Town Meeting and the Advisory Committee.

from the Association of Town Finance Committees handbook, which there is a link to on Templeton webpage under advisory committee.

With in that handbook is stated "Without finance committee independent review, the town meeting would be at a severe handicap in voting on financial matters when all of the recommendations are coming from one source.

Within that handbook, it also states: This does not mean the finance committee should

have an adversarial relationship with the select board

or town administrator. In fact, the finance committee

should develop a good working relationship with both.

At the end of the day, the job of the advisory committee is to look at the town budget and all other articles that relate to money and to give Town Meeting reasons to vote in favor of or reasons to vote no or even to pass on an article (s). To me, this requires more than yes or no and as our town bylaws state, it shall be in writing, a report to town meeting. Yes or no in a document prepared by town administrator, who does the work for the selectmen is not a report nor does it appear independent. Fiscal year 24 advisory budget shows $760.00 for office supplies, surely enough money to cover cost of producing a written report as directed by town meeting per town bylaws. Until that is done several years in a row, no pay for you!

 Let us talk Town Meeting in Templeton.

Our by-laws state Town Meeting times is our guidebook for the meeting.

Articles, page 67: Since the purpose of a warrant is to apprise the voters of the subject matter to be considered at the meeting, all that is necessary is for the article to include a sufficient description of the subject matter to provide the voters with substantial and intelligent notice of the nature of the business to be acted upon. The article need not contain details or "an accurate forecast of the precise action which the meeting will take."

On amending main motions: page 96, "The moderator must maintain a careful record of the motions that are pending and put them to a vote in the proper order. Action must be taken on every motion. A common fault is the failure to put a main motion to a vote after action on a hotly-debated motion to amend when it is clear that the only real question is whether the meeting desires the original or the amended form. The main motion, however must be put to a vote whether amended or not.

So, if a motion is before town meeting including a dollar figure and an amendment is proposed to change the dollar amount, either up or down, once that amendment on the dollar figure is voted on, then the original or main motion with the new dollar amount in place must be voted on. Just so there is no confusion on that in case this comes up at the next annual town meeting.

Again, this information comes from Town Meeting Times, which is the town's official guidebook for our town meeting.

 If you are not going to follow the bylaws of the town, voted in place by town meeting, whom you are directed to report to, you should not get paid.

 Templeton current town bylaw on advisory committee.

in part, states:

§ 9-1

Membership eligibilty.

There shall be an Advisory Committee consisting of five registered voters of the Town, none of whom shall be an elected Town officer, an appointed official receiving a salary or a Town employee.

So, anyone getting paid cannot serve on advisory committee, correct?

Also, it currently states: in part, The Advisory Committee shall choose its own officers and its members shall serve without pay, and it shall cause to be kept a true record of its proceedings.

Again, members serve without pay and a majority of our comparison communities bylaws state finance/advisory serve without pay.

So, town meeting warrant article # 8 asks town meeting to strike the words serve without pay from the bylaw, while leaving in appointed official receiving a salary (as in getting paid). Trying to eat the cake and have it too. Let us keep the current bylaw in place. If being paid is the only reason to serve on advisory, perhaps it is not a good fit for you. We do not need further grey areas in our bylaws either.

 Templeton Community TV: TCTV

released its first TCTV News

program this week, and more are on the way. Please check out TCTV

News on TCTV's YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/TCTVweb.

Looked at town weekly report and apparently the fire/EMS department did nothing the past week.

Templeton Fire/EMS: Nothing to report this week.

 A proposed change to current policy posted to Templeton Town website under DPW.

The first paragraph is what is currently in place:

Another area of concern is mailboxes. We do not “deliberately” knock over or damage mailboxes. Most mailboxes are not damaged by the vehicle itself but by the snow that is thrown from the plow. But, at times, with the combination of reduced visibility during a snowstorm and snow banks, it is not always possible for our drivers to see a mailbox in time to avoid it. Remember, anything installed within the town’s right-of-way (i.e., fence, mailbox, etc) is placed there at the owner’s risk. Hence, residents are encouraged to place mailboxes at the maximum allowable distance from the pavement.

