Proposal to censure Pat Cumbers (again)

30^th June 2008 There was a proposal to censure Pat Cumbers again.

I was accused of the following :

It was alleged :

By refusing to accept the legitimacy of the Feoffees Management Committee appointed by them to manage the day to day conduct of the of the business of the Town Estate and by refusing to attend meetings of the Feoffees Management Committee to which she was appointed, not fulfilled her obligations as a trustee of the Town Estate.

My response to that allegation :

It was untrue to say that I refused to accept the legitimacy of the sub committee known as the feoffees management committee - such sub committees are clearly permitted in the governing document.

I attended the weekly meetings of the sub committee until chairman Ken Saunders gave himself the power to choose which feoffees he would allow to attend the sub committee meetings even as an observer. He effectively turned open meetings into secret meetings. He had no authority to do that of course.

The Town Estate possessed very poor governance – no policies and procedures relating to governance and that included no written job description for the position of Town Estate chairman.

Nobody has any obligation to attend and condone secret meetings – in fact the very opposite. It was especially problematic with those particular sub committee meetings which were not minuted and where there was inadequate reporting back.

Trustees have many duties (obligations) This alleged that I had not fulfilled any obligations without giving one such example.

It was alleged :

Used her position as a Trustee of the Town Estate to inform and support a person/organisation with which the Town Estate was in legal dispute to bring the management of the Town Estate into disrepute.

My response to that allegation:

Not one example was provided of how had I ‘used my position as a Trustee of the Town Estate’ to do anything !

It was alleged :

Repeatedly, consistently and with malice has made public allegations about the conduct and integrity of the trustees of the Town Estate either collectively or individually to the detriment of the good name of the Town Estate

My response to that allegation :

Not one example of the ‘public allegations’ which I was alleged to have made, was provided.

It was alleged :

Refused to accept the Scheme of Arrangement of the Town Estate with regard to her position as elected Senior Town Warden being titular only and devolving no power of management on her other than that which the Feoffees as a body may consider to be appropriate

My response to that allegation :

Not one example was given of my having refused to accept the Scheme of Arrangement.

　

It was alleged :

Repeatedly sought to assert herself as the trustee manager of the Town Estate interfering in the legitimate management structure authorised and appointed by the Feoffees, namely the Feoffees Management Committee.

My response to that allegation :

I didn’t understand what this allegation meant. No example was given.

It was alleged :

Failed to honour the obligations of a trustee of the Town Estate such obligations being acknowledged by her when signing the Minute Book of Acceptance by virtue of her election as to the titular office of Senior Town Warden in October 2007.

My response to that allegation :

This was alleging that I failed to honour all the obligations of atrustee yet did not provide one example.

The motion that I should be censured was supported by John Southerington, Richard Sage, Ken Saunders, Derek Simmonds, Tim Webster, Derek Larder, Derek Whitehouse, John Sanderson, Dr Bruce Williamson, and Peter Roffey