Can anyone point out anywhere on either of these documents where it limits the borrowing to only two years? This is why there needs to be questions and answers at town meeting, but people need to show up know and understand what is being asked and ask for explanation. This is why there needs to be more than two residents showing up for a pre town meeting.
Below are the facts and they will be used to justify whatever action is taken, you voted for them, you now deal with them.
What you voted for that is on the record or "on paper"
ARTICLE 2 DEBT AUTHORIZATION: POLICE STATION UPGRADE To see if the Town of Templeton will vote to appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds, a sum of money to be expended under direction of the Selectmen to pay costs of designing, constructing and equipping a 4,000 square foot addition to and remodeling of the Templeton Police Station, located at 33 South Road, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto; or take any other action relative thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Nine Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($975,000) to pay costs of designing, constructing and equipping a 4,000 square foot addition to and remodeling of the Templeton Police Station, located at 33 South Road, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto; said sum to be expended under the direction of the Selectmen; and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to borrow said sum under M.G.L. 44, Section 7, or pursuant to any other enabling authority; provided, however, that no sum shall be borrowed or expended hereunder unless the Town shall have voted to exempt the amounts required for the payment of interest and principal on said borrowing from the limitations on taxes by M.G.L. 59, Section 21C (also known as Proposition 2 ½).
Passed Unanimously/November 9th @ 8:33
I see no mention of any time limit here, I see no mention of two years! You actually have to read and understand what you are voting on, it does not matter what you heard or what was said by whom, it is what is on paper, on the record that counts. That is what will be seen by bond counsel.
from special town election December 2015:
Question 2. Shall the Town of Templeton be allowed to
exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the
amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay costs of
designing, constructing, and equipping a 4,000 square foot addition to and
remodeling of the Templeton Police Station, located at 33 South Road,
Templeton, Massachusetts, including the payment of all costs incidental or
related thereto?
YES___________ NO____________
|
TOWN OF TEMPLETON
|
||||
|
SPECIAL TOWN
ELECTION
|
||||
|
December 8, 2015
|
#
Eligible Voters
|
4,796
|
||
|
Total
Votes Cast
|
1,405
|
|||
|
Percent
|
29.3%
|
|||
|
QUES.
1 - New Elementary School
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
TOTAL
|
|
Yes
|
314
|
290
|
202
|
806
|
|
No
|
270
|
164
|
163
|
597
|
|
Blanks
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
TOTAL
|
585
|
454
|
366
|
1,405
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUES.
2 - Addition to Police Station
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes
|
396
|
313
|
249
|
958
|
|
No
|
187
|
139
|
116
|
442
|
|
Blanks
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
|
TOTAL
|
585
|
454
|
366
|
1,405
|
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you conclusion. When people go to the town meeting they see the warrant. Then they are given a "advisory Committee suggests" list. In the AC letter ( which is part of the town administration) it states:
"This article would authorize the borrowing of Nine Hundred Seventy Five Thousand Dollars
($975,000) to pay costs of designing, constructing and equipping a 4,000 square foot addition to
and remodeling of the Templeton Police Station. The proposed debt exclusion would add an
estimated $0.93 to the tax rate, and the debt would be discharged in two years"
Since these are handed out as a means for people to determine what they are voting for and what the town "Advisory Committee" suggest I would believe a argument could be made that the Article as proposed to the taxpayers was for 2 year loan.
Or are you saying that a town administration can get up, say that the Elementary School loan would be paid off in 2 years all the while knowing it will be a 40 yr loan. This would be legal?????
This loan was sold to the people of Templeton as a 2 year loan, period. Anything other than that would/should require a completely new article not a ratification.
Once again we have open and transparent government ?? Oh yes, again and again ! The Advisory Committee is not part of any administration. We are supposed to be independent, and try our best to do that, at least most of us do. I guess this means we can never believe anything we are told. I guess that is why Pauly always said get it on paper. Bev.
DeleteI think to change this article would make it null and void. No matter how you bend it, more than two years is not what the people of this town voted for. Bev. Oh, by the way, we will not have town council at the meeting. He is going to his daughter's wedding. I understand he wanted to send someone else, but the Selectmen said no. Just great, no legal advice !
DeleteBev. My point about the AC is that it is part of the town government structure ie administration.
DeleteThe advisory board did their job in presenting the facts to the people. It just so happens the present warrant only duplicates the atual article (which doesn't mention a timeframe) even though the instructions/notes from our town AC did put in more backround info vote voters.
It appears we need every aspect of each article to be written into the article so it can not later be manipulated into a completely new expense!
This just shows me more and more that our TA and BOS are more concerned with getting it past voters, than letting voters make informed choices. I feel like I'm being conned!
To Bob M.. You are correct the summary in the Nov. 9 2015 STM warrant on pg 5 summary states what you have . if you look in the annual report that is not included. WHY?
ReplyDeleteHey Annon,
DeleteI also see that its on the Master Capital Plan. Did it go before the Capital Improvement Committee because as far as I know(which isn't that far) its had one quorum, which if I understand the system it cannot conduct business without. Also on the most recent Master Plan it show the borrowing for the Police Station to be $1,000,000 and it even states 2 YEARS. It even has a yearly cost of $545,437 for 2018 and 2019.
This seems to re-enforce the 2 year period that was voted on last year.
Hey BOB M
ReplyDeleteI looked at master plan and did not see anything about police station. Where in Master plan page/section is it?
Anon,
ReplyDeleteIt's on the latest sheet I received from Doug M after the last CIC meeting (my first as member). I have no information as to when it was added.
I've been trying to fuind out more information as to how this all works. It's my understanding the the committee had not had a quorum for a long time if ever. I cannot find anything to contradict the fact that a committee cannot conduct any business without a quorum. I dont even understand how a Capital planning list is remotely up to date or have we conducted business without a quorum? Huh, scratching my head......
BOB M
ReplyDeleteI saw master plan and you were referring to Capital plan master sheets . my error
The last Capital Planning Committee that had published a report was in 2011. I know because I checked. Bev.
DeleteI do not think anyone will give us a loan at this time, except the USDA. I think they would give a loan to a rat. That is what I think this is all about. I am not sure if we can get a 2 year loan from them. I will call tomorrow and find out. Bev.
Delete