Sunday, September 24, 2017

Monday evening, Templeton board of selectmen poised to approve merit raises for non union personnel.

Selectmen office personnel . . . . . $  512.00
Assessor . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . .$  170.00
Treasurer/collector . . . . . . . . . . . . $  117.00
Town Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $  170.00
Development services . . . . . . . . . $1673.00
DPW - Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $304.00
DPW  - buliding & grounds . . . . . .$1682.00
Council on aging . . . . . .  . . . . . . . $3037.00
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$  210.00

Total of $7,875.00, per board of selectmen information
25 September under authority of article  18 of may 2017 annual town meeting of May 13, 2017.
In case you are interested:
from city data.com - Templeton, MA

Single family new construction building permits;
1997 - 16 with an average cost of $106,400.00
2014 - 3 with an average cost of   $189,500.00
Police data for 2015:
Murder - zero
Rape -          4
Robberies -  2
Assaults -   14
Burglaries - 12
Theft -         36
Auto theft -   4
Arson -         3
Why would some one sell sanders/spreaders two years old?

The reasons are many and some times do not make sense. Mass.DOT gets rid of sanders - stainless steel ones that appear to be brand new There were auction photos of a Mass.DOT sander at auction full of salt! Mass.DOT bought towed plows, as in, resembling a tractor trailer, and now they sit in a garage somewhere never to be used. Sometimes people get out of the business. Sometimes they change or upgrade, changing from chain type spreaders to auger type spreaders. Sometimes it is simple down sizing. I am unaware of where the Town got the 2 year old sanders, I am just glad they got them and it appears there is a change in thinking at Templeton highway. Maybe the Town trades in the excavator and gets a new truck, something the Town actually needs. Other than the police station upgrade, I believe Templeton highway department has had more money spent on equipment than any other department in Town since 2014. A loader, excavator, two dump trucks, plow (s) and now "new" sanders. So, how many roads were paved this past summer? Remember, the Town needed the excavator "to prep the roads."

Using past experience with regards to Alan Mayo, I am confident that changes at Templeton highway will result in better things happening, as Alan historically has ran a "good ship."

On the other side, building and grounds, how come a business for day care, needs certified wood chips under swings, but the swings at Town hall do not require them? More importantly, if the chips are for safety, why not have them under town owned play areas?