Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on 25/11/2014 in Talla nan Ros at 19.00
Directors: I. Moffett (Chair), D. Grant, L. Cruickshank, A. Bell, I. Dyce, J. Ballantyne, D. Stewart,
S. Millar, B. Kinnaird, A. Schofield
Members: P. Schofield, G. Strang, J. Grant, G. Burton, A. Dunn, O. Bray, T. Ramage, I. Malcolm, C. Mithchell, S. Anderson, P. Graham, J. Pickering, W. McCarthy, C. McCarthy, L. Ballantyne, E. Stuart, C. Donald
Apologies: B. Neild, J. Dunn
Minutes: The minutes of the previous AGM held on 11/11/2013 were approved. Proposed by A. Dunn and seconded by J. Pickering
Financial Report: AB introduced the Financial Report regarding the hydro scheme, pointing out that the figures for the hydro were based on the year ending 31st. August 2014 when the hydro was in a state of flux. This meant that the figures. while accurate, were not particularly meaningful at this stage and will only become clear and understandable at the year end 31st August 2015 when the hydro will be complete. Peter Graham, accountant to KCDC, then went over the financial report in some detail outlining the following income:contributions and subscriptions, bank interest, and funds from grant bodies mainly relating to the hydro but also to other activities such as cycling, Walkfest, Paths for All and woodlands. PG then outlined costs incurred again relating mainly to hydro but including Bikefest and footpath construction. The company has debtors with regard to expected VAT repayments and creditors for costs incurred but not paid at the end of the financial year. With regard to assets he pointed to balances carried forward and cash in the bank while the figure of £138000 for the hydro should be seen as cost rather than an asset given the ongoing nature of the project. Net assets will be easier to quantify when the project is finished and fixed rather than current assets can be outlined. IM then intimated that any one requesting a copy of the Financial and Trustees Report would be sent one. The accounts were accepted: proposed by A. Dunn and seconded by G. Strang.
Appointment of Accountants: IM asked the meeting to approve the appointment of Peter Munro & Co as accountants bearing in mind that a commercial fee would need to be paid as a result of the hydro being in operation. This was accepted: Proposed by J. Pickering and seconded by G. Strang.
Extraordinary AGM: IM explained that there would need to be an Extraordinary General Meeting in the spring to tidy up the articles of the company with regard to tenure of directors. IM noted that there were three new elected directors ( A. Bell, L. Cruickshank and B. Kinnaird) and one nominated director (A. Schofield). This was approved: proposed by A. Dunn and seconded by G. Strang.
Annual Subscription: After discussion the subscription remained fixed at its current £2 . LC then noted thanks to Peter Graham for his financial help.
Hydro: AB then outlined current progress of the hydro beginning with the simplified system agreed at the last AGM and outlying the major stages of progress since then. AB then presented a slide show to the meeting to illustrate how the hydro money was being spent and to give a picture of construction progress. While most of the major work is now complete there remain some outstanding tasks although the main delay in beginning generation may lie in bureaucracy surrounding connection agreement.
Paths: Firstly DG thanked AB for his work on the hydro before outlying progress on paths. On-going maintenance in clearing paths and drains has continued with help from members and the Community Service who attend twice a year. Much work has been done on the Tom Baraidh Circular this year which now has clear signposted path while COAT has created a walkable path across Creag Bheag with the improvement to the path on the Loch Gynack side.Next year there is projected return path from Raitts. Althogh details are still to be finalised this should include work on the 2000 year old souterrain and the nearby stretch of Wade’s road. Agreement has been reached on rerouting the path on the south side of Loch Gynack. To this A. Dunn added that the new path should be well made to tie in with tracks allowing access to the north side of Loch Gynack and own to Pitmain Farm to connect with the cycle track. Permission has also been attained to connect the path with West Terrace all of which should provide a comprehensive network. In response to a question about the boggy nature of the Creag Bheag path form the golf course to Loch Gynack AD did know if COAT would be able to improve this due their specific work schedules and difficult access to the terrain.
Walkfest: IM reported that the Walkfest 2014 had been very successful and wished to thank the RSPB for organising three walks. IM hoped that this might be repeated in May 2015 in the next Walkfest.
Biodiversity: ID reported that woodlands work had been concentrated on the east side of the Gynack removing sycamore saplings. Coppicing has been a success and shoots are now appearing from the stumps although deer are proving a problem. This may require a volunteer working party day to protect the stumps. It is hoped to obtain a grant to remove dangerous windblown trees from the west side while the area around the hydro site will require a session of replanting woodrush and native trees in the spring.
Cycling:IM noted that Kingussie has successfully achieved funding for the Bicycle Badenoch project which aims to help develop Kingussie into one of Scotland’s first pilot cycle communities.
River Gynack Flooding: IM reported from an e-mail from Highland Council’s Principal Engineer Flood Risk Management Team that a productive meeting was held between KCDC, Pitmain Estate, Adrian Laycock and the Highland Council. Highland Council confirmed that the proposal (upstream storage within Loch Gynack) was one of the feasible options considered to reduce flood risk in Kingussie through a study commissioned in 2012. Highland Council is working with Pitmain Estate engineers to determine if the existing and proposed work will produce the desired benefits and is investigating funding options to deliver the scheme. There is not currently funding allocated to flood alleviation in Kingussie within the Council’s capital Programme. However, a recommendation will be made to the Development and Infrastructure Committee in due course which will free up funding to develop these measures. AB then made a presentation to outline the proposed Pitmain scheme and illustrated how it might incorporate a flood relief channel. A graph showed how this might regulate the water flow keeping the Gynack within its banks but at a higher level for longer. In response to a question re change of land use to help with the problem AB noted that this was one of the options considered but would be too long term to achieve the desired result given the height and slow growth of trees.
AOCB: None
The meeting closed at 20.30