Section9-6 of Templeton Town bylaws, Advisory Committee- The Advisory Committee shall meet jointly with the Select Board whenever there is a request to consider adjusting spending limits on any revolving fund, any end of year financial transfer or any request of transfer from the Town reserve fund.

Advisory Committee meeting agenda - June 1, 2023:

a. Action RE: Public Works- Emergency fund transfer request.

Public Works Emergency fund = a transfer request from town reserve fund (the is no emergency fund in State Law - MGL chapter 40, section 5c) so it seems the town administrator, the select board and advisory committee either do not understand town bylaws or do not care about them. Beginning of last meeting of select board, new chair stated about how the select board follows policy and procedure. They would impress the hell out of me if they would follow a town bylaw for once!

Hello, Jeff,

 

Here’s how the rule works:

 

Snow and Ice is considered a legal deficit (meaning we will not reduce your free cash by the amount of a snow and ice deficit, should you have one…) IF you appropriated at least as much for your snow and ice budget as the prior year.

 

So, using your example below:

 

In FY2013, if you showed a snow and ice deficit on your 6/30/13 balance sheet that you submitted to us for free cash certification, we would have hit your free cash for the amount of the deficit because you did not appropriate at least as much for the snow and ice budget as you did in FY2012.  That is how the rule works.  You can reduce your budget, as you did, but you roll the dice and lose if it happens to be a snow heavy year when you gambled it would not be.  That is why our legal bureau said it’s not illegal, but not prudent…  It’s a gamble.

 

If the accountant said, we will not allow it, I am sure that she meant we would hit your free cash if there is a deficit.

 

In 2014, if you had a deficit in snow and ice, and you appropriated at least as much for snow and ice in 2014 as you did in 2013, the deficit is legal, and there is no impact to free cash

So, according to the director, Templeton town accountant was/is wrong regarding snow & ice budgeting. The town could budget 300 K one year and budget 290K the following year. There is cause and effect, but, nowhere does it state "you can never appropriate less one year than you did the previous year." In fact, the director states "you can do it."

 1https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=ebc45523a473996eJmltdHM9MTY4NDg4NjQwMCZpZ3VpZD0xYmI2ZjU1OC05N2FiLTY4ZjctMjg1NC1mYTA4OTZjZjY5NmUmaW5zaWQ9NTIxNw&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=1bb6f558-97ab-68f7-2854-fa0896cf696e&psq=Ma+municipal+snow+%26+ice+reports+to+DOR&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9kbHNnYXRld2F5LmRvci5zdGF0ZS5tYS51cy9yZXBvcnRzL3JkUGFnZS5hc3B4P3JkUmVwb3J0PUJhbGFuY2VTaGVldC5Tbm93SWNl&ntb=1

The above link should take you to DLS snow & Ice spending by community in MA.

 Complete Voter list shows 97 Voters precinct A, 42 Voters Precinct B and 31 Voters precinct C, for a total of 170 voters at 2023 annual town meeting.

Thank You to all who attended.

 

Wednesday May 10, 2023 5 PM EDT
Location:	Narragansett Regional Middle School Auditorium 460 Baldwinville Rd., Baldwinville, MA
Agenda:	Templeton Select Board Emergency Meeting Baldwinville, MA Agenda 1. 10 Pleasant Street Change Order Adjourn

 From March 2021 financial review of Templeton by the Department of Revenue;

Templeton has not drafted a standalone bylaw

prohibiting elected officials from holding any

other elected or appointed town positions.

Chapter 59, Article I, restricts board members

from serving in another elective capacity, and

Chapter 9, Article I, prohibits any advisory

committee member from holding another

elective or appointive position.

Currently, select board members can and do

hold appointed positions within the town.

 From the March 2021 Financial Review of Templeton by the MA Dept. of Revenue.

Develop a policy restricting future revenue use and onetime revenues.

