Sunday, March 26, 2017

Now, about those shortfalls regarding the school:

Email received last year when I was asking questions concerning the school project.

From: "Alix, Timothy" <Tim.Alix@colliers.com>
Date: March 2, 2016 at 7:37:05 PM EST
To: Diane Haley Brooks <1tuesdaygirl@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: MSBA Information
I think it’s OK for the Selectman’s office to enter the information and request reimbursement.  The treasurer and accountant will be aware of what is getting reimbursed electronically and can have access to the propay system at any time to take a look at the status.   They will need to understand what the net cost to the Town is on an ongoing basis to ensure that there are sufficient funds to move forward.  With each electronic reimbursement request, paperwork is generated by the system which will need to be signed by multiple parties, so the accountant and Treasurer could review the summaries of each request.  The requests can only be done once a month, so they could plan to review the info at that time.

Timothy Alix 
Project Manager
Project Management | Northeast
Main +1 413 592 0030 X123 | Mobile +1 860 930 5036 | Fax +1 413 285 8592 Tim.Alix@colliers.com

This email seems to indicate that a secretary in the selectmen's office was doing the work on the records of the new school, rather than the treasurer. It also seems to indicate that the town accountant and treasurer "will be aware of what is getting reimbursed electronically and can have access to the propay system at any time to take a look at the status."

So, at least one member of the board of selectmen was aware of this strange arrangement of a secretary rather than the treasurer entering information on town debt, The debt exclusion for feasibility study and design, totaling $1,050,000.00. Still this was allowed to happen and now there is a shortfall in both items of over one million dollars.

posted by Jeff Bennett
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1 comment:

  1. Are you kidding me right now? I spoke of this at several meetings and then I made a motion for it to go to the treasurer and for the MSBA training to be completed by September of last year. I made clear to the TA and at board meetings and at a finance meeting that the Selectman's office should NOT be processing propay and it was the job of the treasurer. Please go back and look at minutes or meetings. The MSBA training was not done until later than we voted and I believe it's still being processed in the Selectman's office. I have spoken to Carter and also made him aware of the vote. Stop throwing shade my way Jeff, it's not necessary and it's not warranted. I have spoken up, sent emails and the day to day operations befalls the TA. I will be sure to bring it up once again and ensure it's with the Treasurer at this time.
  2. No, I am not kidding you. You have been on the board of selectmen since January 2014. Two experience town administrators and full staff and yet the Town treasurer is not doing the job, as you stated in your comment above. As a selectmen, you are a member of a board that is responsible for the financial and legal affairs of the town. You were on the board of selectmen while that superior department crap was tossed about. You did forward me that email which I appreciate but that does not buy anyone a pass. I remember that you made the motion at the town meeting concerning the citizen petition to rescind the funding for the school. That motion was to stop debate or actually prevent debate and questions on the subject. The legal bills show that the selectmen went far to prevent disclosure of those very bills. And remember, I served on the board of selectmen so I know how the bills come in and what the warrant for the town's bills looks like. I also read face book pages and I see the one sided posts to ones "peeps" Now, I hate to be cynical, but it is election time and you are running for re-election, so I kind of expect all of this "I did this and I spoke to this and I tried this and on and on" It is politics and I get all of that, but, you are a selectmen and that means that you and the rest of the board are RESPONSIBLE for things. You can delegate authority but not responsibility. By the way, I am not throwing shade your way, I am throwing heat. I am going to find the email from Markel concerning the recommendation that department heads not meet with the Advisory Committee which if memory serves me, there was mention that some selectmen did not feel that the department heads should meet with the Advisory Committee either. So, do you still think it only costs Templeton $37,000.00 for dispatch service? 
  3. posted by Jeff Bennett
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4 comments:

  1. Unknown5:01 PM

    Throwing heat? I don't need the heat. You've been on the Board as well when the $505,000 was found and no one until the last minute, which was you, claimed responsibility. I have brought many things to light. I am not a politician so nothing I post has anything to do with being re-elected. Julie and Cam could win the seats and I would still be in the audience point things out like you do. I have been involved and always will be. It doesn't matter what I say, you have zero patience for me and I'm fine with that. Why don't you throw some heat the on the other board members? Huh, maybe because they don't speak out as much or maybe they do and you find me a convenient target. There's much work to be done and we cannot accomplish it alone. I am not the only RESPONSIBLE one, we all are. I did not know until I read it on the blog that the lawyer reviewed that article. I will swear on a bible and my life about that. We never have seen the background and honestly, I never thought to ask. What about the other selectman?? Again, call them out as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown9:42 PM

    Somebody, please help me to understand why any TA would want/recommend that town department heads NOT talk to the Advisory Committee (AC). The AC's job is to review Warrent Articles and provide their recommendations to the town voters. They are also to provide an explanation for their recommendations.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:00 AM

    How long are the TA and the (other members) BOS going to put up with a Treasurer that cannot do the job? The school reimbursement was taken away from her because she couldn't handle it, the payroll was taken away from her because she couldn't handle it. The auditors have said said she isn't doing her job, but the present and former TA's give her more money?????? Thanks Diane for trying.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown10:50 PM

    Liz, the AC is meeting with dept heads at the same time as the BOS in joint workshops.

    ReplyDelete

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