Templeton selectmen decide to not ask again for a state guaranteed loan for a school, will go to plan B, whatever that is. Templeton does not have a new town administrator as the selectmen and candidate were unable to come to terms with a contract. This is the second time, first being a fire chief. What is the problem? are the selectmen intentionally doing this or does no one wish to come to Templeton? If they do not wish to come, why do they apply and interview and be chosen? Something looks funny here, in my opinion.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Wonderful system that could use attention and a change.

FYI , Gardner  received 12 bills ($0 due) from the town of Templeton. So glad Templeton has money to waste. This is not new but is something that should be looked at to see if a change could save a few bucks. Kind of silly to send out paper bills that tell you, well, you owe us nothing and we have money to burn so we spent it on paper and postage.


posted by Jeff Bennett

How it could be done.

Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 12:00 pm

By Ethan DeWitt Sentinel Staff

The room was small, windowless, cluttered. For 13 years, two dispatchers sat inside, handling and diverting 911 police calls around Cheshire County.

It was cramped and not well ventilated. The heat from the equipment sometimes made it stifling.

But this fall, all that changed as dispatchers moved into a $650,000 newly furnished space in the old Cheshire County Courthouse, complete with windows, wide monitors and spacious desks. The center, which serves the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Department, as well as police departments around the region, opened Sept. 20.

The project was a three-year endeavor that brought in extensive funding from federal and state agencies. At the helm was Sheriff Eliezer “Eli” Rivera, who first was elected to the position in 2013 and has made the renovation a focus of his time since.

Rivera, a Democrat who was re-elected to his position Nov. 8 after beating Republican Earl D. Nelson, said he knew as soon as he came on board that the facility should be moved.

For one, it was removed from the rest of the office, which had been moved upstairs after the county courthouse relocated to a new facility next door. Separated from their colleagues, the dispatchers felt left out, Rivera said.

It was also very small.

“From day one, when I got here, I realized that they were in a pretty tight room for what they did,” he said.

The space has long served a vital service. In 2003, the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office took over handling police dispatching services from Southwestern N.H. Fire Mutual Aid, according to Arlene W. Crowell, director of communications at the sheriff’s office. Since then, she said, the office handles more than 53,000 phone calls and 1 million radio transfers a year.

All 911 calls in New Hampshire go directly to a dispatch center in Concord, where they are then sorted by type of emergency, Rivera said. Police-related calls from Cheshire County towns outside of Keene are transferred to the sheriff’s office, where dispatchers relay them to the local police departments throughout the county. All Keene-related calls go through the Keene Police Department on Marlboro Street.

At least two dispatchers are in the office at every hour of the day, though more staff is added to handle weekend calls, Rivera said.

In 2014, with a goal to expand, Rivera lobbied for a new space for the dispatch center in the former grand jury room, a floor above. The project was estimated to cost $650,000, and Rivera and Cheshire County Administrator Christopher Coates worked to apply for funding grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. Homeland Security kicked in $306,000 for purchasing new communications equipment, while $100,000 from New Hampshire’s Department of Emergency Management went toward furniture, moving equipment and computers, according to Rivera. New tax revenues brought in $75,000, with the rest of the money sourced from leftover funds in previous capital projects, Crowell said.

The results have been transformative. Once situated in a dark cubby, the new dispatch center has a modern flair. Sunlight pours over the monitor banks as dispatchers sit before broad, curved desks with ample leg room. Television screens showing everything from security footage to “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” hang on the wall above.

Steve Buckley, who started with the sheriff’s office in 2000 and has worked full time as a police communications specialist since 2007, said the new setup was more comfortable and more efficient.

“It’s better organized, and there’s more information available,” he said, gesturing to the six-screen monitor system in front of each technician. The office has four.

Rivera said the enthusiasm for the new facilities was mirrored across the board.

“It’s like night and day for them,” he said, referring to change for the dispatchers.

Rivera added the new facilities were full of hidden benefits.

“The best part is the windows: Now we can look outside when people call to ask if it’s raining,” he joked.

