Annual Town Meeting - May 2, 1994

article 48:

To see if the Town will vote to adopt the provisions Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 44, section 53F 1/2, to establish a Sewer Department Enterprise Fund beginning with Fiscal Year 1996, or to take any other action relative thereto.

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to adopt the provisions Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 44, section 53F 1/2, to establish a Sewer Enterprise Fund beginning with Fiscal Year 1996.

 

Passed.

 

 

Annual Town Meeting - May 14, 1996

 

Article 46:

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sum of money to operate the Sewer Department; or to take any other action thereto.

 

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted that the following sums be appropriated to the Sewer Enterprise Fund to be expended under the direction of the Sewer Commissioners:

 

(Note; the SEWER COMMISSIONERS, NOT the Town Coordinator or Town Administrator and NOT the board of Selectmen)

 

. . . . and that $182,508.49 be raised as follows: $120,000.00 be raised from Sewer receipts and $62,508.49 be raised from taxation.

 

Passed

 

So, I wonder if the selectmen and T/A still  think that Sewer Commissioners only have a say so on policy with regards to Sewer Department?

Posted on: July 27, 2018 - 5:30pm

Beginning Monday, July 30, 2018, the new hours for the Selectmen's Office are Monday-Thursday from 7;30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The other Town Hall offices (except Veterans Services) will remain on their current hours Monday 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m

By Mina Corpuz, mcorpuz@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:   07/28/2018 12:32:48 PM EDT

Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_32037377/fitchburg-lands-500g-firetruck#ixzz5MfQfpU5q
   FITCHBURG -- The city will receive nearly $500,000 in federal funding to buy a new fire pumper truck. "The new pumper truck will continue to enable our Fire Department to further strengthen our commitment to providing the most proficient and state of the art fire protection to the residents of Fitchburg," said Mayor Stephen DiNatale in a statement Friday. The money will be used to replace Engine 2 at Fitchburg's Oak Hill fire station, he said. Lowell will also receive about $920,000 in federal funding to buy protective gear, firefighter breathing apparatus and an air compressor with a refill system. "Every year, we are discovering more and more the dangers that firefighters face not only in fighting fires, but throughout the course of their duties," said Lowell Mayor William Samaras in the statement. The grants are through the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Together Fitchburg and Lowell received more than $1.4 million from the grant. U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, who represents the 3rd District, said given local and state budget constraints, grant money can help maintain public safety and provide resources to first responders. "Our volunteer and career firefighters sacrifice a great deal to protect our communities," she said in a statement, "and it is our duty to provide them with equipment, staffing and training they need to keep their departments running safely and efficiently."


Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_32037377/fitchburg-lands-500g-firetruck#ixzz5MfQRMUfH

Where is Templeton regarding these grant funds and process? Same thing could happen with highway department through state surplus.

Annual Town Meeting May 2016


A substitute motion was duly made and seconded that Article 1 Report of Town Offices, Reports of Town Committees and the Revolving Funds be split into parts as follows:
1A-Reports of Tow Officers
1B-Reports of Town Committees
1C-Revovling Funds and voted individually


A motion was duly made and seconded to move the substitute motion. Passed Unanimously/May 14th @ 9:18am


On the substitute motion to separate Article 1 Passed/May 14th @ 9:19am


1A. A motion was duly made and seconded to have the Town Report accepted as is but to have the Board of Selectmen be authorized to add an addendum to report at a later date.
A motion was duly made and seconded to move the question.
Passed Unanimously/May 14th @ 9:41am
On the 1A motion. Defeated/May 14th @ 9:42am
So, since Town Meeting voted to not accept the Town Report of FY 2015, why is it posted on Templeton Town website as is? Did the selectmen not understand the question or the vote?

There was and has not been since, town employee salaries included in the annual town report (as in all employees) That was one of the issues with the report.

Selectmen had a financial addendum printed anyways.

