The one downside of webcasting council meetings, particularly those of the executive board is that it's all a bit of a back-slapping PR exercise. This morning's offering was no exception.
Kicking off with praise for the former Director of Social Care on his new year honours OBE, they decided to write a letter, sending him their warm congratulations. I'm sure the various whistle-blowers who have flagged up issues with social care over the years would love to add their names to the card as well, if they have time in-between their disciplinary hearings...
Whilst all around is falling apart, and the county awash with floods, (the staff who dealt with the emergencies were, quite rightly, thanked for their work) there was a strange emphasis on cycling. I have nothing against two-wheeled transport of course, quite the opposite in fact but the percolation of the subject through the meeting seemed to be something of a deliberate distraction.
Anyway, we learned that the chief executive is a keen cyclist which is useful as it can now be suggested that he gets on his bike without it being libellous. We also learned that Cllr Pam Palmer doesn't cycle...thought you did Pam?
We found out that the five year capital programme is very, very, exciting (nearly everyone said that), despite what the cynics might say (see below) and, as for local communities, it's about time everyone sorted out their own facilities rather than the county council, Pam and Meryl were particularly vocal over this.
We discovered that the chief executive has suddenly learned how to declare an interest - this time over an item on the all-staff car salary sacrifice scheme - unlike that previous occasion when they were handing him the dosh for his legal fees.
We also learned that whilst the Asset Transfer scheme to offload 96 parks and playgrounds to community groups and councils (and Labour councillor Derek Cundy, in attendance to challenge the policy, pointed out that this was not an asset transfer at all, but a cost transfer) didn't impinge at all on the council's 'get fit and active' policy, but would, if the transfer policy was reversed actually impinge on the council's equalities policy.
This leap of logic seemed to rest on the fact that if some areas didn't take over local assets then this wouldn't be fair on those who did. Not entirely sure they quite grasp the concept of equality issues, but I suppose they can pray for divine guidance at the next full council meeting.
Parc Howard came up as it is one of the '96' and the report contained an objection from the Parc Howard Association. This gave Meryl the opportunity to once again trot out her tale of the terrible, devious nature of local residents who had 'gone behind' the council's back and raised concerns about a proposed car park at Parc Howard and so, apparently, thwarting the council's bid for Lottery money.
Anyway. as I've said, the capital programme was also up for discussion and, with the press in attendance, it was welcomed as 'very exciting', Meryl was delighted that they were all in it together, her and Mark she meant, naturally, with Emlyn perched on the back seat. And it might even make Carmarthenshire a centre of excellence for cycling..the cycling capital of Wales even. Wonderful.
On the subject of the capital programme, the chief executive, we gathered, found the people of Llanelli quite simply irritating and clearly ungrateful for the millions being spent there..the proposed care home, the proposed leisure centre and - said slowly for maximum effect - a proposed closed road cycling circuit.
And just what were they going to do with Parc Howard? he said. He meant 'bloody Parc Howard'. Clearly the publicity and fuss which thwarted their plans to quietly sell it off in the summer, to anyone who could spin a good story, is another source of intense irritation to Mr James.
Cllr Dole wasn't going to remove Parc Howard from the '96', as requested in the letter but was looking forward, he snarled, to discussions with the PHA and the Town Council.
There was much giggling when the subject of sex came up. Sorry to disappoint but it was in relation to a reduction in the licence fee, from £5000 to £975 for sex establishments, a reduction required by recent case law. There are no such dens of iniquity in Carmarthenshire of course and, amidst the giggles, Cllr Dai Jenkins wondered if there would now be a flood of applications.
I suspect that this could form an important element of Meryl and Mark's regeneration strategy, and no doubt they will be exploring the possibilities after the meeting... perhaps Parc Howard could become a playboy mansion? with topless skittles down at the evangelical bowling alley?
An item on 'Active Travel' also came up which involves mapping all the 'healthy routes, footpaths etc across the county. This gave yet another opportunity to mention cycling and the fact that there's a lot of cyclepaths in the county, or in the Chamber...I couldn't quite hear.
All in all, everything was given a gloss of spin. Slashing the majority of Adult Learning courses, which was also on the agenda, along with offloading the parks and playgrounds etc were all magically translated into 'wonderful opportunities' for the communities involved.
The gist of the chief executive's new year message was that the people of Llanelli were, quite simply, ungrateful b*****ds. And Pam and Meryl with the patronising smugness which only overpaid senior councillors can deliver, admonished the communities they claim to represent, and the general populace of Carmarthenshire, for being lazy parasites, in so many words.
And so, another year begins in County Hall.
A few cynical previous posts about the very exciting capital programme can be found here;
Capital Priorities
Plaid's 'vision for Carmarthenshire' under attack
A 'vision for Carmarthenshire' - Plaid embrace County Hall spin
..and in case you missed my brief, seasonal summary of 2015, it's here.
