Financial transfer not approved

At the Advisory Committee meeting held last evening, a request by the office of the Board of Selectmen by way of the Town Administrator was voted against. Main reason, failure of that office to provide the committee with a copy of the most recent, up to date budget versus actual document so the committee could do it's due diligence in checking an official document for the balances of the fund (s) or accounts to which money was requested to be transferred from to cover town counsel expenses. The total transfer amount requested was $10,000.00 of which $7,500.00 was to come from DPW or highway department wage/salary fund. The reason given for that money being available was the Town Administrator did not replace the two employees who apparently left employment in Templeton.

Now it appears the Advisory Committee gets the same response that the DOR/DLS got, request paper work but receive nothing for what ever reason. The DOR had requested some documentation from the Town Accountant but did not receive it so there was no free cash available for the annual town meeting held May 13, 2017. Seems to be a pattern there and does this indicate that perhaps not is all well with regards to Templeton's books?

Hopefully, the requested document will be provided and this subject can be discussed again so a town bill can be paid and there will be funds to cover the check!


posted by Jeff Bennett

Quiet over here - probably because it is that time of year to be getting things ready for winter.
I actually do other things besides watch and read politics, town business and the selectmen.

Watching a meeting of the Gardner City Council recently, I saw discussion where the Collins institute was brought up. Seems like that organization may not be the final/only solution after all. As one city councilor put it, "it is our job, the council and not the Collins Institute to do this."  Imagine a government entity carrying out it's responsibility or job? Since 2014, this current board of selectmen have failed to hire a full-time Town Administrator.

Perhaps this current Board of Selectmen should be less concerned with what is written here and get focused more on that task. Especially with the current interim Town Administrator looking for work in other places.

So, back a couple of weeks, there about, a strange email (in my opinion) came to light. Templeton interim Town Administrator asked a member of the Templeton Advisory Committee if they would like to serve on a search committee:

From: townadministrator [mailto:townadministrator@templeton1.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2017 2:45 PM
To: Julie Farrell 
Cc: 'Kelli Pontbriand'
Subject: Treasurer/Collector

Good Day:

Although the By-Law amendment providing for AC members to sit on ad hoc screening committees has not yet come back formally approved by the AG’s Office,  I am confident enough that there will not be any problem with it that I would like to invite you to participate as a member of the Team to interview candidates for the position of Treasurer/Collector.

These are tentatively set for the afternoon of 06/21 or 06/22.  

Please let me know at your first convenience that I might loop you in on the process.

Many Thanks

Carter Terenzini
Interim Town Administrator
Town of Templeton


Now, I would ask you, if you were/are just a private citizen serving on no Town committees and having absolutely nothing to do with Town government, would you find it strange that a Town Administrator would ask you the above question while citing a town by-law concerning the Advisory Committee. Now set the box and look at the same question as if you do serve on the Advisory Committee. Would you think this is proper procedure and do you think this is entrapment or a strange question?

So, having been asked that question, you answer like this:

to townadministra., Kelli, MA, Selectman, Diane, Cameron, Doug, Julie 

Good evening:

Sorry for the delay in my response to your request to serve on the ad hoc screening committee to secure a treasurer collector.

I believe the proper procedure to have a member of the Advisory Committee serve on an ad hoc committee would be to go through the chairman of the Advisory Committee. Then this discussion could take place at an Advisory Committee meeting.

I thought this message had been sent to the Advisory Committee but looking back at the email thread, I realize that is incorrect.

It would be inappropriate for me to serve on any ad hoc committee as an Advisory Committee member without the knowledge, consent and vote of the Advisory Committee.

Best,,

Citizen

The response you get back: (priceless)

townadministrator 
12:51 PM (16 hours ago)

to me, Kelli, MA, Selectman, Diane, Cameron, Doug, Julie
 

Good Day:

Thanks for your follow-up but I had been asking you as an individual.  Had I been asking you to represent the AC; you are correct and I would have approached the Chair of the AC to have him (or the AC) designate someone to serve.

Many Thanks

Carter Terenzini
Interim Town Administrator

The above email thread would / could make for interesting subject for a government, political science or public administration class for some interesting discussion. Except, it is an actual email to a sitting Advisory Committee member and a very clear case of attempt (in my opinion and my thoughts) at entrapment, to make a member or entire committee look bad. Even an attempt (in my opinion and thoughts) at negating the effectiveness of the Advisory Committee.

