PHILLIPSTON – The Selectboard voted Wednesday to approve a new intermunicipal public safety agreement with Templeton.

This three-year agreement entails Templeton providing police and fire dispatch services for both communities. Templeton’s five-member Selectboard also gave the agreement its unanimous backing Wednesday night.

The previous agreement called for Templeton to bill Phillipston annually based on the number of calls received from Phillipston. The most recent bill amounted to just over $77,000. Instead of being charged on a per-call basis, Phillipston will now pay $50,000 every fiscal year over the length of the agreement.

The contract also includes a provision for Phillipston to “establish an equipment budget…in the amount of $5,000 annually for the purpose of purchasing communication-related equipment.

Once again, Templeton residents pay so another town can benefit. One town gets same service as Templeton for less than the cost of one employee.

 Municipal cherry sheet estimates:

https://mass.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0e9e2209abd5f7062568d9a19&id=74e017324d&e=16dce7b05a

Regional School district cherry sheet estimates:

https://mass.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0e9e2209abd5f7062568d9a19&id=24cf616f21&e=16dce7b05a

 from the newest edition of Selectmen Handbook, easily found by anyone on Massachusetts Municipal Association website.

The long-held view that town managers have more authority than town administrators has no basis in state law. Some town manager positions have fairly modest authority, and some town administrators have significant authority.

The “strong town manager” reference is also a matter of perspective or individual town experience with the position. Some ways in which the position could be considered “strong” are the extent of appointment authority, authority for the direction of the budget and capital plan process, and assumption of certain duties previously assigned to the Select Board (e.g., approval of payments).

Each community has approached this question differently, and the expectations for these positions by town leaders have evolved over time, so there are myriad job descriptions for such positions. Examples from which to draw ideas are readily available on town websites that include bylaws and charters.

 email:

jeff bennett

To:​Adam D. Lamontagne;​Currie, Michael;​Toth, Timothy;​Richard, Julie;​Griffis, Terry;​Rivard, Matthew​

Thu 1/11/2

Town meeting, May 12, 2021 - ARTICLE 14: COUNCIL ON AGING To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following bylaw, pursuant to G.L. c. 40, § 8B, relative to the Templeton Council on Aging established at the May 8, 1976 Annual Town Meeting, said bylaw to be inserted as Chapter 9, Article VI, and to read as follows:

ARTICLE 14: COUNCIL ON AGING To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following bylaw, pursuant to G.L. c. 40, § 8B, relative to the Templeton Council on Aging established at the May 8, 1976 Annual Town Meeting, said bylaw to be inserted as Chapter 9, Article VI, and to read as follows:

Templeton town website - council on aging, shows 

Vacant	Chairperson
Mary Ehnstrom	Vice Chairperson
Irene Murray	Member
James Doody	Member
Thomas Ehnstrom	Member
Victor Toscano	Member

So, how do we have a bylaw that states there are to be 5 members but website shows 6 positions? Templeton has a town website voted for by town meeting to post town information and town business on it, we also have a budget item for tax dollars to maintain it and update it as well as in past employee raises based on responsibility for the town website. Since the board of selectmen are responsible for budget, policy andoverall management of town affairs and town administrator is responsible for day to day operations, why after the 2021 town meeting vote has the town website not been updated? Less patting on the back and less cheerleading and more getting the job done. Fix the damn website and this is not the only incorrect item on said website. This pattern of not following town bylaws and not following policy and not keeping the website upto date is completely unacceptable. Do the job (s) you are paid to do!

regards,

Jeffrey P. Bennett

 We have selectmen and an emergency management dept. Come up with a plan or hire someone to write one. Note; Beavers are not bothersome nor cause of emergency, they are natures engineer of waterways and wetlands, they are very good for the environment. Perhaps have town tree warden inventory town trees and come up with plan to take down trees that are not healthy and are a danger to people, it is why town has a tree warden!

 Anyone else wonder if it is a conflict of interest for the chairman of the board of selectmen to serve on edic, which if edic filed all the required paperwork, it is a separate corporation that can do business with the town? Why the town should follow advice from department of revenue and bar members of board of selectmen from serving on any other town board, committee or commission. Templeton already has a bylaw that keeps selectmen from running for any other elected office while a current member of board of selectmen.

 It would really be nice if the Templeton board of selectmen and advisory committee would just follow a town bylaw that was discussed and voted in place by town meeting. See section 9-6 of town bylaws on advisory committee: whenever there are end of year financial transfers, midyear spending adjustments for revolving funds or a request from a town dept. to use reserve fund money, there is a joint meeting of selectmen and advisory committee. Just follow the bylaw rather than trying to figure ways to not follow it. Having all parties involved in the budget process in the same room at the same time while there are proposed changes to said budget cannot be and is not wasting anyone's time.