Town Hall, we do things right and we follow up on select board business???

Fire Chief employment contract up June 30, 2023.

page 2 and 3 - compensation:

FY 21 = $80,000.00

FY 22 = $83,250.00

FY 23 = $86,500.00

FY 21 budget book shows fire chief pay at $80,000.00

FY 22 budget book shows fire chief pay at $83,250.00

FY 23 budget book shows fire chief pay at $83,250.00

So, fire chief was not given raise in fy 23? What happened? What could it be? Time to read fire chief contract. Page 5 shows courses and seminars: "The chief shall annually attend at least twenty-four hours of professional development courses, seminars and meetings . . . "

college level courses: The chief in his personal time shall pursue appropriate professional certification and job-related college level courses in accordance with goals and objectives agreed to by him and the administrator described in section 9.

Section 9: performance review and goals:

1. annual goals and objectives, by July 31, 2020, the chiefs' professional goals and objectives shall be reduced to writing and submitted to administrator for review and approval. These goals shall include the requirement to annually complete the course described above.

2. Performance review, the chief acknowledges that is performance shall be evaluated by the accomplishment of the specific goals and objectives described above.

Page 6 states C -salary review - The chief acknowledges that the salary increases described above in section 3 (a) are conditioned on the annual completion of the courses described above. The chief will not receive such annual salary increase until such time as he has completed said courses, unless otherwise excused by the administrator upon the basis of extraordinary circumstances. The chief further acknowledges that the increase in compensation anticipated to be granted over his fy 2020 compensation shall not be granted until submission of the professional development plan.

So, conclusion could be since chief did not get raise in fy23, he did not complete required training and education. Perhaps question should be, should he continue to be town fire chief? Is it insubordination to fail to complete required and agreed to training and course work? Templeton continues no enforcement of agreements, rules, bylaws, state law and no follow upon board business.

https://www.templetonma.gov/home/news/stone-bridge-project-update

Special town meeting, November 2019 - ARTICLE 11: COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT APPROPRIATIONS

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Ninety Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($190,800.00) for various activities and special articles as follows:

Item Agent to Expend Amount Purpose CPA Fund/Source

1.) Selectmen $35,000 Stone Bridge1 Open Space & Recreation

Special town meeting, October 2020 - Article 11: On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to accept the report of the Community

Preservation Committee and to appropriate the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($50,000.00) for various activities and special articles as follows:

Item Agent to Expend Amount Purpose CPA Fund/Source

1.) Select Board $50,000 Stone Bridge1 General Reserve

1 Phase 1 of development work removing the existing culvert and constructing bridge abutments for the re-use of the Stone Bridge on Stone Bridge Road for Open Space and Recreational use.

Passed/October 26th @ 6:41pm

 Small Town getting it right!!

Southwick Select Board backs crackdown on illegal roadside advertising signs

SOUTHWICK — Citing an unprecedented number of temporary private business signs along the town’s streets, Select Board Chair Doug Moglin said during the board’s meeting Monday he’s sending a formal letter to the building inspector to take action.

“There has been a mushrooming of temporary signs. They’re showing up everywhere,” Moglin said during the meeting.

The Southwick Select Board wants to crack down on temporary signs illegally placed on public property around town, like this lawn sign at the exit of the Town Hall parking lot.

 Once upon a time:

From: Holly Young <hyoung@templeton1.org>

Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2018 3:37 PM

To: 'jeff bennett'

Cc: 'townadministrator'

Subject: RE: information request

Jeff:

The public records request you sent would consist of approximately 362 pages copied at $.05/page = $18.10; Copying the DVD = $5; and labor at approximately 15 minutes for the lowest paid person in the office at $19.70 per hour =$4.93; Total of $28.03.

Upon confirmation from you that you wish to have it prepared and pay the fee of $28.03, I will get that ready for you and you can come in with your payment to pick it up. I will need approximately 2 days to prepare it depending on what else I have for work.

After receiving the cost estimate, I printed the law and went to selectmen meeting to inquire about the $18.10 for 181 pages (361 pages printed both sides + 181 and that is important) 

Public Records law states:

 Fees for Copies

In addition to the search and segregation fees, records custodians may charge

$0.05 for either single and double-sided black and white paper copies or printouts.

When the request is for materials that are not susceptible to ordinary means of reproduction, such as photographs or computer tapes, the

actual cost of reproduction may be assessed to the requester.27 There are also specific statutes that establish fees for copies of public records.

