TO:       Town of Templeton Department Heads, Committee and Board Chairman

From:   Richard Curtis, EMD / Ethics Liaison

RE:       Distribution of Conflict of Interest and Open Meeting Law Materials

Date:    March 21, 2016

            It is mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that each year, the Town of Templeton:

·         Provide every public employee with a copy of the Summary of the Conflict of Interest Law, and every other year – also complete the on-line training program. This year we must do both to comply.

·         Provide every elected or appointed public employee with a copy of the Open Meeting Law Guide and training materials.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Step 1:             Copies of the summary are sent out to each Department Head electronically, (Attachment #2), who will then print and issue copies, or send them electronically, to each of their employees, (full-time, part-time, contract, volunteer, board or committee members, etc.). Each employee will then fill in, sign and date the acknowledgment form, (Attachment #5), verifying that they received a copy. The employee must forward the signed acknowledgment form to the Town Clerk’s Office. Please ensure that each employee receives a copy of the summary and acknowledgment form.

Step 2:             This year, each employee must also go to the following web address and complete the Municipal Employee On-Line Training Program. (www.muniprog.eth.state.ma.us) 

            Upon completion, each employee must print out their certificate and forward a copy of that certificate to the Clerk’s Office.

OPEN MEETING LAW

                        Copies of the required Open Meeting Law materials, (the Attorney General’s Regulations 940 CMR 29;  the Open Meeting Law Guide and a copy of the Open Meeting Law – M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25), are sent out electronically to each Department Head, (Attachments #3 and #4), who will then print and issue copies, or send electronically, to each of their employees who hold elected or appointed positions in the Town of Templeton. Each employee who receives this material will fill in, sign and date the certificate of receipt form— (Attachment #6). The employee must forward the signed certificate of receipt form to the Town Clerk’s Office to verify that they have received, read and understand the requirements of the Open Meeting Law. Please ensure that every elected or appointed employee receives their copy of the Open Meeting Law Guide and Regulations and the certificate of receipt form.

All acknowledgement forms and certificates should be received by the Clerk’s Office no later than May 10, 2016.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (978)580-6620.

cc:                           Town Clerk

                                Town Administrator     

posted by Jeff Bennett 

It is time for us to be re certified with the state conflict of interest and open meeting law. Once you have completed the required items listed below bring in copies of documentation as instructed below and in attached document 1. 

Let me know if you need these forms printed for you and I will get them.  

Gordon
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
  Original Message  
From: Richard Curtis <emd@templeton1.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2016 11:04 AM
To: gordongmoore; cchartier; fletch91; Steven Castle; seldmorrison templeton1.org; turnkey3; idavis; bankowskioil; mmfarm; jan140; srdmopar; mddickson; joycegmsw; templetoncountrystore; thegibsta; schoolcommittee; carrie.novak; sbmldavis; dardlac; seljrichard templeton1.org; m129; bobmitchell21; John Columbus
Reply To: Richard Curtis
Subject: Conflict of Interest and Open Meeting Laws

It's that time once again for all Templeton Employees / Boards / Committees to
complete the Conflict of Interest Law and Open Meeting Law requirements as
mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Please open Attachment #1 for this year's instructions...

(You are receiving this email, as the Selectmen's Office has given me your email
address as someone who is responsible for a board / committee, or provides a
service 
for the Town of Templeton.)


Richard Curtis, EMD
1 Elm Street
Baldwinville, MA 01436
(978) 580-6620

posted by Jeff Bennett

MGL chapter 40, section 49

The selectmen, before the annual town meeting, shall at the expense of the town make available the annual town report for the use of the inhabitants containing the report of the selectmen for the calendar or fiscal year preceding said meeting, the report of the school committee, statements in tabulated form prepared under section sixty of chapter forty-one unless otherwise printed as provided in said section, the annual report of the town accountant for the preceding fiscal year as provided in section sixty-one of chapter forty-one, the annual report of the town treasurer as provided in section thirty-five of chapter forty-one, and except as otherwise provided by vote or by-law of the town, of such other officers and boards as consider it expedient to make a report, the jury list as required by chapter two hundred and thirty-four, and such other matters as the law, or the town by vote or by-law, requires or as the selectmen consider expedient. If the selectmen neglect or refuse to make the annual report, they shall severally forfeit fifty dollars.

Jeff Bennett

from general Town by-laws:

Article VIII – Records and Reports

 Section 1. All officers, boards, and committees of the town, shall cause records of their doings and accounts to be kept in suitable books. Said books shall be kept in their respective places in the town offices, and shall not be removed therefrom. Said books shall, unless otherwise provided by law, be open to public inspection at any reasonable time, but shall remain during such inspection under supervision of the officer, board, or committee having custody thereof.

Section 2. All officers, boards, standing committees, and special committees of the town having charge of the expenditure of town money shall annually report thereon in writing in such manner as to give the citizens a fair and full understanding of the objects and methods of such expenditures, referring, however, to the report of the Town Accountant for statements in detail of receipts and payments, and may make therein such recommendations as they deem proper. Such reports shall be submitted to the Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Report on or before the thirty-first (31) day of January of each year.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Selectmen to publish the Annual Report, to be made available in the Office of the Town Clerk on the Monday preceding the first Monday in May. Amended 8-31-78, Amended 5-16-13

Section 4. The Annual Town Report shall contain, in addition to the reports of officers, boards, and committees as hereinbefore provided, a detailed report of all moneys received into and paid out of the town treasury in the financial year next preceding, showing separately payments made from the proceeds of loans as capital outlays for permanent improvements; the report of the collector of taxes, of receipts, payments and abatements; statements of all funds belonging to the town or held for the benefit of its inhabitants; a statement of the liabilities of the town on bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or otherwise, and of indebtedness authorized but not incurred, and the purpose thereof: a statement of transfers made to or from any appropriation: abstracts of the records of the meetings of the town held since publication of the last annual report; a complete list of town officers and appointees for the municipal year: and such other matters as the said report is required by law to contain, or as may be inserted by the Selectmen under the discretion granted them by law.

Look for the report of the Treasurer in the 2015 Annual Town Report.
Jeff Bennett