Since the current selectmen seem incapable, unwilling and unable to come up with a workable plan, never mind a workable spending plan, perhaps it is time for town residents to do so at Town meeting. Require that a percentage of fiscal year spending go into town savings, as into the stabilization plan. Last night, selectmen spoke as if they are considering using money from the recent OPEB fund to subsidize the fiscal 2017 mess, Hey they are solving issues, just ask John Columbus. They also voted to appoint another interim town administrator. One possible problem is if they keep this one even four months, will there be enough money to hire a full time administrator? The biggest problem appears to be the so called balance budget that they sold town meeting is anything but and they seem unwilling to adjust the pay raises that range from 1 % up to 16%. They claim that this was necessary to bring some positions up to equal other area towns. I have to wonder if they have any idea of how this looks to taxpayers? With the selectmen now having to scramble to find money to cover these increases, I wonder if any of them actually looked at what they presented to town meeting before hand? I wonder if any thought was given to a 3 year step plan, as in what ever the base pay was before, beginning July 1 you will increase 5% of that number with the plan being another 5% increase for next year and the following year, while also being eligible for a yearly cost of living increase that should be based off of what ever increase people on SSN get, if any.But it seems this group wishes to continue to spend more than there is available. Can you say recall?


posted by Jeff Bennett

If you have any questions, please contact the Public Records Division at 617-727-2832 or pre@sec.state.ma.us.

New Provisions

Records Access Officers

Agencies and municipalities are required to designate 1 or more Records Access Officer (RAO).

The contact information for the RAO must be posted conspicuously, including on the agency's or municipality’s website, if available.

The RAO has a duty to:

• Coordinate the agency's or municipality’s response to requests for access to public records;
• Assist individuals seeking public records in identifying the records requested;
• Assist the custodian of records in preserving public records; and
• Prepare guidelines that enable requestors to make informed requests.

Electronic Records

Under the new version of the law, RAOs must provide public records to a requestor in an electronic format unlessthe record is not available in an electronic format or the requestor does not have the ability to receive or access the records in a useable electronic format.

Additionally, as of January 1, 2017, agency RAOs will be required to provide on a searchable website electronic copies of commonly requested records, including: final opinions, annual reports, minutes of open meetings and agency budgets.

Response Time

Under the current law, a records custodian must respond to a request for records in writing within 10 calendar days.

Beginning January 1, 2017, a RAO must permit inspection or furnish a copy of a requested public record within 10 business days following receipt of the request. RAOs may petition the Supervisor of Records for an extension if they are unable to grant access to the requested public records in this time period.

Fees

The Supervisor of Records’ Public Access Regulations allowing records custodians to charge 5 cents for black and white paper copies or computer printouts of public records for both single and double-sided sheets was codified and will remain effective with the new law.

Beginning January 1, 2017, if a response to a public records request requires more than 4 hours of employee time, an agency RAO may assess a fee of the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee with the skills necessary to search for, compile, segregate, redact or reproduce a requested record. However, the fee shall not exceed $25 an hour, unless approved by the Supervisor of Records.

Beginning January 1, 2017, if a response to a public records request requires more than 2 hours of employee time, a municipal RAO may assess a fee of the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee with the skills necessary to search for, compile, segregate, redact or reproduce a requested record. However, the fee shall not exceed $25 an hour, unless approved by the Supervisor of Records. Municipalities with populations of 20,000 people or fewer will be permitted to charge for the first 2 hours of employee time.

Administrative Appeals

As of January 1, 2017, if an agency or municipality fails to comply with a requirement of the new law, the requestor may file an appeal with the Supervisor of Records who will then issue a determination on the public status of the records within 10 business days of receipt of the request for an appeal.