Since the law states 5 cents a page for either one sided or both sides printed, I had to attend selectmen meeting to explain the charge for 181 double sided copies should be $9.05 rather than $18.10. Yup, I got a refund and that is why you always have to check Templeton town hall math.

 A slight change in tune

Jeff Bennett

Adam D. Lamontagne

Where might one find those "guidelines" and when the town employees and many boards, committees and commissions start following policy and the law, I will gladly follow their lead.

From: Adam D. Lamontagne <alamontagne@TempletonMA.gov>

Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 7:22 AM

To: jeff bennett <j_bennett506@hotmail.com>

Subject: RE: records request

If it takes over half hour then there will be a fee in accordance with our public record guidelines of the Town. I know you are big on following policies, guidelines, bylaws, etc.

Adam D. Lamontagne, MPA, MCPPO

Town Administrator

TempletonSealFULLTRANSPARENT

Town of Templeton

Town Hall, Room 6

P.O. Box 620, 160 Patriots Road

East Templeton, MA 01438Phone 978-894-2778 Fax 978-894-2795

alamontagne@templetonma.gov

 July 18, 2023, I requested from Town Aministrator a copy in electronic form of the June 2023 monthly expenditure report.

Todays answer to my request.

Adam D. Lamontagne <alamontagne@TempletonMA.gov>

You

Good Day,

We have not received the final End of Year BvA from the Accountant.

Adam D. Lamontagne;Currie, Michael;Toth, Timothy;Griffis, Terry;Rivard, Matthew;Richard, Julie

To all concerned, I requested an electronic copy of June 2023 monthly expenditure report from Town Administrator (who is also RAO). After receiving his response, I checked the towns financial management policy and found the following:

H-3 Monthly & Quarterly Reporting Background:

Monthly reporting helps a community to determine whether sufficient funds are available to cover current obligations, any surplus can be invested, or shortfall exists requiring temporary borrowing. Policy: The Town Accountant shall produce and distribute monthly budget-to-actual reporting to evaluate the Town’s financial position per Massachusetts state law. These reports shall be submitted to the Board, user agencies, Town Administrator, and Advisory Committee, among others. This will enable the Town to take prompt management action in the event that fiscal problems are indicated or adjust spending behavior to meet financial challenges. The Town's Financial Team (Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, Principal Assessor) shall make a formal public presentation to the Board and the status of accounts, their activities, and concerns over negative trends each month following the ending of a fiscal year quarter together with any steps recommended by the Town Administrator to deal with such negative trends.

NOTE: I did not ask for end of year final, I asked for month of June expenditure report, which according to the TA, does not exist yet. This seems to be more of employees deciding what will be done and when rather than management and is another example of failing to follow policy.

regards,

Jeff Bennett

 Special town meeting, November 2015.

Article 2 - On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to appropriate the sum of Nine Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($975,000) to pay costs of designing, constructing and equipping a 4,000 square foot addition to and remodeling of the Templeton Police Station, located at 33 South Road, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto; said sum to be expended under the direction of the Selectmen; and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to borrow said sum under M.G.L. 44,

Section 7, or pursuant to any other enabling authority; provided, however, that no sum shall be borrowed or expended hereunder unless the Town shall have voted to exempt the amounts

required for the payment of interest and principal on said borrowing from the limitations on taxes by M.G.L. 59, Section 21C (also known as Proposition 2 ½).

Passed Unanimously/November 9th @ 8:33

Annual town meeting, May 2018, article 32 - On a motion duly made and seconded the Town to appropriate the sum of One Million Five

Hundred Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($1,500,000.00), in addition to the Nine Hundred and

Seventy Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($975,000.00) previously appropriated, for

designing and constructing an addition to the Police Station, and renovations thereof, including

the payment of costs incidental or related thereto; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer

with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, subject to the successful passage of a Proposition 2

½ debt exclusion, so-called, is authorized to borrow such amount under G.L. c.44, §7(1) or any

other enabling authority; and that the Board of Selectmen is authorized to take any other action

necessary or convenient to carry out this project. Any premium received upon the sale of any

bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs

of issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote

in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20 of the General Laws, thereby reducing the amount

authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.

Passed by a 2/3 Vote/May 19th @ 1:43 pm

from TA weekly report of June 15, 2023 - Station – Royal Steam was in and finally replaced the compressor for the AC unit, a huge difference was almost instantly noticed. BWC went into service. Templeton Bldg. & Grounds assisted officers with redesigning the front lawn area.

Started 2015, now 2023 and still not complete, simply awesome.