What I proposed to put in place in an effort to help residents.

Mail Box policy: 

Purpose: The intent of this policy is to establish a uniform process to reimburse citizens for mailbox damage due to snow removal operations performed by the Town of Templeton Department of Public Works (DPW). The DPW’s mandate during “Snow and Ice Season” is to ensure that its roadways are kept free of snow and ice. It is also understood that most mailboxes are located inside the public right of way, and therefore, damage to them is often unavoidable for various reasons. This policy assumes there is a shared responsibility between the town and homeowner when mailboxes are damaged during snow removal operations.

Background: While the Town employees and contractors taking part in snow removal operations take care and due regard while performing their duties, plows may come in contact with privately owned mailboxes in the Town’s right-of-way and damage or destroy them, or snow rolling off snow plow due to speed. This policy recognizes there is inherent risk involved in plowing operations and is intended to provide some relief to property owners should their mailbox be damaged. The weather conditions at the time of the storm dictate the weight and characteristics of the snow that is being removed.

Policy: The DPW director may grant residents a reimbursement of $55.00 when the resident’s circumstances meet the following conditions:

 1. The property owner notifies the DPW within 72 hours when the damage is discovered. 

2. The property owner furnishes pictures or other visual evidence of the damage along with a written request (mail or e-mail) for reimbursement under this policy. 

 3. The DPW director will visually inspect the mailbox and post for damage consistent with physically coming into contact with a snowplow or snow rollingoff a snow plow.

 4.The DPW director will determine if the existing mailbox shows any signs of disrepair or lack of maintenance that would lead to the damage. (i.e. rotted mailbox post). 

 5. The existing mailbox must have met the requirements of a United Postal Service mailbox.

 6. If it is determined that the snowplow made contact with the mailbox or post causing damage, or there is evidence of damage caused by snow rolling off a plow, the property owner will be notified by the DPW in writing that their request has been approved. Residents may appreal a denial of reimbursement to the Templeton select board.

 A taxpayer asks for some public records from town of Templeton, electronic at that.

He gets a response from the town administrator, paraphrasing, send me $105.18 and you can have those.

Residents provide the money to buy paper, printer ink, pay for copiers and computers, pay the employees and when you ask for some records, you get a bill like that. First thing that comes to mind is we do not keep good records in town hall. Second thing comes to mind is town does not want to give the public it's records, do this by putting up a financial block to it. Perhaps this is another way of paying for the budget, another fee or tax. Yes, I know the law states the town can do this, but the secretary of state recommends give records for no charge. It is called service to the public, transparency, accountability and all that. Payback is a bitch and budget and financial transfers are the way to pay em back, as in deny them at town meeting.

 Build Back Better, in Templeton, no really!

 Put less money or none at all into general stabilization fund, because we don't need to do that anyone, we have reached our goal. (now we can start taking money out of it)

Give the town administrator more money to play with, say 67.5% of free cash rather than 50 or 60%.

Why do this? Because department heads are crying there is not enough money for us to spend.

Notice few if any department heads push hard for new or repaired sidewalks, better drainage (have you been down North Main Street lately/) anyone see a plan or push from a department head to improve the town common? Why is it always town employees first and town residents second?

Remember, just because the town administrator or board of selectmen put something in front of town meeting does not mean you have to do it. You can put more money where you want it, such as your general stabilization fund, because we are told and it is stated, more money in general stabilization fund = a better bond rating which lowers the cost for the town to borrow money. Perhaps town management now wants to follow the joe biden plan, bad or lower bond rating so it will cost us less.