Attorney Fees

Under the new Public Records Law, if a requestor prevails in a court action against an agency or municipal RAO, the court may award the requestor attorney fees or costs.

posted by Jeff Bennett 

 

SUBMITTED BY             Ann-Marie Geyster                DISTRICT                       Narragansett RSD
PHONE                          978-939-5661                        DATE RECEIVED                         12/22/14
FIELD REP                    Deb Wagner                          DATE SUBMISSION COMPLETE  12/22/14

EXCESS AND DEFICIENCY CALCULATION 

BEGIN:
            UNRESERVED FUND BALANCE/EXCESS AND DEFICIENCY                          163,647
LESS:
         OTHER RECEIVABLE, OVERDRAWN ACCOUNTS, DEFICITS
 Preschool Revolving                                                                                                        23,196
 HS Donation                                                                                                                       283
 STARS GT                                                                                                                          601
 Phillipston Police Scholarship                                                                                                 91
 Frenier Fund                                                                                                                          21
 Biomass Boiler Project                                                                                                     24,938


 OTHER ADJUSTMENTS:
                                                                                                                                                -
                                                                                                                                                -
                                                                                                                                                -
TOTAL CERTIFIED UNENCUMBERED EXCESS AND DEFICIENCY                              114,517

UNENCUMBERED E & D IN EXCESS OF 5% CALCULATION 

OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET                                                                        18,721,986

5% OF BUDGET                                                                                                             936,099

TOTAL IN EXCESS                                                                                                                  -

REVIEWED BY:              DEB WAGNER                         PLEASE SEE CERTIFICATION LETTER
DATE:                                   03/19/2015                 FOR DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS APPROVAL


posted by Jeff Bennett

Something to be aware of:

According to a document from the department of revenue, that was submitted by the Town of Templeton on march 27, 2014, this showed a deficit or in the red amount of $26,899.00. When I see the numbers provided and do the simple math, addition and subtraction, I come up with $26,900.00. The main point of interest to me is, with this amount showing in the red or a deficit, why was anyone from the selectmen talking a fund surplus of any amount, never mind $750,000.00? When you have paper work showing red, negative numbers or deficit, why talk of surplus?

The thing that immediately comes to my mind is being told what someone thinks I want to hear, "all is okay, there is going to be surplus money, we have it under control. This makes it look good and makes it possible to get something big passed, like a 47 million dollar school.

The fact remains, this document existed, was provided to the DOR by the Town and the selectmen chose to tell a different story. There was no mention of this when talking about the financial records of 2013. You decide if you should trust or believe anything from the current board of selectmen.


posted by Jeff Bennett

for your reading pleasure, a past Gardner news article and pay attention to what John Columbus said:

Markel Stays Another Year
Templeton town administrator extended
Tara Vocino
Reporter

TEMPLETON Selectmen have voted to keep interim Town Administrator Robert Markel on for another year.

His term will be extended from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017.

“I’m certainly pleased to continue for another year,” Markel said. “I knew that the contract expired on June 30. They asked me, ‘What are you doing next year?’”

Markel said he’d only stay if they all wanted him to. Selectmen voted unanimously.

Board of Selectmen Chairman John Columbus said Markel works well with him and the other board members. “In a lot of ways, we think alike,” Columbus said.

“He works well with the board.” Columbus said Markel will bring expertise by helping him to find his successor.

“We’re conducting a search, and he agreed to be a part of that,” Columbus said.

On Markel’s arrival, Templeton had serious budget issues that he had to remedy.

Markel said he accomplished a balanced budget surplus in fiscal 2015, a balanced budget for fiscal 2016, and his second review leads to a balanced budget for fiscal 2017.

During his term so far, he also restored nearly all services that he had to cut in fiscal 2014.

