Posted on the website of the Division of Local Services (DLS) is the December report of meals tax distribution. Templeton is listed as receiving 13,370.00. Report from town accountant shows amount to be $13,369.91. That amount plus the previous $4,384.31 = $17,754.22 in meals tax dollars to Templeton.
The magic number is $42,000.00 for the year (fiscal year)
Friday, January 4, 2019
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Year in review [looking in the rear view mirror]
Annual Town Meeting of May, 2018:
article 30:
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Fifty Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($58,500.00) toward a program of capital purchases and improvements, as generally illustrated below:
Infield Groomer $10,000
Cemetery Garage Roof - 39 Bridge St. $10,000
T.C. Fire Training Room AC $ 3,500
Fire Chief’s Vehicle $35,000
and to meet said appropriation by a transfer of Forty Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($45,000.00) from certified free cash and a transfer of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($13,500.00) from overlay surplus.
Passed/May 19th @ 1:20 pm
Problem is, the groomer was not bought, a substitute item was bought under the pretext that it was capable of doing the same job and could do a few other things.
So, what about the department head who made the original request? What about the capital improvement committee and the whole capital plan? Is that plan being followed or is it used to deceive voters/taxpayers?
People go to town meeting and are asked to support various items, yet, when they do, they find out selectmen have ignored their vote by doing something else.
Annual Town Meeting of May 2017
article 20:
On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($172,500.00) for a program of capital purchases and improvements and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of One Hundred Fifty Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($152,500.00) of unissued bond proceeds originally borrowed for 252 Baldwinville Road and the balance from taxation with the pricing for each item being generally illustrated as follows:
Item Amount
TH Mini-Split; Conf/Accounting, Misc. $ 17,500
Temp Center Fire/EMS - Roof Replacement $ 35,000
Senior Center Siding $100,000
A&E Assistance, Advertising, Printing $ 2,500
Dump Body - 1984 Mack 10 Wheel $ 17,500
Passed/May 13th @ 12:37pm
There is also the issue with using the above funds for a stand alone dump body for the purchase of a brand new 6-wheeler dump truck.
How is it possible or allowable for something like that to be approved within the weekly town warrant, [listing/submittal of invoices & bills to the town that first gets looked at by town accountant and ultimately signed off on by the selectmen.
Annual Town Meeting of May, 2018:
article 30:
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Fifty Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($58,500.00) toward a program of capital purchases and improvements, as generally illustrated below:
Infield Groomer $10,000
Cemetery Garage Roof - 39 Bridge St. $10,000
T.C. Fire Training Room AC $ 3,500
Fire Chief’s Vehicle $35,000
and to meet said appropriation by a transfer of Forty Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($45,000.00) from certified free cash and a transfer of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($13,500.00) from overlay surplus.
Passed/May 19th @ 1:20 pm
Problem is, the groomer was not bought, a substitute item was bought under the pretext that it was capable of doing the same job and could do a few other things.
So, what about the department head who made the original request? What about the capital improvement committee and the whole capital plan? Is that plan being followed or is it used to deceive voters/taxpayers?
People go to town meeting and are asked to support various items, yet, when they do, they find out selectmen have ignored their vote by doing something else.
Annual Town Meeting of May 2017
article 20:
On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($172,500.00) for a program of capital purchases and improvements and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of One Hundred Fifty Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($152,500.00) of unissued bond proceeds originally borrowed for 252 Baldwinville Road and the balance from taxation with the pricing for each item being generally illustrated as follows:
Item Amount
TH Mini-Split; Conf/Accounting, Misc. $ 17,500
Temp Center Fire/EMS - Roof Replacement $ 35,000
Senior Center Siding $100,000
A&E Assistance, Advertising, Printing $ 2,500
Dump Body - 1984 Mack 10 Wheel $ 17,500
Passed/May 13th @ 12:37pm
There is also the issue with using the above funds for a stand alone dump body for the purchase of a brand new 6-wheeler dump truck.
