I requested a copy of a report that is suppose to be generated as a result of direction from Town Meeting (see Templeton Veterans Advisory Board by-law on Town web site)

Below is my emailed request and response received, followed by my rebuttal.
You make the call as to what you feel is the right approach to the operation of your Town.

jeff bennett

Fri 1/18/2019, 3:14 AM

Carter Terenzini;

Tom Harrington;

Town Clerk

Templeton general Town by-laws, Article II - Town Meeting, 

Section 14. All committees shall report as directed by the Town. If no report is made within a year after its appointment, a committee shall be discharged unless, in the meantime, the town shall have granted an extension of time. 

So, there is a directive from the Town; ie, Town Meeting per by-law, for the Veterans Advisory Board to report. The Veterans Advisory Board by-law directs said group to report. Why is there no report? Is there even a quorum or a board in existence to report? I can find no postings of any meetings of this board since July 1, 2018. Rather than change a by-law every time they are not followed, how about we hold people accountable and we start following the by-laws; the guiding policies of the Town? 

respectfully submitted;

Jeffrey Bennett

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From: Carter Terenzini <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 8:37 AM
To: Tom Harrington; Town Clerk
Cc: Jeff Bennett
Subject: RE: report request

 

Good Day Jeff:

We haven’t received the report as of yet and Sheila is out today so we’ll get this to you over the next few days. 

Interestingly your request brings out some conflict/issue  within the by-laws that I’m asking Town Counsel to follow-up on in the codification process as you can see below.

Tom/Carol:

Article LVI, Section 4. Says that “The Committee shall annually file a report on its work, to include such recommendations as it deems worthy of consideration, with the Board of Selectmen in December of each year.”

Article VIII, Section 2. Says that “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… 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.  

I note that the latter refers to only Boards spending “…town money…” and nowhere in the by-laws (excepting the Veterans Advisory Board) does it appear to require reports from bodies which do not spend “… town money…”.  I think it might be best to eliminate the issue of only money and simply require reports form any standing or ad-hoc entity and then eliminate S. 4 of the Veterans By-Laws

Many Thanks

Carter Terenzini

Town Administrator

Town of Templeton

160 Patriots Road

East Templeton, MA 01438

1.978.894.2755