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?

• Like

 Hey selectmen, you sit on your hands and do nothing to market/sell 10 Pleasant Street, can you scoot on down to Drury Lane and get that mess cleaned up and then get on up to Baldwinville and Mobil station cleaned up where I am certain there is unlicensed activity taking place. Also while some town officials are trying to come up with a swish mark (watch the last meeting of EDIC) can you tell the residents what is the status of the old earthen damn up behind Baldwinville Station, ya'll just waiting til the levees gonna break? Mr. grasshopper Lamontagne, never mind the attempt at public relations and trying to deflect from lack of action on your part and part of select board, work on getting these things complete and then you might have something to market.

 from Templeton town website:

POSTED ON: JULY 12, 2023 - 4:56PM

River's Edge

The Town of Templeton has been focusing on getting projects completed. We would like to highlight the River's Edge Conservation Area which was completed in 2022. The name of the site was selected based on a survey that was conducted. It was commemorated on May 9, 2022. The Town of Templeton received a Senate and House proclamation recognizing this new green space. Since that day, the Emergency Management building had their overhead doors painted with a matching green.

Okay grasshopper, what about getting some other things completed.

Highlights some more Templeton projects; Senior Center kitchen, Scout Hall Project started in 2016 (what exactly will be in there if it is ever complete) Stone Bridge - money voted for this in 2019 and 2020, total funds sitting there, $83,337.00. Main Street Bridge, article 10, STM November 2019 "$200,000.00 should get us to 75% design and permitting by summer of 2020 which may allow us to apply for grant from MA works." Summer of 2023 and we still waiting on santa clause. Cupola on Town Hall, still waiting. Has anyone driven down Otter River Road and come to flooded road at N. Main Street intersection? Yeah grasshopper, keep trying to tell us how many projects have been completed. Just in case people forgot, Riveres edge was voted on in November 2015, article 6, to establish a conservation area, which was "hijacked" by a few selectmen to turn it into a veterans park, which by the way, how is that coming along and what happened to materials, if any, that were collected and donated?

In case they forgot or do not know, article 6, special town meeting, November 2015.

On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted that Ninety-Eight Thousand Dollars ($98,000) be hereby appropriated by the Templeton Community Preservation Fund to provide for the removal of the two buildings at 4 Elm Street, and further, to establish a conservation area under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission and maintained by the Cemetery and Parks Department; and that the Board of Selectmen, or such other Town board as the Board of Selectmen may designate, be authorized to acquire by purchase or gift and hold in the name of or enforceable by the Town and to grant a non-profit organization, charitable foundation or corporation, such conservation restrictions that will meet the requirements of Chapter 184 of the General Laws, as may be necessary or proper to carry out the foregoing. 

Passed Unanimously/November 9th @ 9:25pm

 Hubbardston, MA fiscal year dispatch costs, Hubbardston is in regional dispatch service with Rutland. FY24 budget for dispatch $125,000.00. Why would Templeton not want to go same route and reduce dispatch costs as well as health insurance, retirement and OPEB costs to town? 125 thousand is about same cost of one full time dispatcher (probably a bit less)

 The selectmen shall insert in the warrant for the annual meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by ten or more registered voters of the town and in the warrant for every special town meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by one hundred registered voters or by ten per cent of the total number of registered voters of the town whichever number is the lesser. The selectmen shall call a special town meeting upon request in writing, of two hundred registered voters or of twenty per cent of the total number of registered voters of the town, whichever number is the lesser; such meeting to be held not later than forty-five days after the receipt of such request, and shall insert in the warrant therefor all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested by said petition. No action shall be valid unless the subject matter thereof is contained in the warrant. Two or more distinct town meetings for distinct purposes may be called by the same warrant.

The written requests of registered voters for the insertion of subjects in town meeting warrants shall not be valid unless the required number of registered voters not only sign their names but also state their residence, with street and number, if any. The selectmen shall submit such written requests to the board of registrars of voters or the board of election commissioners who shall check and forthwith certify the number of signatures so checked which are names of voters in the town, and only names so checked and certified shall be counted. A greater number of names than are required in each case need not be certified.

 Talk about wasting people's time, advisory committee to meet with selectmen on July 12 to transfer funds from fire dept. to information technology and to insurance and benefits.

1. annual town meeting in May, town meeting voted to transfer $52,500.00 into insurance and benefits and now they have to put more money in to that account.

2. They did not know this back on June 28, 2 days before the end of the fiscal year?

Either need a new accountant or a new abacus or both. While they are at it, buy the town administrator a new calculator and include some lessons on use.

May 2023 Templeton annual town meeting,

article #2 On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to approve and appropriate the sum of Two Hundred

Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($202,500.00) for supplemental appropriations to the Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget as follows:

Department Amount Reason

Insurance & Benefits $52,500 Increased Enrollment

Snow & Ice $150,000 FY '23 Deficit

And to meet said appropriation by a transfer of said sum from certified free cash.

Passed/May 10th @ 6:17pm

Using free cash to support town budget, which goes against town policy. May 2023 monthly expenditure report, shows $117,483.78. This report was sent out June 12, 2023, so on June 28, 2023, selectmen and advisory met to transfer money from town reserve to highway and no one knew at that time how much money was in insurance and benefits and how much was needed to make final payment/ Again, we need a new accountant!