From the Templeton Personnel Policy on the Town website:


C. Announcements - The Town Administrator or Designee will make known all approved vacancies for positions by posting announcements of such vacancies via the official Town website or local newspaper or other publications, to the extent necessary to ensure sufficient numbers of qualified candidates.

Need qualified candidates - hire the family!

. . .Completion of the probationary period does not guarantee employment for any period of time since each employee is still an at-will employee of the Town and may be dismissed at any time.

b. Merit increase schedule Merit increases are not guaranteed and are based on Town budget constraints. If the employee’s performance is satisfactory, a merit increase, if awarded, would be approved for the next fiscal year. Merit increases are designed to reward individual performance and must be allocated within The Town’s budgetary constraints .



SECTION 4: CONDUCT AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Employees of The Town of Templeton must adhere to the highest levels of ethical conduct and service so that the public will have confidence that persons in positions of public responsibility are acting for the benefit of the public. Employees must avoid any action which might result in or create the impression of using public office for private gain, giving preferential treatment to any person, or losing impartiality in conducting Town business. Town employees are required to adhere at all times to the requirements of M.G.L. c. 268A, the Massachusetts State Ethics law.


Watch the abuse of senior citizens, verbal or otherwise if you are a Town employee or a complaint could be filed!

The Town will not tolerate unlawful discrimination occurring in the workplace or in other settings in which employees may find themselves in connection with their employment. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about discrimination, or who has cooperated with an investigation of a discrimination complaint, will not be tolerated. Please note that unlawful discrimination is not limited to conduct that occurs between or among Town employees. Unlawful discrimination may occur between or among Town employees, independent contractors, outside vendors, members or the public or any other individuals that Town employees interact with in connection with their employment. To achieve its goal of providing a workplace free from unlawful discrimination, the Town takes allegations and/or complaints of discrimination seriously and will respond promptly to such allegations and/or complaints. Where it is determined that inappropriate and/or unlawful conduct has occurred, the Town will act promptly to eliminate such conduct and impose corrective action as necessary. Such corrective action may include disciplining employees, up to and including discharge.


this may qualify:

david smart7:57 PM

Try the 6th word of the posted blog above!
So bust what balls Mr. Bennitt has now!
The Town or anyone else "dose" not require special sanders to put down straight road salt during the winter months.
Your issues are deeper than any help can solve for you 728
Al least you gave it a try,i won't hold it against you anymore.

Who is posting comments on this blog?

Who is TAB MAN Who is Ordinary Joe?

Who are the Anonymous commentators?

I really do not know, nor do I care. I do know they could be anyone, as in any resident/taxpayer of Templeton. I do not post or comment under anonymous and I own what I write. This blog was not started by someone else. This blog mostly deals with local issues as I believe that is what interests most people. As one Massachusetts U.S. Representative to congress is credited with saying "all politics is local"

When a Templeton Town employee comments the way dave smart has been doing lately, he is basically harassing Templeton Town residents with most of his comments. I know I have not signed nor am I aware of being covered under any contract which contains a conduct clause in it. dave smart states he is a union man, a union steward in Templeton and that would mean he is covered by a contract that contains a conduct clause. dave smart also stated Templeton hired unqualified employees. dave smart has also commented that Templeton highway has unreliable equipment. Now I am not sure what dave smart meant by unreliable but I know that could mean the machinery is unsafe. If the hydraulic system is unreliable, that would mean it is not safe to hoist anything, such as load a truck with sand. If the engine and braking system is unreliable, that would mean it is not safe to operate on the road ways and probably should not be operated at all. dave smart also stated Templeton highway hire unqualified employees. That could make for a good legal argument in any legal action involving any incidents or accidents involving Templeton highway equipment.

As a Town employee, dave smart has a responsibility to look out for the residents/taxpayers. I do not believe that is the case with regards to dave smart. A Templeton Town employee such as dave smart should not use his dislike and disdain for me to belittle Templeton residents, whom ever they may be. That is  an insult to those who provide dave smart with every thing he has, a paycheck, a job, free boots, tee shirts, jackets, health insurance, etc., etc.

dave smart, wrong for Templeton.

