Thursday, July 20, 2017

Looking at the Templeton snow & Ice general ledger printout, there was $19,000.00 spent at Brookside Equipment sales. $13,,050.00 spent at Whitney & Sons, inc. which is a company that specializes in repair and parts for screening, crushing and conveying systems. Templeton does own a small screening plant used to "make winter sand" and then there is Schmidt Equipment co. for $5,000.00 and that is a John Deere dealer. Templeton highway does have a John Deere excavator.

Later there will be a posting of the breakdown of items and the totals spent under snow & ice deficit spending. An interesting item is the town fuel fund.

Has anyone ever seen a bulldozer at the city of Gardner sand pit off route 101? Has anyone ever seen a screening plant at the Gardner DPW area off route 2A? Does anyone think Graves sand and gravel re-screens sand in the winter? I think if anyone checks, you would find that no they do not. Could be they are smart enough not to waste time and dollars doing that. Probably doing the logical step, digging into the pile and if the top layer is frozen, set it aside, as it will not spoil and will crumble on a warmer day to be used, without the added cost and labor to re-screen it. Seems to reason that if you have 3 plus years of sand there, you should not need to spend the time and money doing what nature will do for you for free later.

There is still the question of why Templeton still has three loaders. Does anyone remember Bud Chase stating that the two old loaders were worn out and too costly to repair, so the Town needs a new loader, that was bought out of chapter 90 monies (road funds) yet those two "old" loaders could be seen in the video of the town's sand pit cruising around just like the new one. My first thought is, if those two loaders are that old and worn out, is it a safety issue and a legal liability to keep them around? Especially with a town employee who says he is licensed to operate them, states they are old and unreliable. Seems like that is testimony enough to put the town in legal jeopardy. Just a thought.


posted by Jeff Bennett

23 comments:

  1. 13k so the people will know Jeffy is for the screening plant rental we use for the time we screened the 3 + years worth of sand.5k is rental on the bulldoser we rented to mine the sand at the town pit. 19k at brookside was for the emergency replacement of our oldest truck a 74 a 6 wheel mack with a broken frame issue.
    Post more and I'll try to fill in the questions as a tax payer and the people who may think info here is your news will be informed.
    So people will know it cost ruffly 25k "estimated" us dollars to screen 3-4 years worth of road sand needed one way or another.
    To purchase it at the pit and haul it from another supplier i would think we would need a bigger bucket of money.
    Ataboy Bud and the town management team for looking out for our tax money and saving
    a ton of money for the town to use somewhere else it's needed.
    Good job crew and elected officials both.
    This winter's costs could have been a lot worse if not for the efforts and hard work by those involved.
    Thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:26 PM

      You think it saved a big bucket of money. Did it really? Without a cost analysis how would anyone know? Should we trust someone who can't spell roughly? Dave, I hope your new boss checks your work because your attention to detail is severely lacking in your use of the English language.
      PS I love pissing you off by posting as anonymous. Make me happy now and insult me. You are too easy.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3:51 PM

    Has Templeton done a rigorous analysis of the system used by the state? No sand to spend months and months cleaning up. Not to mention the annoyance of having sand on our streets and roads into July. All the time spent doing half-ass processing costs money and fuel. All the money spent time cleaning up the mess you made all winter. Clogging storm drains. And you don't put sand down, you put halfass processed junk with small stones.

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  3. I find it hard to believe that trained, qualified, experienced people including a mechanic couldn't determine a 43 year old truck might have a rust issue on the frame until it broke. This is what Dave is selling as an excuse as to why it wasn't on the capital plan.

    I thought I remembered you saying we needed the screener to rerun the frozen dirt due to a lack of cover. I remember you arguing this with Jeff. It even came up during the Capital planning meeting as we talked about options to cover the dirt with Alan.

    It would really help everyone if you stopped defending bad choices and started looking for better, more efficient methods to do your job. You know your job better than I, so tell us how to accomplish the same task while saving money.

    Anons point is totally valid. Sand is time consuming and expensive when you look at the entire process from buying, hauling,screening, spreading to cleanup. How does this compare to other methods? What is the difference on use and abuse of vehicles?
    I'm sure Alan is looking at this stuff as he seems to be a very conscious of costs and the burden it puts on the taxpayer.
    I'm hoping that over time we can get our finances straight and our capital planning organized and functional so we can stay ahead of the curve on items like this. Placing the truck purchase on the Snow and Ice budget is a costly method of replacing equipment and puts an unplanned burden on revenues.

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  4. Anonymous5:58 PM

    When did Templeton acquire this 1974 truck?

