PRESENT:

Sandy Brunton, Michael Ackerley, Derek Crook, Georgia O’Neill

APOLOGIES:

Brendan Walsh, Joe Reade, Jane Chauvet

MINUTES:

Minutes from last month’s meeting were unavailable.  AP Sandy will contact Jane about making the action points from last month available to the board as soon as possible.

FOOD INITIATIVE:

AP Sandy will follow up previous discussions with Eric Walton about distribution.

AP Jane to follow up efforts to make Mull producers aware of Fergus Younger’s Argyll produce website.

AP Georgia to contact Mull Butchers about their delivery service and make other producers aware of the distribution opportunity it provides.  Can the Chamber help to publicise it further?

AP Sandy to ask Jane for any further information from CalMac and any other food info gathered since last meeting should be reported to the board before our next meeting.

It was agreed that the Chamber should be giving support to the various producers markets that are now being held on the island.

AP Georgia to contact Mairi @ MESS about sale of ‘Bag Free Island’ bags at Dervaig Producers’ market.

TRANSPORT:

Ferry Committee public meeting was poorly attended, despite the importance of the meeting which was to decide future timetabling.  Sandy offered to publicise future meetings of the Ferry Committee to Chamber members.  Georgia suggested that CalMac should be using the time customers are queuing for, and travelling on, the ferry to advertise such meetings and events.  AP Sandy  to contact Iain Erskine about the possibility of a public notice board and also about the Chamber’s DVD which is not being played.

Derek suggested that the DVD could be played on TVs being sold in MESS charity shops.

ROADS:

Pot holes are as bad as ever!  Weight restriction signs are being erected on smaller roads.  All action to be directed through Keep Mull Moving.  Points to be raised:

·         Weight restrictions

·         Road maintenance

·         Are road workers qualified in any way?

·         Will new money designated for Mull be spent in the same old wasteful way?

·         Is there an up to date report available from the recent Government test that surveyed the road surface?

AP Sandy to email KMM

AOCB:

Membership renewals still to be done.  Georgia will undertake the task if Jane is unable to.  AP Sandy to contact Jane about this.

Georgia suggested that the Chamber should invest in a laptop to avoid disruption to the Chamber’s business if the minutes secretary’s personal computer fails.