Current affairs is for menus, censored is for selected information; here is my selection for today:
Mr. Bennett has inquired as to the expenditure of monies originally salted for a dump body for a 1984 Mack were expended as a part of the purchase of a new 6 wheel dump truck.
The $160k six wheel dump truck was purchased with monies appropriated under Article 7 of the Fall Town Meeting of November 14, 2017. The attendees at that meeting were all provided with a Voter Information Guide which provided supplemental information as to the reasons for a proposed article together with information deemed to be of import to the voter. That published summary stated, in part, that a “… dump truck has deteriorated to the point it is feared it may not make it through the winter season.” and that “The $160,000 will be supplemented with the monies we originally planned to use to buy a new dump body… .”
In hindsight, had an issue been raised at either level or by any person, it might have been cleaner to appropriate the full $177.5k in one article and fund it with the new cash of $160k and a transfer of the original $17.5k appropriated for a dump body of any aging truck. However, we did not do so. That said, we believe the planned expenditures were well made public, well vetted, and legal we shall take the “cleaner” approach in the future.
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
Notice that within the motion voted, there is no mention of $17,500.00, so how did selectmen approve a transfer of an appropriation of town meeting without a town meeting vote. Also, done outside of May 1-July 15, where transfer may happen with concurrence of Advisory Committee. You want people to come back to town meeting; obey there vote and do not fuck with it on the sly or other fashion unless you ask them and they give you permission! That is what is broke, failure to follow policy, law and town meeting vote. Oh yeah, read the damn articles and motions, it ain't that hard. Town Meeting, stand up for yourselves, tell the moderator what you want- you are the legislative body of the town! If you want the email, drop me a request at Jbennett@templetonma.gov
Templeton Special Town Meeting (fall town meeting) November 14, 2017)
When Joe Citizen goes to Town Meeting, his vote relies on trust. Trust that the Selectmen act in good faith that they need what they are asking for, and taking the money from the accounts that are appropriate. There is no doubt in my mind, that people did not knowing what they were voting for when the motions are not read. Summaries are often deceiving and unclear. When you are new to the process, or are unsure of speaking out in public it is a difficult position to be in. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why people have stopped attending Town Meeting.
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