Kells councillors clash over Loyd Park issue

The battle over the Kells commercial rate briefly resumed at the monthly meeting of the local town council last week, where Labour"s Cllr Tommy Grimes and Fianna Fáil members indulged in spats over a rejected Fianna Fail proposal to carry out work at the People"s Park at Loyd due to cost-cutting and a letter from the town"s Chamber of Commerce, urging councillors not to increase the rate. The 1.9 per cent increase in the Kells rate was robustly defended by the Labour-Fine Gael-Sinn Féin-Independent group of councillors while the Fianna Fail members strongly challenged Cllr Grimes"s claim that no commitment to spending on security measures at the Loyd Park entrance had been agreed in the previous two months. Town Clerk Jarlath Flanagan told members he had received the Chamber letter, signed by its president Jess Olohan, just hours before the statutory estimates meeting on 10th December. He had not been in a position to read it until after the meeting. Cllr Grimes told of being phoned the morning after the estimates meeting by a Loyd resident, who was angry that the majority group had 'stopped money for the Loyd project'. He told his caller no submissions had been made to officials to have such spending and no mention had been made at the two private meetings councillors held prior to setting the rate. The councillor added he had checked the minutes for the previous two years and found no approval for spending on such measures at Loyd, mentioned by the FF members at the final estimates meeting. Cathaoirleach Cllr Brian Collins said he had asked if this work could be carried out early in the New Year, since individual projects were not included in the final estimates. Cllr Bryan Reilly recalled a Drumbaragh meeting where residents made very clear to councillors the continuing problems of antisocial behaviour at the People"s Park. The FF group sought to have a small amount of money set aside at the final estimates meeting, but the majority voted this down. He said he was very disappointed that councillors who had given undertakings to the residents to support such spending had voted against the proposal. Cllr Brian Curran said members had been balancing an estimate, which meant it was not possible to set aside a large amount of money. However, any suggestion they were stopping work at Loyd was wrong and 'disgraceful'. Cllr Conor Ferguson said there were legal difficulties about placing a gate at the park, but these could be overcome. Spending of the $25,000 block grant next year had to focus on Loyd, Councillors Seán Drew and AO Farrelly reiterated. Area manager Brendan McGrath told councillors funding could be provided for the Loyd Park road, which was in public charge.