This is why I think rather than the selectmen taking time at their last open public meeting, to talk about a post I made here, they should be looking within to ensure this kind of foolishness and serious (in my opinion and thoughts) does not happens again or continue. But, I suppose when an entity can not even follow their own basic rules, we cannot expect much from them. I hope the DLA takes a moment to think about that when they receive the above email as an example of how things go in the selectmen office and in my opinion, why Templeton's finance may not improve in the near future. They can not hire a full time Town Administrator in three years and counting. They cannot follow their own guidelines for meetings, so how can or how should the division of local services expect the selectmen to improve town finance?

posted by Jeff Bennett

Illness going around Town hall or perhaps some training from DLS needed.

Seems like records from Town Hall are hard to come by in electronic form these days, that is if you are a member of the Advisory Committee, whether you ask as an individual or as a Committee. Is this payback for my blog posting? Not sure, but I think it is an interesting couple (or more) emails to the DOR/DLS to show them what you have to deal with in Templeton.

Asked for and received but why waste paper (taxpayer money) when you could send them electronically? My opinion - payback, again, that is my OPINION, my thoughts. Now on the lookout for the thought police - perhaps the thought police are shit-posting a meme (whatever that is).

The question and the response:

Carol,

Thank you for the list of articles.  Is it possible to get the list electrically ? it would make it easier to sent to the members to review before the meeting.

Wil

On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 1:07 PM, Town Clerk <townclerk@templeton1.org> wrote:

Hi Wil,

The information that you requested can be found on the town’s website @http://www.templeton1.org/town-clerk/pages/annual-special-town-meeting-information. I did make a list of the articles that I could find, along with the vote that was taken. The list is in the Advisory committee’s mail box at town hall.

Thank you,

Carol A. Harris

Templeton Town Clerk, CMMC

I don't think the selectmen understand, when they begin to follow their own rules, they will read about themselves alot less,on this blog anyways. Until then, I will continue posting my opinions and thoughts on them and anything else.

posted by Jeff Bennett

At the last selectmen meeting, there was a candidate for the Templeton Town Administrator position, back for a third time. None of the selectmen present left for conflict of interest reasons and the interview was recorded. There was also discussion concerning rolling over vacation time and the discussion centered around 8 individuals. Apparently 6 of those met some sort of policy requirement and two did not. During the discussion, some things posed by the selectmen and the town administrator were "they did this for us" and "we do not want to lose long time employees" and other things said as if to show concern for the town employees.

As I sat there, I wondered what happened to that care when it came to long time town employee Bud Chase, former highway superintendent. Did not seem there was much concern for his years of service, no matter where you stood with regards to thoughts on that employee. Where was the concern? Apparently that concern may be like the rules and such, some show but not much go, in my opinion.

There was mention of legal budget perhaps being short and needing a transfer, which will likely be in front of the Advisory Committee at their next meeting. There was a point made about legal costs, that there was no plan to have Town Counsel at Town Meeting until concerns of the Moderator were aired and then a candidate for employment may be filing suit against the Town.

Selectmen still making moves, moving funds around, doing this and that stating in an effort to reduce costs, all the while using a revenue number (dollar figure) that is unrealistic. If the school project begins this year, sometime, then in a year or two, perhaps three, we may see the need for some real financial creativity. Which may turn out to be a few more cups to move the pea around. Since policy and budget is the realm of the selectmen, that should be interesting.


posted by Jeff Bennett

From Fiscal Year 2017 budget spread sheet (that use to be on Templeton Town Web site)

Town Administrator Salary       $80,000.00

Town Accountant Salary            $66,810.00

Deputy Assessor Salary              $56,867.00

Treasurer/Collector Salary          $56,098.00

Town Counsel                             $50,000.00

Town Clerk Salary                      $49,095.00

Police Chief Salary                     $92,961.00

Fire Chief Salary                         $70,000.00

Building Inspector Salary            $31,200.00

Animal Control Salary                 $20,500.00

Highway Superintendent            
Salary                                            $63,392.00

Cemetery Superintendent
Salary                                             $59,760.00

Council on Aging Director            
Town portion                                  $22,592.00

Veterans Service Agent                   $20,000.00

Library Director Salary                   $31,316.00

posted by Jeff Bennett

At the last selectmen meeting, a candidate for Town Administrator was back for a third time. This time, selectmen Fortes apparently had no conflict of interest for this meeting or interview. The cameras rolled on as the candidate sat for an "interview" so unlike the last time this candidate sat for an "interview" people get a chance to watch the process if they desire.