 Town Meeting Times, which is embedded in Templeton town bylaws, selectmen: when it comes to selectmen role in town meeting, their part actually comes at the beginning, where they set the time and place of town meeting and prepare and submit town meeting warrant with articles "warning residents of upcoming meeting and what will be discussed. After that, selectmen have no real role in town meeting other than as individual voters. Of course people look to the selectmen to do certain things, but it is possible to have a town meeting without them. All that is actually required for a town meeting is a properly executed warrant, a clerk, a moderator and voters.

Templeton does have a town bylaw concerning the budget;

§ 28-7

Preparation by Administrator and Board.

[Amended 5-19-2014; 11-20-2019 STM by Art. 7; 6-17-2020 ATM by Art. 9]

It shall be duty of the Town Administrator, in conjunction with the Select Board (Board), 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, and further to present and defend the same throughout the review process and to the Town Meeting for action.

So, other than budget, selectmen in theory could be told to address meeting by way of microphones on town floor like the rest of the residents. The moderator runs town meeting, not the selectmen and they probably need to be reminded of that often!

Procedural rulings at town meeting are made by the moderator and the moderator is not bound by town counsel opinion. (one must always remember town counsel gives opinions, they are not law, and Templeton town counsel has been wrong numerous times to date.)

 Summer education time.

Just in case anyone calls office of selectmen to request to be on agenda of an upcoming meeting and say town administrator refuses your request, you have options to include filing open meeting law complaint (at least make them deal with it and have to explain the reason for complaint).

Preparation of the Agenda

The agenda of a selectmen’s meeting had virtually no legal significance prior to a major overhaul of the open meeting law in 2010. Under the previous version of the law, the meeting posting simply had to say when and where the board would convene. Now, the required notice of a meeting must include “a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting”

[G.L. c. 30A, §20(b)]. Note the imposition of personal responsibility: “that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed.”

See, the law gives responsibility and authority to chair of the public body, not town admin, regardless of what selectmen may put in a policy (that they do not usually follow anyways- in my opinion).

Note: selectman handbook - In most towns, the responsibility for preparing the meeting agenda falls to the chair, often with help from professional staff, or to the town manager or other professional staff member. This task includes determining what issues will be up for discussion, what the order of items will be, and what will not appear on the agenda. Again, open meeting law puts agenda responsibility (final) on the chair.

Again, what if a topic comes up within forty-eight hours before the meeting that the chair failed to anticipate? The chair should amend the posted notice as soon as possible, even if it means the topic is posted less than a full forty-eight hours in advance. If feasible, the board may also consider postponing discussion until the next meeting, so there will be no question about the adequacy of notice. (chair is ultimately responsible)

 from current Templeton Town Master Plan developed by way of a contract with MRPC and adopted back in 2017.

Economic Development Goals and Objectives 

The majority of Community Survey respondents believed that Templeton should pursue economic development opportunities to broaden the tax base and create jobs and provide services. For those who believe Templeton should pursue economic development, many would like to see small scale retail, followed very closely by restaurants, hardware/home improvement stores and large scale retail. Less popular businesses are gas stations, fast food and services. The following goals and objectives were devised as part of the Planning Board’s work on the 

Economic Development Element of the Master Plan. 

 Goal: 

 • Promote Economic Development that is consistent with the Town’s desired character. 

 Objectives: 

 • Maintain an Economic Development entity to serve as an advocate for economic development in Templeton. 

 • Review the provisions of the Zoning Bylaw that regulate economic development and revise as necessary in order to facilitate and expedite commercial and industrial development. 

 • Have town planners learn about available economic development resources and pursue grant and funding opportunities when appropriate.

 • Develop the infrastructure necessary to encourage new economic development within appropriately zoned areas.

 Residents, Please NOTICE: The Assessor's Office will be holding limited office hours on the week of August 7, 2023. The office will be closed Monday August 7th and Tuesday August 8th. The office will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm on Wednesday August 9th and Thursday August 10th. Staff will be attending class at the Annual Assessors School for education toward certification that week.

Notice from the Treasurer/Collector's Office

POSTED ON: JULY 12, 2023 - 8:35AM

Bills were mailed for 1st and 2nd quarter preliminaries. 1st quarter is due August 1st.

Please note that the office will be closed from August 15th - 17th for employees to attend the yearly Massachusetts Collector/Treasurer school for certification.

Again, where are the assistants? Nice planning town administrator, give yourself a pat on the back for piss poor planning - you are in charge of day-to-day operations and planning appears to suck in the corner office.

 from Templeton town website.