How is it possible or allowable for something like that to be approved within the weekly town warrant, [listing/submittal of invoices & bills to the town that first gets looked at by town accountant and ultimately signed off on by the selectmen.
Chapter 41: Section 56. Warrants for payment of bills
[ Text of section as amended by 2016, 218, Sec. 58 effective November 7, 2016. For text effective until November 7, 2016, see above.]
Section 56. The selectmen and all boards, committees, heads of departments and officers authorized to expend money shall approve and transmit to the town accountant as often as once each month all bills, drafts, orders and pay rolls chargeable to the respective appropriations of which they have the expenditure. For purposes of this section, the board of selectmen and any other board, committee or head of department consisting of more than 1 member authorized to expend money, may designate any 1 of its members to approve all bills, drafts, orders and payrolls; provided, however, that the member shall make available to the board, committee or other department head, at the first meeting following such action, a record of such actions. This provision shall not limit the responsibility of each member of the board in the event of a noncompliance with this section. Such approval shall be given only after an examination to determine that the charges are correct and that the goods, materials or services charged for were ordered and that such goods and materials were delivered and that the services were actually rendered to or for the town as the case may be; provided, however, that such approval may be given to any bill received from a state agency for the town's share of the costs of a federal urban planning assistance program, established under the provisions of section 701 of Public Law 83-560, as amended, before any goods, materials or services ordered or to be ordered under such a program have been delivered or actually rendered, as the case may be. The town accountant shall examine all such bills, drafts, orders and pay rolls, and, if found correct and approved as herein provided, shall draw a warrant upon the treasury for the payment of the same, and the treasurer shall pay no money from the treasury except upon such warrant approved by the selectmen. If there is a failure to elect or a vacancy occurs in the office of selectman, the remaining selectman or selectmen, together with the town clerk, may approve such warrant. The town accountant may disallow and refuse to approve for payment, in whole or in part, any claim as fraudulent, unlawful or excessive, and in such case he shall file with the town treasurer a written statement of the reasons for such refusal. The treasurer shall not pay any claim or bill so disallowed by the town accountant. So far as apt this section shall apply to cities.
Another item where there are potential problems is the act of procurement; specifically, the procurement of new payroll services. According the job description of the Town Administrator, he is the chief procurement officer of the town of Templeton. MGL chapter 30b is the state law outlining how these things are to be done; it is an outlined process of how to do these things. The Town of Templeton has already had to have training from the State Office of the Inspector General because of recent mistakes made regarding chapter 30B. [splitting of contracts or requests for services]
With all the talk about transparency and policies for the town, how do these issues keep arising in Templeton? Getting very hard to trust selectmen and their governance.
As a concerned resident, I do not think I will be supporting any more capital items until some needed changes are made; perhaps more time spent at selectmen meetings actually discussing and questioning policies and procedures. Of course, selectmen have to actually show up for meetings and be competent in ability to understand things.
Monday, December 31, 2018
from Templeton town website, under town meeting -documents relation to town meeting/voters guide.
Article 7, November, 2017 special town meeting.
Summary: It is feared that the boiler in the emergency management building in Baldwinville may fail during this coming winter. The director has been able to obtain about $5,500.00 in grants towards its replacement. We need approximately $7,500.00 more to have sufficient funds to cover the replacement. Our 1996 6-wheel dump truck has deteriorated to the point it is feared it may not make it through the winter season. There is a seven month lead time to get it. This will allow us to have the new truck in place by next spring and - hopefully - before this one fails. The $160,000.00 will be supplemented with the monies we originally planned to use to buy a new dump body for it to complete the purchase.
Motion from special town meeting:
On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Sixty Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($167,500.00) for a program of
capital expenditures as generally identified below:
Dept. Item Amount
DPW – B&G Boiler Replacement $7,500
DPW- Highway 6 Wheel Dump Truck $160,000
And to meet said appropriation by a transfer of said sum from free cash in the treasury of the town.
Passed Unanimously/November 14th @ 8:13 pm
no mention of a transfer or anything about money previously appropriated to buy a dump body for a 6-wheeler dump truck.