 

Active

Jeff Bennett

Concerning the town budget, all one has to remember is the Templeton annual town meeting of May 2019; resident asks if the statement that fy20 budget is one million more than last years is true, a selectman stood before town meeting and stated "no, it is not true" Well, it is a simple math problem and there is a tctv video out there of that meeting. May 2019 article 26 / On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted to appropriate the sum of Nine Million Six

Hundred Ninety Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Four Dollars and no cents ($9,690,274.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2020. Now at town meeting May 2018, article 21 On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred Twenty Thousand, Two Hundred Ninety Eight Dollars and no cents ($8,220,298.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2019, and article 24 On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Forty Six Dollars and No Cents, ($470,246.00), for supplemental appropriations to the FY 2019 Operating Budget for the following departments: So $8,220,298.00 + $470,246.00 = an increase of $999,730.00, say one million dollar increase (what is $270.00 among friends) if they will lie about that, imagine what they can try with fuzzy math. Pass on budget and tell selectmen bring back a better budget, town meeting can do that. Either have a special town meeting later in June or recess town meeting until admin can bring back a better budget or pass it and hope for best (more free cash to support this so called balanced budget, town meeting call)

https://www.templetonma.gov/home/news/financial-management-review-update-march-2021 

The above link will take you to the last financial review of Templeton, performed by the MA Department of Revenue at the request of the select board. The first financial review of Templeton was done back in 2009 at the request of the board of selectmen.

Why ask for a review and then ignore it or many parts of it?

Why ask for a second or undated review if you do not intend to follow it ?

Why have a financial management policy and yet ignore some of it?

 Templeton town meeting May 2023.

article 5 - Amend town bylaws, revolving funds, community services revolving fund.

1. Asks to change name of revolving fund from community services to Parks & Recreation fund.

2. Asks to change who is authorized to spend from this fund, from community services director to director of public service / chair of parks & recreation or one commissioner voted annually.

#2 is the bad part and should not be approved in my opinion. The Parks and Recreation commission have powers per state law, as to parks and there should not be people from other departments having the ability to spend from a revolving fund. This is where money collected through activities of Parks and Recreation and they should be the ones who have authority to expend from fund, as they are a multi member body and as such, before funds are expended, it should be by vote.

Please look at other revolving funds that pertain to a multi member board or commission:

Recycling revolving - authorized to expend = board of health

Burial and improvement revolving fund - authorized to expend =cemetery commission.

If the DPW director (now director of public service) is not authorized to expend from burial & improvement, then he should not be able to expend from parks & rec revolving fund.

 Templeton May 2023 town meeting.

article 4 - sewer department fy2023 budget supplement.

Sewer commissioners ask town meeting to vote to move $40,000.00 from retained earnings (enterprise fund "free cash") to increase or add to the current fiscal year budget.

If you have town sewer, you should be asking why this is needed. If you do not have town sewer, you should ask why this is needed, as this is a department of the Town. This is another example of operating on one time money, which the MA department of revenue has told the town they should not be doing.

 from Templeton annual town meeting May 2010.

Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and/or transfer from available

funds a total sum of Four Hundred Thirty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred Sixty-One Dollars ($437,861.00) for the Worcester Regional Retirement System assessment; said sum to be provided as follows: the sum of One Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred Seventy-Eight Dollars and Ninety-Six Cents ($100,678.96) to be transferred from the Light Department, the sum of Thirty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred Thirteen Dollars and Forty-Two

Cents ($37,413.42) to be transferred from the Water Department, the sum of Thirty-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred Eighty-Nine Dollars and Eighty One Cents ($33,889.81) to be transferred from the Sewer Department, and the sum of Two Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Seventy Eight Dollars and Eighty-One Cents ($265,878.81) to be raised by taxation

and/or transferred from the Stabilization Fund, or to take any other action relative thereto.

