Templeton Watch: 02/22/18

Thursday, February 22, 2018

TO: Board of Selectmen
FROM: Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator
RE: Administrator's weekly report
DATE: February 15, 2018
CC: All Departments

Weekly Report: in part, states as of 12/11 we have roughly $10k left in snow & ice accounts so I have authorized deficit spending of $30k. So far this season the equipment has been out of service for a little over 300 collective hours during storms.

This can be read in entirety on Templeton Town website under Town administrator weekly reports.

An allocated summary - expenditure ledger document provided to advisory committee on July 30, 2018 shows an allocation of $132,500.00 with $37,059.07 spent with an ending balance of $95,440.93. These dates and dollar figures do not seem to match up.

Is that a typo that should read 2/11? Is there that big of a disconnect in Town Hall? Is that a keying error? Is this where we should hold people in government to a higher standard and accountable?

Are our financial reports to be trusted?

Kelli Pontbriand

1/30/2018 5:14 PM

To advisorycommittee templeton1.org, Beverly Bartolomeo and 44 others

1 attachment

Hi Attached is the budget VS Actual as of Dec 2017. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kelli Pontbriand

Accountant

Town of Templeton

978-894-2765

from Town Meeting vote in Ashburnham, MA - May, 2016 for fiscal year 2017 appropriations.

Notice this article is requested by the municipal light department of Ashburnham and is covered under MGL chapter 164! If only Templeton had some light commissioners like those in Ashburnham. FY2017 Town budget for Ashburnham was in 15 million dollar range.

$66,000.00 with no new tax, no tax rate impact, what a concept, no demands from the light commissioners either. Templeton needs new light commissioners.

ARTICLE 2:

To see if the Town will vote to authorize a PILOT payment based on the annual kilowatt sales of the Light Department multiplied by a per kilowatt value. from the Municipal Light Plant Funds, to the town treasury, as authorized by its Light Board in accordance with Chapter 164 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, or act in relation thereto.
(Requested by the Municipal Light Department)
SELECTMEN RECOMMEND: YES
CAPITAL PLAN. COMM. RECOMMEND: N/A
ADVISORY BD. RECOMMEND: YES
TAX RATE IMPACT: N/A

Brief Explanation:
The PILOT agreement is tied to the Pilot payment in the annual kilowatt sales of the light department multiplied by a per kilowatt value. This was put in place for FY13 to ease the calculation and establish a standard process for future years. In FY17 it is estimated we will receive $66,000.

Hubbardston, MA fiscal year 2018 budget requests;

Accountant Services - $35,000.00
Accountant expense - $ 200.00
Municipal finance Clerk - $ 6,000.00

Audit expense - $18,500.00

Total: $59,700.00

Place your bets on new town counsel - LK/P anyone?

Templeton Board of Selectmen

Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton
Monday, February 26, 2018, 6:30 p.m.

Agenda
1. Call the Meeting to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Public Comment

4. a. Meeting Minutes~ none
b. Executive Session Minutes~ none

5. New Business:
a. Action RE: Appointments & Introductions
b. Action RE: Law Firm Interviews~ Firm A & Firm B
c. Action RE: OPM RE: Police Station Project
d. Presentation RE: Capital Planning Report FY’19 and beyond
e. Presentation RE: FY’19 Budget
f. Referral to Workshop: none

6. Old Business:

7. Board & Staff Member Comments & Reports

8. Request for Executive Session per M.G.L. Ch.30, Sec. 21.3-Union Negotiations & Litigation
9. Adjournment

The listing of Agenda items is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent it is permitted by law.
THIS AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

So why would the agricultural commission meet at JK Crossroads? A restaurant rather than at Town Hall. On the Templeton Town website, Christof Chartier is listed as chairman. Mr. Chartier is also listed as a member of the Templeton Planning Board. One can either go to those respective places on the Templeton Town web site and email them or go to one of those meetings ( I think Planning Board may be the easiest one to attend and ask on camera) ask why the agricultural commission meets in a restaurant rather than Town Hall. Perhaps go to a selectmen meeting and ask them as well.

I also believe if you attend or watch a meeting (s) of the Templeton Advisory Committee, you will not see nor hear of any discussion on government conspiracy theories relating to 911, sandy hook or any other event. Advisory does discuss financial reporting, actions or lack there of by the board of selectmen and we have also pointed out from time to time that the agricultural commission meets at JK Crossroads. Perhaps more people should show for a selectmen meeting or the all committee meetings and ask why so many committees meet at places other than Town Hall.

Remember, selectmen have no real say so over other elected boards such as cemetery, sewer, planning, assessors, health etc.

Town:	Templeton, MA
Board:	Agricultural Commission
Time:	Monday January 29, 2018 6:30 PM EST
Location:	Agricultural Commission 119 Patriots Rd., JK Crossroads, East Templeton, MA

Agenda:	1. Review minutes 2. Old Business 3. Discuss Sign project 4. Upcoming meetings 5. Discuss recent Farm Bureau agenda 6. New Business 7. Miscellaneous 8. Schedule next meeting

Again, I try to keep this bog on local Templeton issues as well as state and federal things that may have a direct effect on Templeton. I am not naive enough to know there are many possibilities and situations to be created and to happen. There are many examples out there and it is not required for the "government" as a whole to be involved. Can any one say water gate?

That being said, the main focus of this bog is to provide information that is relevant to Templeton. Watching the Templeton board of selectmen state they cannot put forth a budget as early as say February because all of the numbers are not available and that is one reason why we need to change our election date and the date of our town meeting, when there has been one town (as reported in the Worcester Telegram) that has managed to put together and present a Town budget in February. If other towns can do that, why is it not possible for Templeton to do the same thing?

Since Templeton has created (or is trying to put together) an economic development entity, perhaps our representatives could follow the wishes of town voters (check vote results of the state election ballot question concerning pot) and this economic development could pursue or at least inquire if there are outside interests in Templeton being a location for a growing facility.

So we do not put the cart before the horse, let us watch and see if the selectmen put forth any Town Meeting warrant article (s) before the voters on this subject. Or will Templeton once again cry that we need business to help the tax base, then turn away all comers when the business interest show up?

from the Genera by-laws of Templeton:

Article VIII – Records and Reports

Section 1. All officers, boards, and committees of the town, shall cause records of their doings and accounts to be kept in suitable books. Said books shall be kept in their respective places in the town offices, and shall not be removed therefrom. Said books shall, unless otherwise provided by law, be open to public inspection at any reasonable time, but shall remain during such inspection under supervision of the officer, board, or committee having custody thereof.

Section 2. All officers, boards, standing committees, and special committees of the town having charge of the expenditure of town money shall annually report thereon in writing in such manner as to give the citizens a fair and full understanding of the objects and methods of such expenditures, referring, however, to the report of the Town Accountant for statements in detail of receipts and payments, and may make therein such recommendations as they deem proper. Such reports shall be submitted to the Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Report on or before the thirty-first (31) day of January of each year.