all material on this blog is directed to members of the general public and is not intended to be read by my fellow Committee members, nor do I intend for any readers to convey such material directly or indirectly to my fellow Committee members.

"A repeat offender in recent years, the Board of Selectmen most recently failed to provide sufficient information in advance of a Feb. 27 meeting about topics discussed in executive session, and it discussed a topic that lacked a valid reason for being held in closed session, the attorney general’s office said."

If that applies to the selectmen of Webster, I believe it also applies to the Templeton Board of Selectmen, failing to provide sufficient information in advance of the July 31, 2017 meeting concerning the topic (s) for executive session. There are 10 reasons to go into executive session.

from the policies and procedures for the selectmen, drawn up by, discussed by , voted on by, and put in place by the selectmen only!

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAIRMAN:
       The Chairman of the Board shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Board. In doing so, he/she shall maintain order in the meeting room, recognize speakers, call for votes and preside over the discussion of agenda items.
2. Sign official documents that require the signature of the Chairman. A vote may be taken for the Chairman to sign when needed.
3. Call special meetings in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.
4. Prepare agenda with the Town Administrator.
5. Arrange orientation for new members.
6. Represent the Board at meetings, conferences and other gatherings unless otherwise determined by the Board or delegated by the Chairman.

AGENDA PROCEDURES: The responsibility for coordinating and planning the meeting agenda is that of the Town Administrator. Each of the Board members and the Town Administrator may place items on the agenda. The Town Administrator, in consultation with the Chairman, will schedule a realistic time period for each appointment, interview, conference or other schedule of business.

So, with a secretary to the selectmen/administrator who states she was/is a paralegal and now a selectmen in another town, an administrator with several lives and 35 +/- years of experience and a chairman on his second consecutive stint as chairman, one would think that between the three of them, a meeting agenda would be correct and posted in the proper time frame. That would most likely be incorrect. It is time for the selectmen to follow procedure and the law and post their meeting accordingly. Templeton resident deserve to know or at least have an idea of what will be talked about in secret.

Disclaimer

Opinions expressed are those of Jeff Bennett and do not represent any other member of the Advisory Committee