Not really complicated, just takes some effort and initiative from those in charge.

Reading emails involving funding for the new school shows that the selectmen can and did got to extraordinary lengths to make something happen, so why not do the same for some residents?


from the link posted by justsmartenough;

Deferred Payment Loans: Most programs place conditions on grants or offer them as forgivable or “deferred-payment” loans (DPLs). A property lien in the amount of the DPL is placed on the property for a specified number of years (15 year minimum.) However, a DPL becomes a grant if it is not sold or transferred within a specified period of time and if all other program requirements are met (e.g., rental agreement). If the lien conditions are violated, the borrower (i.e., the property owner) is subject to specified penalties -- generally, foreclosure on the loan amount. DPLs may take the form of interest subsidies or principle reduction grants to leverage other funds, or they may provide the full amount of rehabilitation costs up to a program’s established maximum limit. A property owner receiving a DPL would not have to make any loan repayments and the full amount of the loan would be forgiven if he/she still lived in the assisted property at the end of a specified number of years. If the property was sold before the end of this specified lien period, then the full amount or a portion of the amount would have to be repaid. This is the program design most widely used in the Mass. CDBG Program.
How can assisted properties be protected from speculation? CDBG-assisted housing rehabilitation programs must include in their design an anti-speculation / recapture /
forgiveness policy to protect against real estate speculation. (This is a required component of the program application. Refer to Mass. CDF/ME Application Guidance, page 25 for instructions.) Most communities impose a time limit in the form of a lien (15 year minimum is required) on the property that restricts the sale or transfer of ownership. Full or partial funds are recaptured (i.e., recovered) by the community if a property is sold or transferred before the expiration of the lien. All contractual agreements executed between communities and individual property owners must include anti-speculation and recapture provisions that are triggered in the event of (a) sale or transfer of the assisted property, (b) noncompliance by the property owner with the terms of the rental agreement, and (c) noncompliance with other provisions of the contract. a. Mass. CDBG recommends that the time limitations in a recapture policy be appropriate to the level of investment of public funds, the financial condition of participating property owners, and the nature of the rehabilitation work. Many municipalities waive the recapture of funds if the transfer of property is from one family member to another (e.g., parent to child or sibling to sibling) and the new occupant family (a) resides in the property, (b) is income eligible, and (c) assumes the balance of the years remaining on the lien. However, Mass. CDBG requires that assisted units be made affordable to low- and moderate-income households for a minimum of fifteen (15) years. b. The recapture policy must include a description of the community’s procedures for compliance monitoring and the corrective action(s) that will be required of violators. Liens and mortgages are two legal means employed by housing rehabilitation programs to enforce and protect the terms of recapture policies. Mortgages are generally used with funding mechanisms that require monthly payments by owner. In such instances, the banking institution and/or the municipality assume responsibility for filing, tracking, and clearing the mortgage. Consequently, the community must establish a system for filing, tracking, and discharging the liens and for filing, tracking, and clearing the mortgages.

Perhaps justsmartenough can provide the link to the Town's policy on this issue?

The issue that was before the selectmen could have been dealt with in a way to aid the two people that were before them (BOS), if the selectmen wished to help.

As a member of the Templeton Advisory Committee, I have heard some members question the lack of a certified Treasurer/Collector. "Treasurer/Collector is not certified and that is not what I voted for". 
As can be read from the Templeton Town website or annual Town report, there is no mention of being certified mentioned as a requirement of employment. While it would be a benefit to the Town and residents to have the selectmen hire an experienced / certified Treasurer/Collector, Town Meeting vote record does not indicate such requirement.



TOWN OF TEMPLETON
WARRANT FOR SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
MARCH 29, 2014

ARTICLE 8 To see if the Town will vote to consolidate the offices of Treasure and Collector and establish a joint Treasure /Collector position and an Assistant Treasure/Collector position to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen or their designee; or take any other action relative thereto.
Submitted by the Selectboard at the request of the Advisory Board


On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted that the Treasurer, who is appointed by the Board of Selectmen, be authorized to act as Collector and to be assisted by an Assistant Treasurer appointed by the Board of Selectmen, subject to the Town voting by ballot question pursuant to M.G.L. c.41, Section 1 to authorize its Treasurer to act as collector.
Passed/March 29th @ 1:10

TOWN OF TEMPLETON
WARRANT FOR ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION
MAY 5, 2014
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

Question 3:
Shall the Treasurer, who is appointed by the Board of Selectmen, be authorized to
act as Collector?
YES_________ NO____________

Results: 865 Yes - 545 No and 66 blanks.

The intent may have been there, but that is not what was presented and therefor, could not have been voted on. Kind of hard to make a case that one voted for a certified treasurer/collector, when that was not part of the question.

So, while the observations and thoughts of some, might be that the office of the Templeton Treasurer/Collector is a disaster right now, that is probably a management issue and lack of engagement on the part of selectmen, rather than a lack of certification as a stand alone issue.