There is this from the annual town meeting of May 2017:
On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($172,500.00) for a program of capital purchases and improvements and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of One Hundred Fifty Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and no cents ($152,500.00) of unissued bond proceeds originally borrowed for 252 Baldwinville Road and the balance from taxation with the pricing for each item being generally illustrated as follows:
Item Amount
TH Mini-Split; Conf/Accounting, Misc. $ 17,500
Temp Center Fire/EMS - Roof Replacement $ 35,000
Senior Center Siding $100,000
A&E Assistance, Advertising, Printing $ 2,500
Dump Body - 1984 Mack 10 Wheel $ 17,500
TH Mini-Split; Conf/Accounting, Misc. $ 17,500
Temp Center Fire/EMS - Roof Replacement $ 35,000
Senior Center Siding $100,000
A&E Assistance, Advertising, Printing $ 2,500
Dump Body - 1984 Mack 10 Wheel $ 17,500
no article found for a new dump body for a 1994 6 wheeler!
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Consistent inconsistency:
Monday, December 24, 2018, page A11, senior news, Templeton; Community veterans oversight board along with friends of Templeton veterans meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the American Legion in Baldwinville, at 6:30 P.M. to discuss veteran issues. Today, Sunday, December 30, 2018, on Templeton community TV, I saw Templeton veterans advisory board meets every third Tuesday at the American Legion, Baldwinville, at 6:30 P.M. There have been no meeting notices on the Templeton town website for this entity, nothing listed under boards and committees; veterans advisory board on the Templeton town website, only one member name is listed. Nothing under the Veterans Service on Templeton town website.
Monday, December 24, 2018, page A11, senior news, Templeton; Community veterans oversight board along with friends of Templeton veterans meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the American Legion in Baldwinville, at 6:30 P.M. to discuss veteran issues. Today, Sunday, December 30, 2018, on Templeton community TV, I saw Templeton veterans advisory board meets every third Tuesday at the American Legion, Baldwinville, at 6:30 P.M. There have been no meeting notices on the Templeton town website for this entity, nothing listed under boards and committees; veterans advisory board on the Templeton town website, only one member name is listed. Nothing under the Veterans Service on Templeton town website.
So, which is it and who is in charge? By-law states the selectmen are to appoint members to this board. I found nothing under Massachusetts General Law, chapter 115 that demands this board exist, rather it may be formed. The old Templeton town by-law stated this board was required under MGL chapter 115, section 208. I looked at MGL chapter 115 and found only 15 sections. Perhaps the wrong general law was quoted in the previous by-law, that according to voters guide (how reliable?) that the MA attorney general found issues with that previous by-law. Something as important as this, veterans, should be on the "radar" of the selectmen! Of course, it might take too much time at a meeting.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Templeton creates economic development corporation; okay, but how has that accomplished anything under the law or pretense for creating such an entity?
First paragraph as amended by 2016, 218, Sec. 219 effective November 7, 2016:
There is hereby authorized in each municipality in the commonwealth the organization of an economic development and industrial corporation, a public body politic and corporate, hereinafter referred to as the corporation. No such corporation, however, shall be organized, transact any business, employ any personnel or exercise any powers until the city council with the approval of the city manager, in a city having a Plan D or Plan E form of charter, or with the approval of the mayor in any other city, or by the board of selectmen in a town, shall by vote declare a need for such a corporation because unemployment or the threat thereof exists in the city or town or that security against future unemployment and lack of business opportunity is required and that attracting new industry into the municipality and substantially expanding existing industry through an economic development project or projects financed under this chapter and implemented by such a corporation would alleviate the unemployment and lack of business opportunity problems.
