Friday, June 22, 2018

If anyone remembers Town Meeting, article 30, which included $10,000.00 for an infield groomer to be used at Gilman Waite field. Now, apparently, it has been "discovered" that piece of equipment actually costs somewhere in the $30,000.00 to $40,000.00 range. So the appropriation made will not cover the cost. It seems more apparent every day that information out of the selectmen office cannot be trusted. I feel from here on in, when the selectmen say this will cost X or we need this much money for that, the question (s) will be; where did that figure come from? Where is the bid or the quote and who gave it to you? What is the contact information so it can be checked out?  Does anyone still wonder why advisory would not approve $2,000.00 to be used under miscellaneous?

Do not worry, we have good numbers and the books are all set, well, except for some reconciliations and some unaccounted for checks and another possible payroll miscue.

Plus or minus 10%, give or take, not to worry.
Templeton's Jail cell: If you get arrested on a Friday, you will probably spend your time in the Athol State Police lockup until Monday morning.

If you are a qualified para-medic looking for work, Temple seems to need one - see the latest Templeton Town Administrator's weekly report. I hope all the shifts are covered beginning on July 1, 2018, as Templeton did pass an override to pay for that.

from the Town Administrator:

Weekly Report: Met w/DPW team. Sweeping runs behind due to staffing vacancy and maintenance needed on equipment. Have authorized the use of two Saturdays of overtime to try to get it caught up

Perhaps it is time to do a couple of things; first, contract out the street sweeping so it can get done, and secondly, use some free cash and chapter 90 money and build a salt storage shed and switch to road salt and skip the sand. Templeton can talk with the Hubbardston highway department and see how to do that and get some information on savings and other important work getting done when the crew does not have to spend weeks or month on sweeping streets. Time for the selectmen to manage, you know, their job.