Town Administrator's Weekly Report 9.1.16
enjoy this reading, kind of interesting.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Friday, September 2, 2016
I believe the next Templeton fire chief will come from Ashburnham.
One of the first items he may have to deal with is:
Templeton fire/ems: Department of O.E.M.S will be in Templeton on 9/6/16, Tuesday to inspect the ambulances and record keeping for our license to operate the medical services. we hired one more per-diem medic, this brings us to a total of 8. We lost one due to an O.E.M.S. violation issue. This still leaves holes in our coverage and we need to put one full-time medic and one full-time basic. we have received one written warning back in July and with this up coming inspection, we may receive another one for these deficiencies.
I believe this has been made clear many times in the past, if Templeton wants to be in the ambulance business, you have to be ready with the cash to pay for it. The ambulance receipts account will not cover the costs of employees such as salary, and benefits such as health insurance and retirement.
posted by Jeff Bennett
One of the first items he may have to deal with is:
Templeton fire/ems: Department of O.E.M.S will be in Templeton on 9/6/16, Tuesday to inspect the ambulances and record keeping for our license to operate the medical services. we hired one more per-diem medic, this brings us to a total of 8. We lost one due to an O.E.M.S. violation issue. This still leaves holes in our coverage and we need to put one full-time medic and one full-time basic. we have received one written warning back in July and with this up coming inspection, we may receive another one for these deficiencies.
I believe this has been made clear many times in the past, if Templeton wants to be in the ambulance business, you have to be ready with the cash to pay for it. The ambulance receipts account will not cover the costs of employees such as salary, and benefits such as health insurance and retirement.
posted by Jeff Bennett
MCAD training - Massachusetts commission against discrimination
What was covered; workplace discrimination protected categories;
Age - 40 and over, under 40, sorry you are out of luck in that category.
Criminal records, inquiry only, you cannot ask about that in an application. You can be asked about that further on, which seems to go against common sense; you can apply without having to explain any criminal record but in the one on one, you can be asked and denied the job because of a criminal record, why waste time and resources? The explanation was that everyone has the right to apply.
disability, actual or perceived.
gender
gender identity, as in you have a stick but wish to live as if you don't, so now you have to deal with all kinds of stuff rather than if you have a stick, you pee there, if you don't, you pee there. Now if you are not allowed to pee where you wish, you can go to mcad and scream discrimination. We have gone far!
genetics, which seems to be new.
military personnel
national origin or ancestry
race or color
religion
retaliation
sexual orientation
The material was not that complicated nor over-whelming.
Do not hurt anyone's feelings, do not have standards, do not state that employees are at will employees and can be dismissed at any time because that might not be true. In fact, the employer might be held to pay emotional distress damages.
One would think that after taking about two years to come up with a personnel policy, there would be no real need for more formal training as all of these scenarios would be covered in said policy. Personally, I have experienced all of this same "training" in the military and it did not have much effect, if any. It mostly ended up taking up valuable time that could have been utilized for more important and worthwhile things. Unfortunately in today's litigious society, this is what is has come to. So, on Tuesday of this week, your employees and elected folks were in Town hall, most being paid and having lunch on you, to learn how to be sensitive. Some may still be trying to digest this and figure it all out.
from the Templeton, draft, social media policy:
Town officials are discouraged from using personal accounts to comment on or post information to town social media sites, and/or posting information regarding official town business on other social
media sites. All social media site comments and posts by town officials are subject to the Public Records Law, Open Meeting Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, policies, charter provisions and regulations. Town Officials including employees, volunteers, and elected officials posts to social media from personal social media accounts will be considered public records if the post discusses aspects of town government.
posted by Jeff Bennett
.
What was covered; workplace discrimination protected categories;
Age - 40 and over, under 40, sorry you are out of luck in that category.
Criminal records, inquiry only, you cannot ask about that in an application. You can be asked about that further on, which seems to go against common sense; you can apply without having to explain any criminal record but in the one on one, you can be asked and denied the job because of a criminal record, why waste time and resources? The explanation was that everyone has the right to apply.
disability, actual or perceived.
gender
gender identity, as in you have a stick but wish to live as if you don't, so now you have to deal with all kinds of stuff rather than if you have a stick, you pee there, if you don't, you pee there. Now if you are not allowed to pee where you wish, you can go to mcad and scream discrimination. We have gone far!
genetics, which seems to be new.
military personnel
national origin or ancestry
race or color
religion
retaliation
sexual orientation
The material was not that complicated nor over-whelming.
Do not hurt anyone's feelings, do not have standards, do not state that employees are at will employees and can be dismissed at any time because that might not be true. In fact, the employer might be held to pay emotional distress damages.
