressed the two comments he had had
back from board members. There were no changes to the plans and these were voted on and
accepted..
There have been two complaints so far.
The Complaints Portfolio Holder will report regularly to the Company. - Health and safety issues
Bins around Waterways: The GSC will sort this out with the managing agent and they will be
emptied weekly by the Landscape Gardeners as part of their remit.
ACTION GSC
Signs at Lake: This needs to be done to show that the lake is private and for Waterways
Residents only – ACTION on Committee
Secretary
Slippery Bridges: – Later in agenda - Financial update
The budget for 2008/09 will be available soon.
Contracts have been renewed as necessary. Questions as to whether we need to be involved in this
as a board.
Waterways Management Company
December 2007 to December 2008 Page 4 14/01/20008 - Report from Apartment Block Subcommittee
Window Cleaning contract has been sorted out.
Issue over enforcement of Covenants was raised as an issue for WMC to deal with – subject for
next WMC meeting. Is also a legal issue.
Ratify terms of reference:
These were agreed.
[Matters escalated to full committee, if any]
Procedure by which the managing agent grants permissions to residents as required by lease/
deeds of covenant (e.g., dogs in apartment)
The issue of a dog being kept in an apartment was discussed at length.
The Complaints Portfolio Holder – having received an official complaint about this issue went
through his report on the matter in a diligent manner. Two complaints were received from owners
who do not live in the apartments, one from one owner who does live there. The dog is seen to be
boisturous and causing issues in the public areas and is not keeping to the terms and conditions as
laid down by the managing agent in 2007.
The rules are that if the terms are not adhered to then the dog will have to be removed.
The main issue that WMC needs to be aware of is the precedence this sets if people see that a pet
is allowed and the Terms and Conditions are not enforced. This affects the perceived value of
property and is not essentially what people bought apartments, in that many believe that pets are
not allowed.
10 members of the committee agreed that the report from the Complaints Portfolio Holder was
good and that the next course of action was to write to the owner of the dog to suggest that it is
removed. - Report from Gardening Subcommittee
Ratify terms of reference:
Agreed by vote.
Bike Cull: A company – Back on Track – will propose a way forward on this. They put a note on
a bike they suspect to be dumped or abandoned. A letter to all residents will be sent out explaining what is going on – this will need to be residents not owners. The bikes will be removed and
recycled at a cost of £2 per bike. They can be stored and retrieved (at additional cost?)
GSC to lead on this with corporate communications blessing!! - Report from Community Room Subcommittee
Ratify terms of reference:
To be circulated and agreed
Awaiting lease from new Freeholders, the developer was doing this and has provided WMC
contacts to new Freeholders who will hopefully be in touch to sort this out.
Waterways Management Company
December 2007 to December 2008 Page 5 14/01/20008 - Report from Parking and Traffic Subcommittee
Brief summary of activity, if any
Ratify terms of reference
The team has not met yet.
The managing agent gave feedback on the letter that was sent out with regards to parking bays
and apparently this went down well with residents. - WRA matters
[Brief summary of activity, if any
The Lead on WMC relationship with Waterways Residents Association met with WRA for a
meeting on the 8th January which went well and is looking forward to the WRA meeting on the
29th January. - OCHA matters
[Brief summary of activity, if any
OCHA raised: - Refuse store at Clearwater Place issue and what was happening on this.
- There is a meeting to be held about the potential profiteering going on with regards to the
OCHA residencies. - Fishing Club: Not much movement on this. A meeting is yet to be held with the parents who
are keen to do this, looking at demand for this as well as issues to do with Health and Safety,
Landscaping changes to accommodate fishing. OCHA to pay for any changes required
Waterways Management Company
December 2007 to December 2008 Page 6 14/01/20008 - WMC objectives to Nov 2008
Debate and agreement of draft objectives document
The objectives as put forward by the Chairman (after consultation with board members) were
discussed. The key thing was to ensure that the objectives are measurable so that success or
failure can be determined.
Transparency and Communication – agreed for names to be on Website in a non searchable way
No names on minutes
Understanding the purpose of WMC and complaints procedure – Something for the WW
newsletter with a measure of 10% of X people asked knowing about it – Chair to do this.
Managing Agent Review – Director agreed to take this on in the first instance to do a plan of what
needs to be done by when.
Cost Efficiencies: Apartment Block Committee mainly deal with this and Chair and Director
agreed to take this on.
Community Facilities: Community Room Sub-committee agreed to take this on. Secretary to
chase.
Parking and Traffic Measures: Objectives agreed. - WMC communication plan
Debate and agreement of draft communications plan
Deferred to next meeting. - Development issues
Deferred to next meeting - Any other business
At what time should our partners join our meeting?
[Advised to secretary no later than 48hrs prior to meeting]
Agreed to be 8pm. - Date of next meeting
To be advised by Committee Secretary