david smartJune 29, 2017 at 9:25 PM

As One of the administrators of this blog i feel it's time to only allow posts that are of a civil nature without name calling and insults from the people who post comments.
The past comments and also some blog posts have shown to be from hast and will be no longer tolerated.
As my uncle Pauly said to me shut it down if it is not what you think it should be.
Please read it but comments will be restricted if allowed at all.
A total shut down of this blog will be done if it is whats best for Templeton.
Thank you!

After Davey apparently removed a comment from a blog, he posted the above comment, so watch how he responds here.

I wonder if Davey will practice what he seems to be preaching? 

posted by Jeff Bennett

So if you check out some history, the Massachusetts Attorney General approved members of the Advisory Board/Committee as "special municipal employees" whatever the intention of that was and if that has never been rescinded, well, I may have to investigate using my MCAD (Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination) training to good use. Being over 45 (60 yrs old) being a Veteran, I am feeling I am being picked on by our BOS (along with trying to limit my free speech rights and to deny the publication of public information) I will have to look down that road.

Unlike someone else, I will not shut this blog down because someone does not like it. No political buy off here. No freebies buy off here, no "be a good little employee" here. The publication of material having to do with our government and the right to criticize that government in many ways is too important. I would hope someone who is serving Templeton by way of an elected position would understand and remember that as they may read a part of the United States Declaration of Independence around the 4th of July.

posted by Jeff Bennett

The electronic machine must be back up and running because Advisory just received a budget versus actual via email! A request for financial transfers to pay the snow and ice deficit (charge card) in the amount of $131,800.00.

Reasons given for this large deficit are three factors: an extremely harsh winter, the expense of making winter sand while not planning for it in the fiscal year 2017 budget and excessive repairs on aging equipment.

(Hey, I traded in my 1991 plow truck for a 1997 truck, I am moving on up!)

Seriously, how does a highway department not plan for having sand for the winter time if that is the medium you want to use? We must remember the truck bought out of the snow and ice fund which added to the deficit.

The money will come from various funds

Town administrator salary	123-100-51-5110-0000	$   1775.00
Advisory Committee reserve	132-100-57-5780-0000	$ 36,000.00
Conservation committee assistant	171-100-51-5115-0000	$   1,500.00
Town vehicle fuel	192-100-54-5480-0000	$ 12,500.00
Fire/EMS salaries	220-200-51-5117-0000	$ 17,500.00
Police salaries	210-200-51-5112-0000	$ 45,000.00
Cemetery superintendent salary	491-400-51-5110-0000	$   7,525.00
Veterans agent salary	543-500-51-5115-0000	$  10,000.00
	Total for all transfers	$131,800.00

A note here: It is NOT the Advisory Committee reserve fund, it is the TOWN'S reserve fund and it helps with borrowing!

posted by Jeff Bennett (I never post as anonymous)

I hope the posting of this important public information does not offend anyone, and if it does, oh well.

The take away from the meeting last night with members of BOA/DLS is there is no need for Templeton to be spending 10 thousand dollars (or any amount) on the Collins institute or other entity because the Division of Local services already offers services for free. They are paid for already through state taxes. So if Templeton wishes to save some money, use the state agencies, who stated they are willing, able and available to selectmen (and others) to provide help, assistance and training.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Hi all Advisory committee members,

For some reason we were not on distribution for the email for Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest Law documents when they were sent in March.  Please take some time to fill out this paper work and send the required forms to the Town Clerk. I will followup at the July 12th 2017 committee meeting as an additional reminder.

Wil

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Curtis <emd@templeton1.org>
Date: Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 9:29 AM
Subject: Conflict of Interest / Open Meeting Law 2017
To: templetonadvisoryboard@gmail.com
Cc: "townclerk templeton1.org" <townclerk@templeton1.org>

It appears that I left your Board off the mailing list when I sent out the 2017 Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest Law materials in mid-March. Please read Attachment #1, which gives instructions of how to complete this process.

Please have all Advisory Board Members send in the acknowledgement form (COI) and certificate of receipt form (OML) to the Town Clerk no later than July 10, 2017.

If you have questions concerning this process, feel free to call me.

Richard Curtis, EMD
1 Elm Street
Baldwinville, MA 01436
(978) 580-6620

Rich Curtis was designated/volunteered to be  the Town liaison for this (these) items.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Pound this - as an FYI:

According to the general by-laws of Templeton/ capital planning/improvement:

Article XLII - Capital Planning By-Law:

Section 2: Committe duties:
To facilitate the reasonable acquisition and replacement of capital items (defined as assets and projects with a useful life of five years and a cost of MORE than $10,000.00.)

So, if say the board of selectmen vote to allow highway to spend up to $10,000.00 for say a snow plow, does that need to go before capital planning? Now, if the amount spent on a snow plow ends up at say $8,500.00, was this by-law violated? I think not!

Interesting to read further on;

It is the intent of this by-law that all capital improvements requested by a town department or board should be considered in the committee's report before presentation to the Town for appropriation. That would be Town Meeting, so what if a purchase does not go before Town Meeting? Does that item still need to go before capital planning? Since the language is should rather than must or shall, it indicates that it is not a must requirement, more like a recommendation, in my opinion.



posted by Jeff bennett

RE: is this a violation of open meeting law

MK

Maher, Kaitlin (AGO) <kaitlin.maher@state.ma.us>

 

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Fri 6/23, 9:33 AM

You

You forwarded this message on 6/23/2017 9:31 PM

Good morning Mr. Bennett,

Thank you for your email.

Our office is not able to say whether or not a violation has occurred unless an Open Meeting Law complaint has first been filed with the public body. However, I am happy to answer any questions you have about the Open Meeting Law. Which aspect of the posting requirements do you think the Templeton Board of Selectmen violated?

Sincerely,
Kadie

Kaitlin Maher

Paralegal, Division of Open Government

Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General

One Ashburton Place, 20^th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

Ph: (617) 963-2451

Fax: (617) 727-5785

Kaitlin.Maher@State.MA.US

From: jeff bennett [mailto:j_bennett506@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2017 8:30 PM
To: OpenMeeting (AGO) <OpenMeeting@MassMail.State.MA.US>
Subject: is this a violation of open meeting law

attached screen shot of the TBA agenda item

 

|

Fri 6/23, 9:33 AM

Good morning Mr. Bennett,

Thank you for your email.

Our office is not able to say whether or not a violation has occurred unless an Open Meeting Law complaint has first been filed with the public body. However, I am happy to answer any questions you have about the Open Meeting Law. Which aspect of the posting requirements do you think the Templeton Board of Selectmen violated?

Sincerely,
Kadie

Kaitlin Maher

Paralegal, Division of Open Government

Apparently, someone in the selectmen's office considered it a possible violation so they changed the meeting date to conform with the law, selectmen, you are welcome.