Skegness Town Council to make history ... and you can watch

Skegness Town Council has launched its own YouTube channel so Wednesday's extraordinary meeting can go ahead as a video conference.

The meeting is being held following the cancellation of the annual meeting due to Covid-19 restrictions.

This means the Mayor-making ceremony will not be going ahead - and, as a result, Coun Mark Dannatt is likely to run a second term as Mayor.

Steve Larner, town clerk, said: "I don’t think there has been a previous time when an Annual Meeting of Council wasn’t held.

"Until the recent emergency legislation was introduced, which permitted councils to continue until May 7, 2021, it would not have been legal.

"The council will decide on Wednesday whether it wants to hold an annual meeting and, if not, Coun Dannatt will continue in that role until the next annual meeting next May.

"I believe a number of councils have decided to do this."

Skegness Town Council's first Mayor was Mrs V Elwis in 1974, who took over from the outgoing Mayor from the Urban District Council, Coun Harold Fainlight.

Coun Dannatt became the council's 46th Mayor when he was voted in last year. If he runs a second term, this will be the first time it has happened in the council's history.

Among the items on the agenda for Wednesday's (May 6) video conference, starting at 2.30pm, are:

• Postponing of the Annual Town Meeting until April/May 2021

All meetings are to be held by video conferencing with them live-streamed for the public to view. Planning applications are to be considered at Full Council, Management Committee as well as Planning meetings to make the best use of available time. Changing the default time for meetings to afternoons will also be considered.

• Notice of resignation of Coun Bob Walker and the next steps.

• Theft of cemetery equipment. To note the theft and to approve the purchase of urgent replacement equipment prior to any insurance settlement.

• To receive an update of council finances resulting from the coronavirus lockdown and to agree on a position in relation to managing debts.

• Planning applications.

Subscribe to the Skegness Town Council channel here.

Spilsby Town Council held its first ‘virtual’ council meeting last week.

Councillors had resolved at a meeting at the beginning of the year to increase efficiency, the security of documents and emails and instant access to the council's policies by providing each councillor with a notebook computer, which meant that when permission was given to local parish and town councils to hold virtual meetings, Spilsby Town Councillors were able to do so while remaining safely in their own homes.

Town Mayor, Coun Terry Taylor commented. “We have already started the application process for accreditation to the ‘Local Council Award Scheme’ which provides councils with the tools and encouragement to become top in their sector and, as part of this, it was resolved at the beginning of the year, to provide councillors with notebook computers.

"We were well-placed to hold a virtual council meeting so soon after permission was granted by the Government.

"Surprisingly, the meeting went extremely well. Yes, there were a few teething problems initially before commencing the meeting, but these were just user errors which were soon corrected.

"Obviously, the more meetings we have using this method the easier it will become.

"All councillors agreed after the meeting that they were pleased how it went, had felt fully inclusive for the whole of the meeting and look forward to the next one”

Councillors resolved to hold meetings using this format, at least until the Government deems that normal attended meetings can recommence..