Ethan DeWitt can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or edewitt@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EDeWittKS

posted by Jeff Bennett

Diane Haley BrooksFebruary 24, 2017 at 8:44 PM

Jeff, at which meeting did I stop the debate? I don't recall that. I will go through all of them that their was a school article. If there was an opinion I will send it and post it. I believe dispatch belongs here and I am not alone in that. I believe that we should not merge and have I public safety director nor do I believe we should contract out ambulance as that is not what our community wants based on how the receipt reserve was set up. Public safety is priortybine. I did not fight to keep any records a secret, unless it was stated we couldn't release them; they are public records as. Some iformation needs to be redacted but people should have what they ask for they should get unless legally it's not allowed. I have asked at meeting for us to see any potential denials of those requests ahead of time. Do you recall some of the board members said no? Oneill continue to support our elementary school and I haven't backed down from that for 8 years. We were told we would have 750,000 in free cash and of course I asked more questions about that and was told the same thing. The books were not all finished and they will be soon. How long did the argument about how the deficit of 505,000 came to be go on and finally uiubsaid you would take responsibility? Who else should have stood up? Never did. The numbers that came out of the finance dept was the issue and the Assessors office? Perhaps, but not from what I was shown after I was elected. I will get you any opinion I can. I didn't know there was one out there. I will see.

Personally, I think the Advisory Committee should have stood up and that would have given them credit and respect and perhaps people would have listened to that committee last year. The meeting I refer to is the special town meeting where you made a motion to take no action. It would have been a better move democratically is selectmen would have asked town counsel for wording to allow debate to happen rather than to close it down. If public safety is number one, then you really cannot touch much, you cannot pay for public safety if no one is there to collect the funds, record and approve then pay the bills such as salary. You have to have public health, building inspections, which are consumer protection, ensuring housing is safe. I can go on and on but I think the picture is clear. 

Question; Town accountant received increases in hours and pay a while back with the reasons being there much work to do with regards to town records and getting them ready for audits. Now that the work is completed, or almost completed, as we were told recently, will the accountant's salary be scaled back? Wait, there was mention of an accountant assistant being created so I guess not.  I cannot think of nor can i find any law that states any material in a public record that has to be redacted or blacked out or removed. Legal bills are not personnel files. You as a selectmen did not provide the legal bills in a timely manner so take responsibility for that. The board of selectmen is responsible for the actions of the town administrator so yes you did block the release of legal bills. No one asked for the name and address of a police officer or any town employee, although if they are a Templeton resident, that information is on the town website, you know that right? There was a request for a record of the spending of public money and that is that. The records did exist and therefor they should have been provided upon request but that is not what you selectmen did. 

There is no spin on this one, it is on paper and you stated at the most recent workshop for selectmen that you go over the warrant very thoroughly and you ask questions on things, so I believe you saw the legal bill and you saw it showed that you selectmen looked at ways to prevent the article 8 from being discussed and then you asked for ways to keep the record of that from being public, it is right there in black n white. 

posted by Jeff Bennett

Hey Templeton, Pizza is on you!

From: townadministrator [mailto:townadministrator@templeton1.org]
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 11:58 AM
To: 'PhillipstonSelectmen'sOffice'; 'Susan Varney'; 'Highway Department'; library@phillipston-ma.gov; 'Karen Perkins'; 'Jacqueline Prime'; 'Building Department'; 'Phillipston Board of Health'; cemetery@phillipston-ma.gov; 'Town Treasurer'; 'Town Accountant'; 'Tax Collector'; 'Assessors'; 'Town Clerk'; 'Police Department'; fire@phillipston-ma.gov;secretary@phillipston-ma.gov; 'Planning Board'; 'Conservation Commission'; 'Glen Whitney'; 'Heather Brissette'; 'Admin Asst'; 'Kevin Flynn'; 'Mark Miville'; 'Paula Haley'; 'Reg Haughton'; 'Selectwoman Long'; 'Thomas Specht'; 'Tim Haley';admin@townoforange.org; lorrleno@yahoo.com; towncoord@crocker.com; hilltop2@gis.net; warwick_ma@lycos.com;selectmen.caplis@templeton1.org; hubbadmin@juno.com; 'Brian Nason'; 'Kim Pratt'; 'Kristin Stanley'; 'Margaret Hughes'; 'Tony Wagner'; 'Gordon Tallman'; 'Joanna Telepciak'; 'Matt Pearson'; 'Bonnie House'; 'Karen Perkins'; 'Keven Flynn'; 'Rich Valcourt '; 'Rose Frizzell'; 'Bernard Malouin'; 'Gordon Robertson'; 'Nancy & Sterling Whiting'; 'Vernet Lussier '; 'Wayne Richard'; 'Thomas Brouillet'; 'John Telepciak'; 'Dymek, Terry'; 'Heather Budrewicz';mnartowicz@townofrutland.org; ssuhoski@townofathol.org; admin@hubbardstonma.us; stevenboudreau391@gmail.com;townadministrator@town.princeton.ma.us; kmurphy@westminster-ma.gov; KHickey@townofwinchendon.com;mward@clintonma.gov; hlemieux@lunenburgonline.com
Cc: Holly Young
Subject: Local Ch. 30B Training