Town Administrator represents the selectmen, works for them and what he does, the selectmen are responsible for.

posted by Jeff Bennett

I would like to thank Jeanne Comee Evans for her post about the budget, selectmen and things in general with regards to the Town and finance. I hope many people read her post and get mad enough to show up and demand changes, demand that selectmen work for the town and not just one or a couple issues and to be truthful. In the Gardner News article, there was a mention of a tax rate of 22 dollars per thousand by 2020 which is less than 4 years away. So think about this, right now 0ne dollar per thousand raises about $556,000.00 and the police station addition is advertised to cost about one million and the school is advertised to cost you about 24 million over 28 years with a loan payment per year at about 1,300,000.00. The exact numbers we can discuss later. Just take those numbers and do some simple math. Take the $16.47 tax rate from right now and then figure what amount is needed to raise one million 300 thousand dollars, close to 19 dollars per thousand for just the school, take into account increases (expected) for retirement, health insurance, school assessment for two districts, Monty Tech and NRHS and other things. Keep in mind that one million 300 thousand is based off an interest rate of 3.5%. An increase to just 4% increases the pay back cost which affects the tax rate. So what will is cost to build the school/ No one can say exactly, it is all an estimate until it is finished and that is fine, because if you get what you want, the costs do not really matter, as long as that is said up front! no sales pitch, no magic math, no if you take this and move it over there and add this and change that, etc, etc. No, this is what it will cost on today's numbers from your taxes and this can go up and we cannot tell you exactly what that will be right now, do you wish to do this? Yes or no. All I can say is to look at Ashburham, they built a 30 million plus dollar school and their tax rate jumped 4 dollars per thousand and when asked why, the answer was most of it is because of the new school. Anyone can look that up and I encourage you to do so. I hope the tax rate only goes up $1.74 per thousand, but I expect it to go higher and I expect people will be mad and not really because of the increase, but because they will have been lied to again.

posted by Jeff Bennett

If you have read the Gardner News article from Thursday, August 4, 2016, you might be mad.

I think it is probably time for some town residents, not me or the usual same ones who regularly attend meetings of selectmen, but some others who may watch on tv but generally do not go and I think they should ask to speak and ask each one of the selectmen, on camera, did you know or were you aware of these raises? Were you aware of the issues with regards to new growth and motor vehicle excise tax? And no, that budget did not have to be put in front of the voters, you are allowed by law to recess Town meeting so things could be "fixed" or adjusted. There are at least two emails that show selectmen did not want town department heads meeting with Advisory Committee and the other shows selectmen knew or were told that the day before Town meeting, an individual was making changes to the document that selectmen had already approved to present to town meeting. Remember it was John Columbus who was chairman of the select board until the May election and he is the one who said "we (selectmen) do not need the DOR, inspector general, the attorney general or anyone else because we are doing what needs to be done, we are solving issues" I hope some people are finally mad enough to attend and ask some direct questions to all as in each and everyone of them and demand an answer

your selectmen at work:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Diane Haley Brooks <seldhaleybrooks@templeton1.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 3, 2016 at 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: TAC request for agenda item
To: "Templeton, MA Advisory Board" <templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com>, Selectman Caplis <selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org>

Hello John and Wil

Being on vacation and also not being at the meeting and wishing to catch up, I would request this be put on a later agenda. I saw the email that there were possible errors and I feel our Board should discuss this first among ourselves.

Thank you.

Diane Haley Brooks, Realtor

that is a selectmen response to this:

Visit my website! TuesdaysInTempleton.com

> On Aug 3, 2016, at 9:27 PM, Templeton, MA Advisory Board <templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com> wrote:>
> John,
> The Advisory Committee was wonder if the BOS would add 2 agenda items for Mondays BOS meeting,
> 1. Discussion on scheduling the fall Special Town meeting and setting the date of the STM
> 2 Discuss a schedule for when the next joint meeting of the BOS and TAC will meet to go over the amended budget presented on July 21th.
> If you do add these items and would like TAC to attend then please feel free to schedule us for the discussion.
> Thank you for considering these items
> Wil

Perhaps someone wishes to get their stories straight. It is tow simple items, a town meeting date and schedule of more joint meetings between selectmen and advisory committee, what could be the problem?

posted by Jeff Bennett