Submitted by the Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate and transfer from the Stabilization fund the total sum of Four Hundred Thirty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred Sixty-One Dollars ($437,861.00) for the Worcester Regional Retirement System assessment; said sum to be provided as follows: the sum of One Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred Seventy-Eight Dollars and Ninety-Six Cents ($100,678.96) to be transferred from the Light

Department, the sum of Thirty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred Thirteen Dollars and Forty-Two Cents ($37,413.42) to be transferred from the Water Department, the sum of Thirty-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred Eighty Nine Dollars and Eighty-One Cents ($33,889.81) to be transferred from the

Sewer Department, the sum of One Hundred Forty Thousand, Eight

Hundred Seventy-Eight Dollars and Eighty-One Cents ($140,878.81) to be raised by taxation and the sum of One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00) to be transferred from the General Stabilization Fund.

Passed Unanimously/May 11th @ 9:39

Yes, this is an example of past bad practice, it leads to bad habits and poor performance.

When you take money from a stabilization fund to cover regular operating expenses, you go against best practices from the DOR, you go against current town policy and you demonstrate you do not know how to budget. You also repeat mistakes of the past, which means you have learned nothing. Back at 2013 town meeting when the advisory committee made errors in the FY2014 town budget, if the town had a stabilization fund with a good amount of money in it, there would have not been a big emergency resulting in reducing or closing much of town services for a number of weeks. May 2023 annual town meeting, article 3 asks town meeting to do just that, fund a reoccurring expense, snow & ice from town general stabilization fund. It does require a 2/3 vote of town meeting to do this, but again, why repeat mistakes of past and go down a path of financial instability. Oh yeah, read the town financial management poicy and try to follow it!. We left special town meeting back in November 2022 with around 500 thousand dollars of so called free cash available, oh wait, back on articles 1 & 2, we are being asked to support fy22 and ft23 budgets with free cash. There is an option to allow that 70 thousand dollars to be paid out of next years tax rate, simply put it on tax recap sheet, per DOR. I mean with a dollar per thousand raising around one million dollars, 70 thousand would have a minimal impact on tax rate and this would be a way to hold administration accountable.

 Templeton 2023 annual town meeting,

article 2, amend fy23 town budget.

Once again, use of so called free cash is being used to increase the FY23 town budget, which again, goes against town financial management policy, use of one time funds to support town budget.

1. increase of $52,500.00 for insurance & benefits.

2. $2,500.00 to cover cost of a grant.

3. $150,000.00 to cover cost of snow & ice.

Snow & Ice continues to be minimally funded, because it can be and because it is an easy way to make a budget work. Snow & ice is one of 4 things that a town can deficit spend (think living on credit card - eventually that card has to be paid) by continuing to do this, the town fails to follow policy, best practice, stays dependent on so called free cash and puts future town budgets in peril. Again, this bill needs to be paid.

My thought:

When so called free cash becomes available, typically in the fall and if use of free cash is on a town meeting warrant, my opinion is town meeting should look carefully at the amount available and how much is presented to the meeting to be used and then take charge, amend articles and put more of that free cash in place, taking away the option of free cash, which would force administration to budget better, tighter and perhaps even move closer to following principles of prop 2 1/2; do more with less, become more efficient and change way of how they do business. Town meeting could vote to put more in capital stabilization, infrastructure and demo revolving funds, as a few options.

 2023 Templeton annual town meeting.

Article 1 - payment of late bills from FY22.

The article proposes paying these bills by using so called free cash.

Bills are for $249.00 for senior services and $250.00 for insurance & benefits.

First off, this is using one time funds to back up a town budget, which goes against the town financial management policy, but the bills need to get paid. This happens, but there is a process where money can be set aside before the fiscal year (FY) ends, it is called encumbrances.

What is an Encumbrance?

An encumbrance is a restriction placed on the use of funds. The concept is most commonly used in governmental accounting, where encumbrances are used to ensure that there will be sufficient cash available to pay for specific obligations.

Town accountant generally sends out email to town departments when the end of FY is approaching, June 30 of any calendar year, to notify accountant if they have purchased items or service but have not yet received an invoice so bill can be paid. When departments fail to do this, you get these late bills. This article allows those bills to be paid.

 Templeton annual town election, May 7, 2007.