Route 202 needs some checking, 2 police officers, fire truck, ambulance along with about a mile or more of speedy dry on the road. Serious fuel leak? Highway/DPW truck. This requires some detailed checking, as a fuel spill of this nature requires reporting and usually leads to fines and / or cleanup costs, near to closed Templeton dump, environmental issues? Conservation commission, better check this out? Developmental services? Board of Selectmen, ah, somebody may need to wake them up, as this was around 11:00 A.M today.

Templeton Treasurer/Collector Contract:

Looking on the Templeton Town website under contracts and policies, there is a copy of a contract between the Town of Templeton and it's Treasurer/Collector. Under duties, it states the treasurer/collector shall assume administrative control of and be responsible for all operational functions of the department, including, but not limited to, the supervision of daily operations of billing and collections of betterments, real, personal property and excise taxes and miscellaneous revenues, managing and disbursing cash, managing the placement and servicing of debt, supervision of all personnel; preparation and submission of the annual budget (s) to the Administrator; submission of required reports; responsibility for all expenditures and grants within approved budgets, presentations before any Board of the Town at which the Treasurer/Collector 's presence is required and before any Town Meeting when necessary; communication with the public, including the media, on matters related to operations and policy, and any other related and relevant duties as assigned by the Administrator.

Seems pretty straight forward, and considering the new elementary school involves debt of the Town, such as BANs, as in borrowing, which involves the Town having a responsibility to pay things back, seems like there should be some mention of this in the weekly Town Administrator's report, under Treasurer/Collector. So, how or why is it allowed, that continuously, from the Treasurer/Collector has nothing to report? Perhaps the puppet strings are a little tight. I mean, there are bills coming in regarding the school project and presumably, they are being paid along with processing receipt of MSBA reimbursements? Surely there is something to report out of the treasurer / collector office?

Perhaps this is the real issue with so many vacancies, management rather than salary?

So, to recap for today;

After the recent Supreme Court ruling concerning unions and specifically, public sector unions, employees are no longer required as a condition of employment to join, pay a fee or support a union. No more force or extortion for the right to go to work.

Evening news reports that the largest member union in the state, teachers union, already have people putting together a memo of sorts informing members that they no longer have to support or belong to the union to have a job, reportedly instructing people how to opt out. The report also stated that the unions stand to lose millions of dollars.

I do not see how this ruling can be taken as anything but a move to allow people who want to work as having the freedom to decide whether to join or support a union or not. If people wish to join or support organized labor, I saw nothing in the ruling that stops them from making that choice.

On the salary comparison along with market rate statement made by Templeton select board chairman, well, that seems to be less than accurate. It is very similar to the comment made at a selectmen meeting that all towns touching Templeton, or bordering the Town, have tax rates of $20.00 per thousand, which again, is not true, and that is easily checked.

So people now have a choice when it comes to the right to work and the information put forth by at least one selectmen concerning tax rates and salaries is less than honest or true.

Looking at today's weekly Town Administrator report, the Town Accountant, treasurer/collector, police, sewer, fire / EMS have nothing to report this week, interesting. I wonder what Mr. happy pants has to report? Another 1 1/2 hour meeting complete. (someone will get that reference)

Three bids received this week in the amount of 9 million dollars of Bond Anticipation Notes (short term borrowing) for the school and police station. No mention of the fellowship man, Eric Pollitt leaving Town employment.

Oh Templeton, first it was all the Towns that Touch (border) Templeton have tax rates at $20.00 per thousand, which if anyone checks, that is simply untrue. Now, Templeton employees are under paid and the offered wage is under market value.

For instance, Templeton highway is $5.00 to $10.00 under market. Well, time to check surrounding towns and see how true that rings.

A quick look at the FY 2019 spending plan shows Templeton highway laborer/operator at an average of $40,000.00 per year.

Executive assistant to Town Administrator;

Hubbardston executive assistant to the Town Administrator - $32,825.00

Templeton executive assistant to Town Administrator -           $40,000.00

Winchendon Town Manager executive assistant  -                    $62,000.00

Barre executive assistant to Town Administrator -                     $33,000.00
(+ / -) employment add on MMA website shows $15.79 per hour.

Templeton appears to be in the middle (average) on this pay scale. I think the benefit side of things should also be looked at - how generous are Templeton health insurance offerings compared to other communities / are the benefits pre-tax or post tax? Makes a difference.

It does look as though the message from the selectmen can be taken as less than transparent. If the statement is (such as regarding tax rate) that all the towns bordering Templeton pay more for a position, please show us the list so we may compare.

If you wish to work for the Templeton Highway department, you get to keep a few more of your dollars, since you should no longer have to pay an agency fee simply to work.

The Supreme Court finally gave those who wish to work for a municipality a choice, to pay or not to pay to go to work. Of course, here in the commonwealth, the news is reporting that the speaker of the Massachusetts House is going to work to soften the blow to organized labor. The bribe machines most likely have already been fired up.

Seems strange for a person having to pay extra for the right to get a job and go to work. Also, those same people no longer have to pay to help support a politicians campaign expenses, especially if they, as an individual, do not support that person. I would expect the state house here to try and protect their trough containing all that cash that comes from the public sector unions.