My opinion on that subject.

• Industry analysts report overall increases in construction costs in the past year of 3.4% (Engineering News Record-ENR-9/2016).

Hurricanes Irma and Harvey dis billions of dollars in damages. Can and will the industry keep up with demand in materials? Will this cause a ripple effect on construction costs here in New England?

On a different front;

This manual, prepared by the Salt Institute is dedicated to the thousands of men and women in public works agencies at all levels whose task is providing safe streets and highways during winter storms. The modern snowfighter must be accountable for meeting the community’s needs for safety and mobility, as well as the safeguarding of our environment. We commend all those agencies practicing the Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting approach to snow and ice control, which emphasizes getting the most from every application of deicing salt while maintaining the safest roads possible in the most economical way, and protecting the environment. Every winter, over 115,000 people are injured and over 1,000 are killed on snowy or icy American roads. Clear roads protect lives and commerce and salt is a necessary strategic resource. • Road salting and effective plowing can reduce injury crashes by up to 88%. • The economic impact of snow-related closures far exceeds the cost of timely snow removal. A one day major snowstorm that shuts down roads can cost a state between $300 and $700 million in indirect costs. • Deicing pays for itself within the first 25 minutes after salt is applied. Modern strategies to effectively deal with winter road hazards depend upon having the most up-to-date information of expected weather conditions, the timely deployment of anti-icing to prevent ice-pavement bonding, properly calibrated application of road salt, improved equipment, automatic spreader controls, sufficient covered storage, and stockpile logistics to make salting of roads the most effective and safest customer-driven method for snow and ice control. Environmental problems concerning use and storage of salt need not exist if there is a balanced approach to the use of salt for snow and ice control — one that demonstrates excellent practices in achieving safety, mobility and care for the environment. The Snow fighter’s Handbook was originally published in 1967. It has been widely accepted as a recommendation for proper salting procedures and techniques. The purpose of this manual is to provide the snow fighter with information and suggestions for combating winter storms. The Sustainable Snow fighting methods contained in this manual are the cornerstones of an effective winter maintenance program which will help snow fighters provide the public with the most effective snow and ice control program possible at the lowest overall cost and least impact on the environment. Two other practical publications, Highway Salt and Our Environment and The Salt Storage Handbook, are also available from the Salt Institute. Two websites, salt institute. org and safe winter roads.org, are further resources. ❅

Selectmen again fail to follow Town by-laws!
No 2016 Annual Town report on Town website yet, as in September 14, 2017.

Article VIII - Records and Reports

Section 3.  It shall be the duty of the Selectmen to publish Annual Reports, to be made available to the residents on the official Town website on the last Tuesday of April of each year and for distribution at the polling places and also at Town Hall in the Selectmen's office.

Amended 8-31-78, amended 5-16-13, approved by AG 8-22-13, amended 5-14-16, approved by AG 7-25-16.

ARTICLE 18 BY- LAW AMENDMENT: RECORDS AND REPORTS
To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 3 of Article VIII, approved by Town Meeting on August 31, 1978, to read as follows: “It shall be the duty of the Selectman to publish the Annual Report, to be made available to the residents on the official town website on the last Tuesday of April of each year and for distribution at the polling places and also at Town Hall in the Selectman’s Office.”; or to take any other action relative thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectman 

On a motion duly made and seconded the town voted that Section 3 of Article VIII of the Town By-Laws be amended to strike the existing text and replace same with the following: “It shall be the duty of the Selectman to publish the Annual Report, to be made available to the residents on the official town website on the last Tuesday of April of each year and for distribution at the polling places and also at Town Hall in the Selectman’s Office.”
Passed Unanimously/May 14th @ 1:11pm

Managers discuss pavement management, ‘complete streets’

September 8, 2017

Transportation issues, particularly “complete streets” initiatives and pavement management, were the topics of the July 20 meeting of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association in Wrentham.
 
