Justsmartenuff5:08 PM

Do you even listen to answers given to you by the person you ask ? That was asked and answered on TCTV by the Town Administor May 2 18 - he came in - sat down and listened to your committees redundant questions & pointless comments. 

I listen to the answers given by many people. If you think the questions are redundant or pointless, perhaps come to Advisory Committee meeting and explain yourself. Of course, it is hard to stay anonymous if you come and introduce yourself. 

I recall listening to people tell the select board that an article for Town Meeting had to be worded this way. So the article was presented that way and then behold, a few years later, the article had to be redone because it was done done correctly the first time. Perhaps more questions before things move forward and there would be fewer errors.

Take the question concerning the E911 grant (the fund that the audit report states is still being accounted for improperly. $106,000.00 in funds had to be re-classed from the general fund to the E911 S+I grant fund.

Perhaps more redundant questions and that situation could have been avoided. Again, if you are comfortable with changing things that may have already been addressed in a report that you paid around $10,000.00 for. Lastly, the Town was told by way of the Town Accountant that after the audits for FY 2013 through FY 2016, we now have good numbers. However, since that time, this committee that you feel asks redundant and pointless questions/comments, have found a number of errors. Through our redundant process, the Advisory Committee has gotten some explanations for these errors. Perhaps you are someone who does not care about those things, some people do care. 

Lastly, the question concerning E 911 grant accounting; a question was asked about the posted dollar figures in the monthly expenditure reports; 

March 22, 2018 shows an allocated balance of $157,606.04 with expenditure of $62,466.44 with an ending balance of $95,139.60.

April 23, 2018, expenditure report E 911 grant shows allocation of $197,874.96 with expended $62,466.44 with an ending balance of $135,408.52.

Answer provided:    Beginning fiscal year balance of $  78,270.58

                                revenue in FY 2018                     $119,604.38

                                expended in FY 2018                  $  62,466.44

                                Available balance                        $135,408.52 

No explanation concerning how the $157,606.04 came to be nor how it went from that to $197,874.96 on the report of April 23, 2018.   So the question will be asked again when an answer is hopefully obtained that explains that. 

There will be some openings on the Advisory Committee at the end of the up coming Annual Town Meeting.

Also, perhaps an interested party missed a board of selectmen meeting but watched the Advisory Committee meeting. Even the Town Administrator admitted he missed something when he commented about the FY 2019 spending plan book having been out there for 10 weeks. His answer was the same but with out the original clarification that was stated would happen. Better to ask the same question a few times in an attempt to get it right the first time rather than have to do it three times. You may not agree with that, oh well.

    

I went to Town Hall today and visited the Town Clerk's office. I asked if there were readily available Town Meeting records for 1951. There are, in old large books. There are also annual Town reports. The book I looked through went from 1940 something up to the 1960's. I found the Town Meeting warrant where many of the Town's by-laws came to be. It was voted as the Collector of taxes shall collect, under the title of Town Collector, all accounts due the Town, except interest on investments on trust funds. This means that not only sewer receipts, but light & water receipts should be collected in Town Hall by the Town Collector. (as recommended in the DOR financial review of the Town of Templeton.

I feel any confusion could be cleared up by referring to the tax collector as the Town Collector from here on out. Just as the Advisory Committee some how morphed into the Advisory Board, even though the Massachusetts General Law requiring it's creation refers to it as a committee and even the Templeton by-laws refer to it as the Advisory Committee. To this day, even a member of the Advisory Committee still calls it the Advisory Board.

Under Article V - financial affairs, section 5, refers to the Town Coordinator can sell obsolete town equipment to the highest bidder (s) with the approval of the board of selectmen.

With so many improper and conflicting by-laws, and with the codification book (s) and a CD/DVD in Town Hall, why are the selectmen so intent on messing with by-laws concerning Advisory Committee before going through the codification report which you paid around 10 thousand dollars for?

I hope the same number of people who showed up at the polls show up for Town Meeting.

Looking over the unofficial vote totals for the election in Templeton, there seems to be a good deal of voter apathy. Look at the blanks totals for all of the positions and questions. Additionally, there were three open positions with no candidates who took out papers for Cemetery, Board of Health and Housing Authority. One thing is for sure, Templeton is no longer the community with the low tax rate. I will be looking to the select board to inspire people to run and become involved. I think there will be a number of positions open on Advisory Committee this year.