We recommend Templeton develop a policy that

places restrictions on the use of new revenues. For

example, when the town anticipates above-average

levy growth it should consider it like one-time

revenue. This is because it may not be sustained, and

it provides the opportunity to invest in or save for

capital needs.

Over the last couple years, tax levy growth has more

than doubled due to the explosion of new

construction. Because Templeton consistently levies

to its maximum allowable capacity, without a disciplined plan, it will use the new revenue to cover

general operating expenses.

Templeton must be vigilant each year and find

creative ways to restrict future revenue use. This is

an ongoing exercise that decision makers must revisit

annually.

 Since all mail including email into the select board office are public records, anyone interested should make a formal public records request for email from the Department of Environmental Protection to MacVallee, LLC. Town of Templeton board of selectmen and Templeton board of health were cc'd. It is an interesting and informative read. It was in office as of March 29, 2023.

 May 10, 2023, Templeton annual town meeting.

Article 1. Pay late bills - one bill is for senior services. As I understand it, this is to pay for or reimburse an expense for buying bottled water. So the first question that should be asked on this item; what is this late bill for and what are the circumstances of it being this late?

2nd part of article 1 is a late bill for I&B (insurance & benefits) as I understand this, it is because town does not have a dedicated HR person (human resources) employee paid some insurance charge they should not have had to pay out of pocket. Again, this requires explanation from administration and what if any steps have been taken to ensure this is not repeated.

Article 2. use free cash to increase the fiscal year 23 budget (the budget presented and voted on last May 2022, as balanced) $52,500.00 for insurance and benefits and $150,000.00 for snow & ice. Again, these items were presented and voted May 2022 as part of a budget that is stated balanced (revenue equal to or greater than expenses presented) Why do we keep underfunding snow & ice in the budget if all things are great in Templeton budget wise and beyond?

article 3. snow & ice deficit (budget short as in not enough money asked for in a so called balanced budget) This article asks town meeting to take money from a general stabilization fund to pay for snow & ice. (Yes this is a legal move but a dumb and recommended against move by the MA dept. of revenue) Also, another promise made to town residents by select board to not do this anymore, as in not to repeat things from the past that caused financial problems in the town. Why 2 separate articles for snow & ice deficit, not enough free cash to cover this expense? Wait, there are other articles using free cash, what is going on? Lack of a plan or lack of following policy? Again, these are questions town meeting needs to ask. It is why we have town meeting.

 Notice to residents: The demolition on 10 Pleasant Street in the Baldwinville center area will begin on Monday, May 8th and should be completed by Friday, May 12th. Please take precautions as needed in that area, especially keeping children and pets away from the area for their safety. The proper precautions will be taken including a sign board to notify residents and a code red will be going out.

THANK YOU to the residents who backed my amendment proposal to a town meeting article on increasing town demolition fund. This is finally happening because of your votes. Remember, a majority of the select board and the town administrator were not in favor of this, they put town employees ahead of town residents. Remember that!

 Perhaps time to use face book and blog for some straight talk and planning. If a public body and/or administration does not want to follow policy, bylaws and do the right thing, then town meeting should give it a try and always remember, town meeting has the power of the purse.

Town reports - they are required by state law, exactly when they are published and available to town residents is pretty much left up to the town. While Templeton does have bylaws on this subject, perhaps time for town meeting to change them. Remember, a fiscal year ends on June 30, so if good records are kept, the material required to be in the annual town report should be available soon after June 30, no reason to have to wait until January of the next year to collect it and certainly no reason residents should have to wait until April to get a copy.

Current bylaw: 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 Select Board (Board) for inclusion in the Annual Town Report on or before the 31st day of January of each year.

Maybe change that January 31st date to a September or October date and have town reports to residents first week in January. That way when the new fiscal year budget is being discussed and presented, residents would have previous years report to use as comparison of what was done the previous year. Perhaps also a content provision in the bylaw so departments are required to report certain items, after all, these reports are intended to help residents and contrary to what was stated on recent evaluation of the town administrator, the residents, rather than town employees are the real heroes, in my opinion, anyways.