The state’s Complete Streets Funding Program, launched in February 2016, has proven popular, with a number of communities developing best practices and winning national recognition for their policies.
 
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation program will provide $50 million for cities and towns over five years, according to Program Manager Eileen Gunn, of which $12.5 million has been spent so far.
 
The program has three tiers of eligibility requirements. Up to $50,000 is available in planning assistance for the Tier 2 required prioritization plan alone, and the program has been averaging $35,000 per grant request. The program currently has 60 approved prioritization plans from cities and towns across the state.
 
The award for construction is up to $400,000 annually once a community has passed tiers 1 and 2.
 
Communities with “complete streets” policies consider all modes of transportation, including public transit, walkability and bikeability.
 
Gunn said the state program is designed to “let the towns prioritize where they want to invest in multimodal accommodation.”
 
Panelists from the complete streets communities of Lexington and Spencer discussed their experiences.
 
“A big part of using complete streets is improving bike infrastructure,” said Lexington Selectman Michelle Ciccolo, “the economic value of which can be seen in our thriving downtown, which has a busy bike shop and Ride Studio Cafe.”
 
Ciccolo advised managers to look at “green transportation” options, which are popular among younger residents, and to consider the impact of popular fitness trackers that encourage users to “increase their step count.”
 
Budget constraints often limit local road construction, repair and improvement projects, but smaller street improvement projects can have a large impact, Ciccolo said, such as re-allocating space on a road (i.e., a “road diet”) or installing speed bumps.
 
“Complete streets are context-sensitive,” Ciccolo said. “And you can’t treat every street the same way, nor do you treat rural streets as you might treat urban streets.”
 
Former Spencer Town Administrator Adam Gaudette, who recently took the town manager position in Northbridge, discussed the steps Spencer has taken to aggressively address road issues, which the town had difficulty keeping up with when relying solely on Chapter 90 funding.
 
“The state of our transportation network is very important to public safety and economic development,” Gaudette said.
 
The town looked to Community Development Block Grant funds for infrastructure projects, including drainage and bridge repair, as well as State Transportation Improvement Program funds for a Main Street revitalization project. To pursue grant funding, towns often need to do costly upfront design work, Gaudette said.
 
Spencer faced a backlog of $35 million in pavement improvement projects, and over a six-month period worked with the public and a number of committees to compile data and propose a $19 million debt exclusion for roads. The debt exclusion passed, and work will start later this year.
 
“You have to think long term,” said Spencer Highway Superintendent Steven Tyler.
 
The Complete Streets Funding Program was another opportunity for Spencer to work on roadway needs. The town already had a sidewalk improvement plan, which evolved into its Tier 2 plan under Complete Streets.
 
Tyler advised taking advantage of state templates, while ensuring that your policy benefits your community, even if that means not attaining the highest score possible.
 
Representatives from Needham discussed pavement management. Needham uses a Pavement Condition Index (a scale of 0-100) to evaluate pavement conditions across the town, which helps Public Works crews “use the right treatment at the right time,” said Carys Lustig, acting director of facility operations.
 
Under the PCI scoring system, roads with a score of 70 require assistance. A score of 60-70 means looking at surface treatments. A score below 60 requires rehabilitation or replacement. The lower the score, the more expensive the treatment.
 
Needham is working toward an average PCI of 75. The town maintains historical records on its roads going back 30 to 50 years, which are referenced when determining the best treatment options.
 
When making decisions based on the PCI, the town also takes potential utility work into consideration.
 
Lustig said Needham relies on teams of employees to conduct the PCI evaluation every two years using a “windshield system,” which means driving town roads over the course of three weeks and noting conditions. The town is now looking into using StreetScan, which is more expensive but would require fewer personnel hours and would need to be completed only every eight to 10 years.
 