Templeton general Town by-laws:

Article I
Section 4. Whoever violates any of the provisions of these by-laws whereby any act or thing is enjoyed or prohibited, shall, unless other provisions are expressly made, forfeit and pay a fine not exceeding twenty dollars for each offense.
Sections 1-4 Passed 3-5-51
Section 17. The most current issue of TOWN MEETING TIME is to be considered the general guideline for all procedures of town meetings, except those procedures already provided for by the by-laws.
Amended 10-15-82

(no where in Town Meeting times does it state a moderator controls what cab be brought into Town Meeting)

Article VIII
Section 2. 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 Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Report on or before the thirty-first (31) day of January of each year.

Where is the listing of Town employee salaries by the Treasurer, as a full accounting of the spending of public monies - what are the taxpayers paying their employees, since they are told said employees are under paid or under market etc.

Doing or ensuring things such as these are done or not done will cause the questions to cease. Otherwise, it will just continue, like it or not. I believe it is called free speech and questioning your government, it is the democratic process.

It is like the politicians saying the money needs to be removed or controlled from politics. If they would stop taking the bribes and stop accepting the money and doing things for the money, that "problem" would go away. They will not stop taking it and they will not stop pandering to those who give it.

The last posted meeting with an agenda:

Town:	Templeton, MA
Board:	Community Veteran's Oversight Board
Time:	Tuesday February 20, 2018 6:30 PM EST
Location:	American Legion Post 373, 3 Central Street Templeton, MA 01468
Agenda:	1. Meet and Greet the New Committee Chair-MAJ Michael Currie Co-Chair Hal Bourgeois Secretary SGT Christine Caplis Treasurer Ted Furr 2. Approving Calendar FY14 3. Budget FY15 4. Director’s Operation Report (John Caplis). 5. New Business a. Look at Bylaws 6. Set next quarters meeting dates. 7. Executive Session, if desired. Optics are important, appearances matter, so who is on the Veterans Oversight Board? Does Templeton even have one? Are the selectmen aware? What are the plans for this board, if any?

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 39

Section 16: Appropriation, advisory or finance committees; appointment; tenure; powers and duties

Section 16. Every town whose valuation for the purpose of apportioning the state tax exceeds one million dollars shall, and any other town may, by by-law provide for the election or the appointment and duties of appropriation, advisory or finance committees, who shall consider any or all municipal questions for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the town; and such by-laws may provide that committees so appointed or elected may continue in office for terms not exceeding three years from the date of appointment or election.
In every town having a committee appointed under authority of this section, such committee, or the selectmen if authorized by a by-law of the town, and, in any town not having such a committee, the selectmen, shall submit a budget at the annual town meeting.

What does submit mean? - present (a proposal, application, or other document) to a person or body for consideration or judgment.

So, there is a Massachusetts General Law that states the Finance or Advisory Committee shall present a budget to Town Meeting, not create one.

Templeton Town General by-laws:

Article III - Town Officers: Section 4. “It shall be duty of the Town Administrator in conjunction with the BOS to consider expenditures and develop a budget for the ensuing fiscal year of the several boards, officers and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as prescribed by the Town Administrator.”
Passed 5-16-13, Approved by A/G 8-22-13. Amended 5-19-14, Approved by
A/G 7-2-14

What does develop mean? - to invent something or bring something into existence.:

Article IV - Advisory Committee - Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee annually to consider the expenditures in previous years and the estimated requirements for the ensuing year of the several boards, officers and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as may be prescribed by said committee. The said committee shall add to such statement of expenditures and estimates another column, giving the amounts which in its opinion should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall further add thereto such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, and report thereon as provided in section five of Article II.

So, clear as mud, as it may be, there is a law that states who should be submitting a budget to Town Meeting and since we (Templeton) does not have a by-law that clearly states who shall present a budget to Town Meeting, it seems the selectmen / Town Administrator shall prepare or create a budget, but Advisory Committee shall present a budget to Town Meeting. Looks like another interesting year.