Ramsey Commissioners to restart quarterly surgeries

Also on the agenda was a discussion about the North and West Area Plan

Ramsey Commissioners had three motions put through at last night’s meeting, on very different topics.

Three notices of motion were filed at last month’s board meeting, but these were deferred due to time constraints and the recommendation of the previous chair.

However all three were brought forward again.

Commissioner Sandra Cottam-Shea's was about improving communication between residents and the local authority.

The first point is to restart quarterly surgeries for the public to be able to meet the commissioners, and the second was to update the website so it can be utilised to its ‘fullest potential’.

However the third point is for the Town Clerk to monitor and report on responses to emails was met with hesitation from the board.

Commissioner Juan McGuinness raised a query about whether it will impact the staff and how they work, whilst Commissioner Lamara Craine believed it could become micro-managing.

Geoff Court, amended the proposal to say the staff carry out a three-month review which will tell the board how quickly emails are dealt with and if there are any ‘obstacles’. 

The motion was approved unanimously.

The second motion was proposed by Juan McGuinness for officers to prepare a business plan for the use of an empty plot of land next to the commissioner’s workshop.

In his proposal he says the land on the Poyll Dooey Road has been dormant, but now staff are clearing the site, options should be proposed in time for the budget setting process by the end of the year.

His plan was unanimously approved.

The final motion was from Lamara Craine with a plan to have more street art around the town.

Her proposal is to have boards painted by local artists with different themes which could including the TT and ‘coastal landscapes’– with a view to auction some boards to raise money for future art projects.

The motion was unanimously approved.

Also on the agenda was a discussion about the Draft North and West Area Plan.

The clerk confirmed the Vollan Fields have been reinstated whilst a number of fields have been de-zoned and removed from the draft.

It was also noted that Peel Commissioners had asked for a delay to the proceedings but this had been rejected.

It was agreed by the board to have a public meeting about it after deciding the changes to the plan were significant.

Ramsey Commissioners will next meet on 19 June.