In the past when a document such as expenditures versus appropriations or revenue reports from the town accountant, they were always emailed electronically. So the accountant apparently knows how to send documents attached to emails, of which I have many. Suddenly however, they are not sent electronically available. Perhaps some more silly games from town hall. Maybe lost is the availability of scanners to put printed materials on line for all to see, as in public knowledge/information, transparency and the like. My opinion is the internet has become a pain in the backside for elected officials and others, unless they are being patted on the back, then by all means put it on twitter, face book, blog and front page. Don't critique us or write/post anything negative or we will shut off the information, remember, we are superior!

My thought (personal opinion)  on the superior ones (their words or description of themselves also used by one other town financial team member when addressing the "elected ones"

So, in a style sometimes referred to as to Lampoon:

So, the elected ones could be -

a kegger, a no show, a baby making machine, a professional, a bankruptcy/land baron expert, a liquor salesmen, a town crier, a clown, a service provider, a building rahab person, a referee, or a go between. I will let you all connect the dots if you wish .

Some members get a tad testy if any further questions concerning the school are brought up, such as did the Templeton Conservation Commission sign off on things.

At the last selectmen meeting, the subject of public comment not being included on the agendas for BOS meetings as indicated in policies & procedures for selectmen, the answer was "because of all the things going on, that was not included for about the past four months." Looking back through agendas for selectmen meetings beginning in January 2016, I could find no agenda with public comment included or on the agendas. If that item is no longer wanted by selectmen, why not simply vote to remove it from the policy, deal with the questions, comments that will probably follow and be done with it. End of criticism for not following a policy with regards to that item, end of story. In my opinion, this makes for another example of a BOS that is less than forth coming with regards to information. 

posted by Jeff Bennett

Lee, Lenox approve agreement to share town administrator [1]

June 2, 2017

Christopher Ketchen​Beginning on July 1, Christopher Ketchen will serve as the chief administrative officer for both Lenox – his current employer – and Lee.

On May 11, Lee Town Meeting approved a three-year shared services agreement that had also been approved by the Lenox Board of Selectmen in March. Under the agreement, the towns will split Ketchen’s $110,000 salary – the same as what he receives now as Lenox’s town manager.

The towns will hire a shared assistant chief administrative officer, who will focus on human resources.

“We’re not hiring a human resources director per se,” Ketchen said. “It’s actually a full-blown assistant position that will act as the CAO in the CAO’s absence and be fully empowered in that regard. Human resource management will be the primary responsibility, and we’re looking for someone with that background to be the assistant.”

While the agreement is for a three-year pilot, the board of selectmen in each town will take a vote in mid-April each year on whether to continue the pilot, Ketchen said. If, after three years, the towns decide to continue the arrangement, the appropriate special legislation and charter change will go before the town meetings in the two towns to make the arrangement permanent.

Ketchen said the arrangement is intentionally flexible, and that he plans to spend most of July in Lee to familiarize himself with the town. That said, the expectation is to split his time evenly between the neighboring towns.

“At first my main office will be here in Lenox Town Hall,” he said. “I’ll be spending substantial amounts of time in Lee, but working out of this office. But I might be in my Lenox town hall office working on Lee work.”

While there are cases in Massachusetts where town administrators work part-time in more than one town, Ketchen said he believes this agreement is different.

“These are two towns that have come together to share two full-time jobs and have sort of joint administration of government between the two towns, while maintaining their identity by having their own select boards and town meetings,” he said. “It’s a shared administration, not just the same person doing multiple part-time jobs. It sounds like it’s only a minor distinction, but I think it’s profound.”

Ketchen, a member of the MMA Board of Directors, said he hopes the agreement, if successful, can serve as a model for other communities, particularly those in the Berkshires with declining populations that face similar circumstances.
 

Written by 

MMA Associate Editor Daniel DeMaina

posted by Jeff Bennett