Kicking off with praise for the former Director of Social Care on his new year honours OBE, they decided to write a letter, sending him their warm congratulations. I'm sure the various whistle-blowers who have flagged up issues with social care over the years would love to add their names to the card as well, if they have time in-between their disciplinary hearings...
Whilst all around is falling apart, and the county awash with floods, (the staff who dealt with the emergencies were, quite rightly, thanked for their work) there was a strange emphasis on cycling. I have nothing against two-wheeled transport of course, quite the opposite in fact but the percolation of the subject through the meeting seemed to be something of a deliberate distraction.
Anyway, we learned that the chief executive is a keen cyclist which is useful as it can now be suggested that he gets on his bike without it being libellous. We also learned that Cllr Pam Palmer doesn't cycle...thought you did Pam?
We found out that the five year capital programme is very, very, exciting (nearly everyone said that), despite what the cynics might say (see below) and, as for local communities, it's about time everyone sorted out their own facilities rather than the county council, Pam and Meryl were particularly vocal over this.
We discovered that the chief executive has suddenly learned how to declare an interest - this time over an item on the all-staff car salary sacrifice scheme - unlike that previous occasion when they were handing him the dosh for his legal fees.
We also learned that whilst the Asset Transfer scheme to offload 96 parks and playgrounds to community groups and councils (and Labour councillor Derek Cundy, in attendance to challenge the policy, pointed out that this was not an asset transfer at all, but a cost transfer) didn't impinge at all on the council's 'get fit and active' policy, but would, if the transfer policy was reversed actually impinge on the council's equalities policy.
This leap of logic seemed to rest on the fact that if some areas didn't take over local assets then this wouldn't be fair on those who did. Not entirely sure they quite grasp the concept of equality issues, but I suppose they can pray for divine guidance at the next full council meeting.
Parc Howard came up as it is one of the '96' and the report contained an objection from the Parc Howard Association. This gave Meryl the opportunity to once again trot out her tale of the terrible, devious nature of local residents who had 'gone behind' the council's back and raised concerns about a proposed car park at Parc Howard and so, apparently, thwarting the council's bid for Lottery money.
Anyway. as I've said, the capital programme was also up for discussion and, with the press in attendance, it was welcomed as 'very exciting', Meryl was delighted that they were all in it together, her and Mark she meant, naturally, with Emlyn perched on the back seat. And it might even make Carmarthenshire a centre of excellence for cycling..the cycling capital of Wales even. Wonderful.
On the subject of the capital programme, the chief executive, we gathered, found the people of Llanelli quite simply irritating and clearly ungrateful for the millions being spent there..the proposed care home, the proposed leisure centre and - said slowly for maximum effect - a proposed closed road cycling circuit.
And just what were they going to do with Parc Howard? he said. He meant 'bloody Parc Howard'. Clearly the publicity and fuss which thwarted their plans to quietly sell it off in the summer, to anyone who could spin a good story, is another source of intense irritation to Mr James.
Cllr Dole wasn't going to remove Parc Howard from the '96', as requested in the letter but was looking forward, he snarled, to discussions with the PHA and the Town Council.
There was much giggling when the subject of sex came up. Sorry to disappoint but it was in relation to a reduction in the licence fee, from £5000 to £975 for sex establishments, a reduction required by recent case law. There are no such dens of iniquity in Carmarthenshire of course and, amidst the giggles, Cllr Dai Jenkins wondered if there would now be a flood of applications.
I suspect that this could form an important element of Meryl and Mark's regeneration strategy, and no doubt they will be exploring the possibilities after the meeting... perhaps Parc Howard could become a playboy mansion? with topless skittles down at the evangelical bowling alley?
An item on 'Active Travel' also came up which involves mapping all the 'healthy routes, footpaths etc across the county. This gave yet another opportunity to mention cycling and the fact that there's a lot of cyclepaths in the county, or in the Chamber...I couldn't quite hear.
All in all, everything was given a gloss of spin. Slashing the majority of Adult Learning courses, which was also on the agenda, along with offloading the parks and playgrounds etc were all magically translated into 'wonderful opportunities' for the communities involved.
The gist of the chief executive's new year message was that the people of Llanelli were, quite simply, ungrateful b*****ds. And Pam and Meryl with the patronising smugness which only overpaid senior councillors can deliver, admonished the communities they claim to represent, and the general populace of Carmarthenshire, for being lazy parasites, in so many words.
And so, another year begins in County Hall.
A few cynical previous posts about the very exciting capital programme can be found here;
Capital Priorities
Plaid's 'vision for Carmarthenshire' under attack
A 'vision for Carmarthenshire' - Plaid embrace County Hall spin
..and in case you missed my brief, seasonal summary of 2015, it's here.