Written by 

MMA Editorial Assistant Meredith Gabrilska

TO: Board of Selectmen
FROM: Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator
RE: Administrator’s Weekly Report
DATE: September 14, 2017
CC: All Departments

Fall Town Meeting Articles desired by 10/01; Please see me ASAP to begin discussions.
For Town Hall Employees: Kindly finish your review and advise on any comments on the change in Days/Hours Memo resulting from our meeting on this matter.

Business Meeting or Workshop: N/A

Weekly Report: The grant application that MRPC submitted on behalf of the Town this past June to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to assist the Town in becoming a “Green Community” was funded ($7,500). They will be contact soon to finalize the scope of work. A representative of Royalston has reached out to see if we might be willing to transfer at least one (if not two) of the modular units to them for their storage needs. I’m arranging for them to inspect them to make certain they meet their needs. We will approach you once we know a bit more. As you may recall, the FY 18 budget contained $10k for merit and equity raises for non-union personnel. I was originally going to leave it to the incoming TA so I was not doing it on the way out the door but… Not knowing the transition date for certain and not wanting to wait much longer I have begun the review process with the various Department Heads. I hope to have finalized the package for you for 09/25. We received 4 direct applications for the Management Fellow position and 11 referrals from the ICMA. I’ll narrow that down over the coming week or ten days to three applicants and then involve Mr. Hickey in a final interview. I’ve met with Diane to take a first look at revisions to the Boards rules of procedure and will begin a redraft based upon that. We also discussed procurement and, after a number of incorrect attempts at the same were presented to this office and had to be done differently, it is clear to me that developing a simpler decision tree to guide people could prove a substantial time saver to all and address many of the issues we seem to keep tripping over.

Administration & Finance Town Accountant: Nothing to report this week. (Out of the Office)
Treasurer/Collector: Nothing to report this week.

Assessor: Continued working on Sales Analysis for FY18 and submitted the LA3 to the Department of Revenue, waiting to get approval before the next step. Exemption Applications and Chapter land Paperwork continues to come in. Tuesday met with the Board of Assessors for their monthly meeting. FY18 Real Estate Exemption Applications were reviewed and approved. Bills, Commitments, FY17 Annual Report and 61 Forestry Land Application for renewal were all reviewed and signed by the Board., CAI GIS contract was signed. Attended the Department Head and the BOS meetings. Thursday attended 2nd day of a workshop in Danvers. Various phone calls received and follow-up work to them.
Town Clerk: Attended the department head meeting. Have been busy with several research projects. Working on the state required interstate crosscheck list

Public Works Highway Department:
Tree work at Gilman Waite field and on Norcross Hill and Green Lawn Cemetery. Trimming along road edge of branches was done on Norcross Hill. Mowing was in Graves’s development and on Bridge Street, parts of Back Bay and Circle St. Patch road side in Gilman Waite. Rebuild catch basins Ladder Hill, N. Main and Otter River Roads. The new sanders were delivered and will be put into trucks and prepped for the upcoming snow/ice season. The mechanic fabricated and welded on H12 to improve the back of the body and the tail gate. The garage intern assisted the mechanic in repairing the back-plate light on the COA vehicle

The Town or anyone else does not require special sanders to put down straight road salt during the winter months. There is no computerized controllers required. There are systems available and they are needed if you wish to record material used, the time it operated, speed of vehicle in use, pounds of salt put down per mile, etc. Say a Town wishes to establish a program and attempt to control how much salt is used and to try and accurately record this information for tracking and planning purposes, then yes, a need exists to buy these systems. However, if you just wish to switch from using sand/salt to just salt, nothing else or new is required. This is easily checked by anyone. It all depends on how one wishes to approach it. Often the attitude of the operator is the most important issue. Caring and being conscientious with Taxpayer equipment and material. For instance, driving around town and sanding while there is four or more inches of snow on the roads is not being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.


A call to some cities or Towns who have already made the change could provide the data to compare costs and then look at say three year data which could provide further information useful to consider a change.  For instance, how has the change affected street sweeping and drain cleaning.