Look up Massachusetts General law chapter 121c;
2016 Massachusetts General Laws
First paragraph as amended by 2016, 218, Sec. 219 effective November 7, 2016:
There is hereby authorized in each municipality in the commonwealth the organization of an economic development and industrial corporation, a public body politic and corporate, hereinafter referred to as the corporation. No such corporation, however, shall be organized, transact any business, employ any personnel or exercise any powers until the city council with the approval of the city manager, in a city having a Plan D or Plan E form of charter, or with the approval of the mayor in any other city, or by the board of selectmen in a town, shall by vote declare a need for such a corporation because unemployment or the threat thereof exists in the city or town or that security against future unemployment and lack of business opportunity is required and that attracting new industry into the municipality and substantially expanding existing industry through an economic development project or projects financed under this chapter and implemented by such a corporation would alleviate the unemployment and lack of business opportunity problems.
Look up Massachusetts General law chapter 121c;
2016 Massachusetts General Laws
PART I ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE XVII PUBLIC WELFARE
Chapter 121C ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL CORPORATIONS
Section 3 Economic development and industrial corporation; authority to organize; consolidations; members of board of directors; surety bonds; compensation and reimbursements.
from annual town meeting of 2008:
article 12
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of One Million, Four Hundred Ninety-One Thousand, Nine Hundred Thirty-Six Dollars ($1,491,936.00) to operate the Sewer Department; said sum is to be apportioned as follows: the sum of Eight Hundred Thirty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred Twenty-Seven Dollars ($839,327.00) to be used for salaries, operating, maintenance, legal, engineering, and other expenses of the Templeton Sewer Department and the sum of Six Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred Nine Dollars ($652,609.00) to be used for sewer debt of the Town. Said total sum is to be raised from sewer user receipts and fees, entrance fees, tipping fees paid by disposal contractors, sewer betterment fees, certified free cash, monies raised by taxation, and other fees collected as per Sewer Department Rules by the Town of Templeton Sewer Department. Said debt payments are to be paid as follows:
Bond Payments for FY’09
Paid by Betterments $151,000.00
Paid by USRDA Restricted Account 35,000.00
Paid by Sewer Enterprise Certified Free Cash surplus 133,189.00
Paid by taxation 333,420.00
Total payments for FY’09 $652,609.00
article 12
On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of One Million, Four Hundred Ninety-One Thousand, Nine Hundred Thirty-Six Dollars ($1,491,936.00) to operate the Sewer Department; said sum is to be apportioned as follows: the sum of Eight Hundred Thirty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred Twenty-Seven Dollars ($839,327.00) to be used for salaries, operating, maintenance, legal, engineering, and other expenses of the Templeton Sewer Department and the sum of Six Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred Nine Dollars ($652,609.00) to be used for sewer debt of the Town. Said total sum is to be raised from sewer user receipts and fees, entrance fees, tipping fees paid by disposal contractors, sewer betterment fees, certified free cash, monies raised by taxation, and other fees collected as per Sewer Department Rules by the Town of Templeton Sewer Department. Said debt payments are to be paid as follows:
Bond Payments for FY’09
Paid by Betterments $151,000.00
Paid by USRDA Restricted Account 35,000.00
Paid by Sewer Enterprise Certified Free Cash surplus 133,189.00
Paid by taxation 333,420.00
Total payments for FY’09 $652,609.00
Passed Unanimously/May 13th @ 7:58
A public relations tour? Or out to make them look bad and try to win at town meeting?
I think there may be a surprise in recent real estate tax bills that went out from Templeton town hall.
Think back about sewer lines, sewer department, waste water treatment upgrades. . . . sewer betterment, liens on your property due to these improvements and such. Memory serves me that there was already an uproar over this subject years ago. Someone thinks it is time to revisit this. Perhaps some left over mess that needs to come out now when the selectmen and sewer commissioners are having a little tiff and somebody must want their way . . . .at all costs. Another classic move from this board of selectmen. They already did this type of thing to the Advisory Committee. But I think the naughty list is going to catch up with them this time. The sewer lien story needs to be revisited but it is not time to take eyes off the current issues; selectmen ignored town meeting vote . . . actually they went against it, and now they ask how they can get more people to attend town meeting? How about listen to town meeting vote.
How about listen to and let people ask questions and have debate at town meeting, rather than fight against that like selectmen Brooks did at one town meeting.
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