RETIRING chairman of Merkinch Community Council, Ali MacLean, stuck to his decision to leave his post despite attempts at the March meeting to persuade him to stay. However he did agree to remain a member of the council. He is to be succeeded as chairman by Clair Pieraccini in a unanimous vote. Dell McClurg was voted vice-chair.

• The question of whether Inverness should part company from Highland Council and have its own city council was raised by HC Councillor Peter Corbett. As representative of people in the Merkinch ward he sought the views of community council members on the matter. Members wanted to know what Cllr Corbett’s personal views were and he said that he thought Inverness was big enough to go it alone. He said he thought that sometimes it did not get its share of the local authority’s budget - on the other hand people in outlying areas such as Lochalsh and Ross-shire felt that Inverness got too much! Councillor Chrissie Cumming, whose Muirtown ward includes parts of Merkinch said she and Peter had both put their heads above the parapet and stated they thought it would be a good thing.
  Ali MacLean expressed the view that the rateable base in Inverness was such that Highland council would have difficulty surviving without the Inverness contribution.
  Cllr Corbett said he thought this would be a long-term debate: more facts were needed before a final opinion could be stated. Members agreed, saying that although they broadly agreed with the concept, they needed more time to clarify their views.
• Cllr Corbett also reported that the Merkinch Working Group composed of councillors and officials was soon to be reporting publicly to Highland Council on their findings.
  He also advised that a change was to be made to the entrance to Merkinch Primary School and there was to be no permit parking in Telford Avenue and Telford Road.
• In her report from the Police, Community Beat Officer described the public assistance being offered the police as “superb”. Crime and vandalism were down thanks to a lot more response from the public. “People are standing up and being counted,” she said.
  One member reported that there was a car recently abandoned in the West Field, and another raised the question of the danger to pedestrians of skate-boarders, a growing phenomenon throughout the city.
• Brian Cain of South Kessock Residents Association reported that housing voids in South Kessock were going down at a great rate - from around 60 or 70 not long ago to 30.
  Dell McClurg asked whether it would be possible to have a sign put up to warn road-users of the presence of ducks walking across Kessock Road.
• Alec Macleod representing the much diminished residents’ association in Maclennan Crescent said that it was hoped they could join in with the Thornbush Road Residents’ Association. Although agreed in principle, this is not slated to go ahead until Maclennan Crescent has undergone its refurbishment.
• The project to give Merkinch its own web-site, funded by Community Economic Development, is to be headed by the Community Council with Merkinch Enterprise carrying out the project on the community council’s behalf. Members unanimously agreed to this arrangement and agreed that Clair Pieraccini, a director of Merkinch Enterprise, would act as liaison between the two bodies. Treasurer Brian Cain agreed to open a third account to deal with this project.
• The community council’s next meeting is on Thursday 24th April at the Community Centre