Question 2. Shall the Town of Templeton accept sections 3 to 7, inclusive of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, as proposed by a petition signed by at least five percent of the registered voters of this town, a summary of which appears below? YES_____ NO____ 

 SUMMARY: Sections 3 to 7 of Chapter 44B of the General Laws of Massachusetts, also known as the Community Preservation Act (“Act”), establishes a dedicated funding source to acquire, create and preserve open space and land for recreational use; acquire, preserve, rehabilitate and restore historic resources; acquire, create, preserve and support community housing; and to rehabilitate and restore open space, land for recreational use and community housing that is acquired or created in accordance with the Act. In Templeton, the Act will be funded, beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, by an additional surcharge of 3% on the annual tax levy on real property and by matching funds provided by the state. The following exemptions from such surcharge, permitted under Section 3(e) of said Act, will apply: (1) property owned and occupied as a domicile by a person who would qualify for low income housing or low or moderate income senior housing in the Town; (2) $100,000 of the value of each taxable parcel of residential real property. A taxpayer receiving a regular property tax abatement or exemption will also receive a pro rata reduction in surcharge. A Community Preservation Committee must be created pursuant to by-law and will make recommendations on the use of the funds. Town Meeting must approve any such recommendations before funds can be expended. At least 10% of the funds for each fiscal year must be spent or reserved for later spending for each of the Act’s three purposes: (1) open space (but excluding land for recreational use); (2) historic resources; and (3) community housing. All expenditures pursuant to the Act will be subject to an annual audit.

QUESTION #2 Community Preservation Act 

Precinct A, B, Total

Yes 314 247 561 

 No 258 218 476 

 Blanks 30 32 62 

 TOTAL 602 497 1,099 

 Plan the dive, dive the plan.

Planning, not one of Templeton's strong points. That said, back in 2018 at Town annual town meeting, May 19, 2018, there was aa plan presented to town meeting, article 29, authorize lease of capital item - fire.

article 29 - On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to (a) raise and appropriate the sum of Ninety Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($92,500.00) to pay for the first year of a six year lease for a fully equipped fire engine apparatus with said lease not to exceed Five Hundred Fifty Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($555,000.00) in total, and have a so called escape clause for lack of appropriation in addition to provisions for an early pay-off, without penalty, and a One Dollar ($1.00) buy-out upon the conclusion of all regularly schedule lease payments and (b) appropriate the sum of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($25,000.00) to write down the purchase price of said item such that it may be leased within the foregoing limits set in this article and to meet said appropriation of by a transfer of said sum from certified free cash.

Passed by a 2/3 Vote/May 19th @ 1:18 pm

 Monday, April 3, 2023, went to Gardner Hannaford, checked out at 12:04. Departed and headed to route 2A and as I drove by Salvadore chevy dodge jeep, I spotted Templeton ambulance in parking lot. Since it is a ford truck, no reason to be there, I turned into dodge and drove around, two people in the ambulance and one exited, went into building, then the Templeton fire chief vehicle began to exit parking area following the Templeton ambulance. So, if anyone would have needed an ambulance yesterday at around this time, you have been waiting a while. Not sure what the procedure would have been if a 911 call came in for ambulance, but, you might have had to wait a bit longer than if the ambulance was where it was supposed to be. Now most people might not think this a big deal, however, if you were someone who did call 911 at this time and needed ambulance for a life saving incident, police officer showed up first, did cpr for a long period of time before ambulance showed up, you might feel different. In my opinion, this is another example of poor management of personnel, service/equipment in Templeton. Not the first and probably not the last. The town owned ambulance is to provide life saving service to residents, the fire chief suv is primarily a vehicle to get the chief back and forth from home to work and vice versa and to any official duties. Surely there is a better way to pick up a vehicle used for personal use other than using an ambulance. Team Templeton needs to work on management and budget, I hope more team Templeton residents show up for annual town meeting in May. Your money and you have final say on if it is available for spending or not.