Local Chapter 30B Training

Trainers from the Massachusetts Inspector General’s Office will be in Templeton

                9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

                Wednesday, March 8, 2017

                Templeton Town Hall

                160 Patriots Road

Templeton, MA

They will provide a 4 hour mini session on bidding basics and surplus.  This is a great overview for people who have not taken the full course(s) and a way to learn about recent changes in statute.

THERE IS NO COST TO YOUR TOWN.

Please let us know the names, job title and department of any of your staff or committees you would like to attend by 12 Noon on March 6, 2017 so we may have enough presentation material available.  (Max of 50 attendees)

Many Thanks

Carter Terenzini

Interim Town Administrator

Town of Templeton

160 Patriots Road

East Templeton, MA 01438

(978) 894-2753

posted by Jeff Bennett

Does anyone consider the purchase of a truck a capital investment? Should that be considered a capital expense? So did the purchase of a highway truck by way of using the "charge card" of snow & ice deficit spending violate the process. That is after all, borrowed money that has to be paid for somehow. Funny how this process works, or is it a lack of a process that is the problem?


Just for clarity sake, the above is really a 2 part question rather than a statement.

posted by Jeff Bennett

While some play word games, Advisory Committee is trying to find answers to why Templeton always seems to be in financial hardship.

From: "townadministrator" <townadministrator@templeton1.org>

Subject: RE: Revenue projections

Date: January 26, 2017 at 11:29:20 AM EST

To: "'Paul Grubb'" <grubbp@comcast.net>

Thanks for your kind thoughts - I am doing better and back at it:

I distinguish between baseline tax levy, the tax levy voted to be excluded from the normal and ordinary baselines, and new growth.   I suspect that the numbers you are looking at do not use such distinctions but blend it all together.  Given that exclusion tax levy income is directly tied to your outstanding debt - some of which remains yet to be floated - I generally do not project that until I am closer to Town Meeting.  If you had cleaner accounting and better systems I could actually do so now but...  We are where we are.  Also, given that they are "wash numbers" (i.e. income matches expense) it does not have any impact upon the bottom line.

That bottom line to bottom line expense for FY ;19 is also intended to try to line everything up apples to apples.

If you think it is something else give me a shout and we can look at it.  

Many Thanks

Carter Terenzini
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton
160 Patriots Road
East Templeton, MA 01438
(978) 894-2753

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Grubb [grubbp@comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 11:09 AM
To: townadministrator <townadministrator@templeton1.org>
Cc: Wilfred Spring <185wilberdr@gmail.com>
Subject: Revenue projections

Hi Carter

I hope you are feeling better.  The cold bug has taken its toll on quite a few of us.

Please could you explain the source of your January 12 revenue estimate, specifically for the actual property tax receipts?  I have attached a worksheet that I’ve been working on which shows significant variances between your projections and mine.  The largest variance comes from the actual collected amounts of property tax revenue.

My source for this data is the Advanced Reconciliation Report that I received from the tax collector’s office.  I was attempting to identify the actual property tax revenue collected going back to 2012.  I added together 2 rows from the Advanced Reconciliation report to arrive at the total property tax amount collected; Supplemental Tax  & Tax. (Please see attached report with rows highlighted for FY2015.)

I want to be sure we are comparing apples to apples.  Is the Advanced Reconciliation Report not the correct source or am I interpreting it incorrectly?  Please let me know if I should follow up with someone else for this information.

posted by Jeff Bennett