One would think that after taking about two years to come up with a personnel policy, there would be no real need for more formal training as all of these scenarios would be covered in said policy. Personally, I have experienced all of this same "training" in the military and it did not have much effect, if any. It mostly ended up taking up valuable time that could have been utilized for more important and worthwhile things. Unfortunately in today's litigious society, this is what is has come to. So, on Tuesday of this week, your employees and elected folks were in Town hall, most being paid and having lunch on you, to learn how to be sensitive. Some may still be trying to digest this and figure it all out.
from the Templeton, draft, social media policy:
Town officials are discouraged from using personal accounts to comment on or post information to town social media sites, and/or posting information regarding official town business on other social
media sites. All social media site comments and posts by town officials are subject to the Public Records Law, Open Meeting Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, policies, charter provisions and regulations. Town Officials including employees, volunteers, and elected officials posts to social media from personal social media accounts will be considered public records if the post discusses aspects of town government.
posted by Jeff Bennett
.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
You can now go to the Templeton Town website and click selectmen, then look for town policies and you will find:
selectmen policies and procedures
personnel policy
draft social media policy
draft public records policy which still shows incorrect fees for most records.
Social media policy is interesting.
There was just some training on MCAD issues, Massachusetts commission against discrimination.
There is some protection or rule against retaliation and whistle blower. I hope the selectmen had their ears turned on and they were paying attention.
posted by Jeff Bennett
selectmen policies and procedures
personnel policy
draft social media policy
draft public records policy which still shows incorrect fees for most records.
Social media policy is interesting.
There was just some training on MCAD issues, Massachusetts commission against discrimination.
There is some protection or rule against retaliation and whistle blower. I hope the selectmen had their ears turned on and they were paying attention.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
The draft public records policy is now gone from the Town website.
There is still no statement of vacancy on the Advisory Committee (one).
Templeton's FY2016 schedule A has been submitted to the DOR and when approved, it will be available.
The Templeton municipal water department may have gotten the USDA loan for the water tank.
posted by Jeff Bennett
There is still no statement of vacancy on the Advisory Committee (one).
Templeton's FY2016 schedule A has been submitted to the DOR and when approved, it will be available.
The Templeton municipal water department may have gotten the USDA loan for the water tank.
posted by Jeff Bennett
From the annual Town report of 1996.
Special Town meeting, January 23, 1996, article 6, pages 99, 100, 101.
Motion:
To see if the Town will approve the district's debt authorization of $20,603,250.00.
. . . .provided that no bonds or notes shall be issued unless the Town has voted at an election pursuant to chapter 49, section 21 C (k) of the general laws to exempt the principal and interest costs thereon from the provision of proposition 2 1/2, so called, and further proved that the Narragansett regional school district has the right to proceed once the Massachusetts department of education has acknowledged the completed project application and the NRSD has been placed on the FY'97 priority project lists of the commonwealth, or to take any other action relative thereto.
It is stated the objective is to have a facility for an additional 550 student capacity and to raise this appropriation the Town's treasurer with the approval of the selectmen is authorized to borrow (not to exceed said amount) for both long and short term purposes.
Interesting reading in my opinion.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Special Town meeting, January 23, 1996, article 6, pages 99, 100, 101.
Motion:
To see if the Town will approve the district's debt authorization of $20,603,250.00.
. . . .provided that no bonds or notes shall be issued unless the Town has voted at an election pursuant to chapter 49, section 21 C (k) of the general laws to exempt the principal and interest costs thereon from the provision of proposition 2 1/2, so called, and further proved that the Narragansett regional school district has the right to proceed once the Massachusetts department of education has acknowledged the completed project application and the NRSD has been placed on the FY'97 priority project lists of the commonwealth, or to take any other action relative thereto.
It is stated the objective is to have a facility for an additional 550 student capacity and to raise this appropriation the Town's treasurer with the approval of the selectmen is authorized to borrow (not to exceed said amount) for both long and short term purposes.
Interesting reading in my opinion.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Retiree health insurance premium freeze extended
- August 25, 2016
As a result, cities and towns that used the municipal health insurance reform process cannot adjust contribution percentages for retiree health insurance for another two years (until July 2018).
The municipal health insurance reform law, passed in 2011, froze the retiree rates through July 2014. The freeze was subsequently extended for an additional two years and now has been extended again, reaching a total of seven years.
Retirees and unions were exerting pressure to override the veto, even as the MMA and the administration called on the Legislature to let the governor’s veto stand. The MMA argued that the freeze takes away one of the few tools municipal officials have to manage rising health insurance costs.
To date, more than 100 cities, towns and other local entities have adopted and used the reform process to save hundreds of millions of dollars in health insurance costs.
Cities and towns that did not adopt and use the municipal health insurance reform process may still change retiree premium contribution rates.
Municipal retirees do not have collective bargaining rights under Chapter 150E.
- Written by MMA Senior Legislative Analyst Katie S. McCue
- posted by Jeff Bennett
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