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  5. Owe you must mean those revenues that don't include any machinery upgrades when they are told are needed.
    This truck has been in the fleet long enough to say we got out of it what we pay for it and then add a bucket of money saved by keeping it going. It has only been used for sanding and plowing and when getting it ready a full inspection showed a frame issue not trust-able for use as cross members were bad and frame thin.
    #I thought I remembered you saying we needed the screener to rerun the frozen dirt due to a lack of cover. good job bob you remember. There's a good quality to have.
    Jeff stated they cover the pile he has with a tarp.
    There's a good laugh there "seriously". Like you know.
    We put out more in one round then Jeffy dreams about doing all year.
    Tarps are a joke as the top layer absorbs moisture like a wick.
    Freeze and the top chunks the size of a truck fall down and break into chunks that we screen so sanders will put out without drivers spending time unplugging and quickly have roads safer.
    #Placing the truck purchase on the Snow and Ice budget is a costly method of replacing equipment and puts an unplanned burden on revenues.
    No members to have meeting kind of hamper the efforts you dream were in place to do that Bob,we told you before about lack of quorums don't you remember?
    Just when i thought you were getting better,owe bother.
    So the towns people will be looking for some results to go with the insults these quality people put out here on your blog boys.
    When can we expect money to purchase some new equipment like we were told we would have?
    AC,thoughts?
    Advise what when where or better yet How any time you see fit.
    Bob can you help Anon he struggles to keep up and has a problem with the reality of identity and fears.
    I guess i should back off and hope he gets better on his own.
    Ta Ta for now.
    Seriously fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:14 AM

      Still no answer about a cost analysis on buying sand (minimal labor and product cost) versus screening sand (major labor and reused product cost). You claim there is a big difference. But is it really? Who knows.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous5:13 AM

    don't wanna say when you boys decided a 1974 truck was a Smart idea? Coward won't own his mistakes!

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  7. I would be wasting my time finding out for you Coward.
    I know it was purchased used and a long time prior to the fire.
    I can check but that's like stated above.
    Anon is a Coward who is,in his own words in FEAR?
    So "like" seriously,Why do you still comment on the blog you say i ruined.
    So "like " seriously why don't you understand why it is the way you made it the way it now is?
    To bad there weren't intelligent pills for your lack of understanding simple things.
    I explained as well as it can be and you still do the obtuse shuffle.
    I guess you can't help it with the conditions you have.
    With your time try this out call graves and find cost of a load of sand and calculate that times the number of loads it would take for three years and do the math "if" you can run a calculator.
    Call the Barn and ask questions if you "want" to help Templeton.
    Otherwise! GPS

    Thank you!!!


    Like"Seriously"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:58 AM

      I love it when you call me names. You are too easy. Your fascination with the word obtuse is awesome.
      Sounds like you are afraid to know the answer. It might mean less work for the department in thr end, maybe even less full time workers.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous7:19 AM

    Total cost has never been calculated, imo. Who has the ability to do that? Nobody in Templeton town management.

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  9. Anonymous9:05 AM

    Very good point, Jeff, about the legal jeopardy for the town in continuing to use "worn out" equipment. Good management would put an immediate halt to that dimwit idea.

    ReplyDelete
  10. With the help from the AC soon we should get the needed equipment we have been looking for.
    Just had a demo yesterday.
    Pony up AC fork over the money needed.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lack of knowledge to read and understand what i write is obviously a problem for the ANON cowards.
    Simple answers are still a struggle with them.
    The 74 mack was purchased in 1974 to specs.
    Add it up ANON how much did the town get out of their investment.
    Owe sorry that will take a brain you seem to be lacking.
    A calculator would be a bit of A challenge too!!!
    Too funny.
    Coward fits you and your Fears.
    Bob see if you can get him pointed in the correct direction for the help he seriously needs.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous5:22 PM

    Dave - look up the word "owe" in a dictionary and stop using as if it belonged in the Star Spangled Banner.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So like aok You nameless one.
    I never said i was perfect but we all know you are lacking a little too.
    Like Seriously you know!!!
    Thanks for your tootership!!!
    HE HE HE!!!
    Ain't it fun to see you return time and time again to act like a teacher of some sort!!!
    Thank you so much!!!
    I Appreciate all your help and the time you spend with me on this and other matters.
    Now Bob can you please get him some extra help before he goes pop.

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  14. David,

    Please read town policies on who is responsible for town budgets............Who hasn't ponied up the funds, the process, the means to update equipment...........

    ReplyDelete
  15. AC has it in the title but that rarely does happen.
    We save more and more and are allowed less and less.
    When will the town committees ever find out how to run this show.
    Please advise if possible.
    If members don't speak nobody listens.
    Crickets!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous9:41 PM

    Dave, tootership isn't what you need.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous8:23 AM

    I doubt that tutorship would do any good either.

    ReplyDelete
  18. All you do it toot you Coward!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous4:35 PM

    Nobody knows what that gibberish means, Dave.

    ReplyDelete
  20. You only eat beans and toot here after.
    Tooter in chief without a backbone or a name.
    Oh Coward is good enough

    ReplyDelete