This is our fourth project highlight for the month of July. The Gilman Waite Scoreboard was completed in coordination with Parks & Recreation, Templeton Municipal Light & Water as well as our Highway with Building & Grounds crews. This relatively new scoreboard will provide folks that attend games to stay updated with the latest results and statistics for each game. We would like to recognize and give thanks to Woodford Electric, IBEW Local 104 and Graves Concrete for their generous donations which the Select Board accepted.

The Town of Templeton is continuing with positive progress and momentum working with our many Boards, Committees and Commissions. Stay tuned for our next project highlight!

No time for administrator reports but time for patting themselves on back because somethings got done that town meeting voted for and/or volunteers completed - nice.

This was done by all volunteers and with the exception of Templeton Light dept., this was not really a town project. You realize the Scout Hall reuse committee was created February 22, 2016 and where is that project at? Do you realize the police station rebuild was started with a vote back in November 2015 and it is still not complete. Not to mention these now highlighted projects have been done for a while, seems like town hall is on a rerun summer schedule because that is all they got, reruns. How is that veterans park coming along, there was a big to do on that at the site of the Rivers Edge park.

 from Templeton town web site.

"Our third highlight will be town roads and initiatives that are complete or will be getting completed relatively soon. As one can see in the photo, Hamlet Mill Road has been resurfaced with Winter Recovery Assistance Program (WRAP) monies. Hamlet Mill also received new street signs as well. The Town is in the process of replacing all street signs as part of a phased plan so folks will see these improvements throughout town which has been funded out of the Town's free cash. Additionally, a portion of Brooks Road was redone using the WRAP monies."

"The Town has been diligent following a Pavement Management Plan from 2018 while prioritizing our roadways."

 new street signs, all at different annual town meetings, June 2020, article 21 -$7,500.00, May 2021, article 18 - $7,500.00, May 2022, article 25 - $7,500.00, May 2023, article 25 - $7,500.00. Got to keep up!

Did the bridge on Hamlet Mill Road get repaired/replaced? Did the town put down the appropriate counter measures while working near a moving body of water? (Hay bales, silt curtain, etc.) How much drainage work was done on Hamlet Mill Road? Sidewalks installed?

from pavement study:

Begin to explore borrowing/bonding money to fund an affordable and effective roadway improvement program that funds both maintenance and

capital improvement projects. Road maintenance on roads in “good” condition cost less to maintain.

• Institute a regular drainage maintenance program that focuses on cutting back sand buildup at the edge of roads, re-establishing drainage swales to

low points, and ensuring debris free catch basins and pipes.

During our survey it well noted that annual sweeping of winter sand was deficient. Remants of sand was evident well after the spring season.

Furthermore, nearly 30% of drainage conditions found on Templeton roadways attributed to accelerated pavement deterioration, i.e. lack of shedding/blockage of positive water runoff, and erosion of shoulders.

When was the last selectmen meeting where road/sidewalk/drainage was discussed?

 Financial management policy states accountant and treasurer do a cash forecast, why has it not been done? Even as a selectman (me) brought it up at several meetings, it is still not being done, even as auditor stated this lack of doing it could be costing town money, I am not going to cheer the selectmen or town administrator for that! It is like weekly town administrator reports "taking the summer off see you in September", hey town government is a full time job, so do what you are paid to do! Government employees did not lose one penny, not one paycheck during the covid shutdown and then they asked for premium pay, a friggin bonus for working when residents were losing hours and sometimes jobs and careers, so they can take the heat, bashing, critique or whatever one wishes to call it. No Mercy!

Town Meeting vote back a ways voted to increase selectmen from 3 to 5 and then town meeting voted to have town administrator (town meeting never voted for assistant TA) there is an assistant town administrator who over the past few years was given pay increases because of a work load and now there is an admin assistant to help out. There is state law, town bylaws and local policy to guide selectmen. Selectmen have put these various projects in front of town meeting and town meeting voted for them. The least the selectmen can and should do is follow policy to the letter, follow town bylaws to the letter and follow state law to the letter and get projects finished and keep the start of new projects at bay until a few of the previous approved projects are completed. It is their job and responsibility. Perhaps selectmen would have more time to devote to their primary duties if they stayed off other entities such as other town communities, which the MA department of revenue by way of division of local service has suggested over a number of years.

May, 1990 Templeton annual town meeting, article 24, town votes to increase selectmen from 3 to 5.

What has selectmen pay going to $3,750.00 per selectman gotten the town so far?

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