Templeton has a town bylaw on unregistered vehicles. Templeton, specifically Templeton fire department has a junk/salvage yard at Baldwinville fire station, how about they begin there. It is right down the road from the proposed apartments at old school where it is talked about in plans for a greenway space to the river. How nice it will be when one walks down that space and sees all the junk parked. It is across the road from Rivers Edge Park. Are those vehicles part of fire dept. expense? Any of them leaking any fluids? They were brought up at one selectmen meeting so I am waiting on follow up, as was stated back in May by the new chair of the board.

 Town Hall, we do things right and we follow up on select board business???

Fire Chief employment contract up June 30, 2023.

page 2 and 3 - compensation:

FY 21 = $80,000.00

FY 22 = $83,250.00

FY 23 = $86,500.00

FY 21 budget book shows fire chief pay at $80,000.00

FY 22 budget book shows fire chief pay at $83,250.00

FY 23 budget book shows fire chief pay at $83,250.00

So, fire chief was not given raise in fy 23? What happened? What could it be? Time to read fire chief contract. Page 5 shows courses and seminars: "The chief shall annually attend at least twenty-four hours of professional development courses, seminars and meetings . . . "

college level courses: The chief in his personal time shall pursue appropriate professional certification and job-related college level courses in accordance with goals and objectives agreed to by him and the administrator described in section 9.

Section 9: performance review and goals:

1. annual goals and objectives, by July 31, 2020, the chiefs' professional goals and objectives shall be reduced to writing and submitted to administrator for review and approval. These goals shall include the requirement to annually complete the course described above.

2. Performance review, the chief acknowledges that is performance shall be evaluated by the accomplishment of the specific goals and objectives described above.

Page 6 states C -salary review - The chief acknowledges that the salary increases described above in section 3 (a) are conditioned on the annual completion of the courses described above. The chief will not receive such annual salary increase until such time as he has completed said courses, unless otherwise excused by the administrator upon the basis of extraordinary circumstances. The chief further acknowledges that the increase in compensation anticipated to be granted over his fy 2020 compensation shall not be granted until submission of the professional development plan.

So, conclusion could be since chief did not get raise in fy23, he did not complete required training and education. Perhaps question should be, should he continue to be town fire chief? Is it insubordination to fail to complete required and agreed to training and course work? Templeton continues no enforcement of agreements, rules, bylaws, state law and no follow upon board business.

https://www.templetonma.gov/home/news/stone-bridge-project-update

Special town meeting, November 2019 - ARTICLE 11: COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT APPROPRIATIONS

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of One Hundred Ninety Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($190,800.00) for various activities and special articles as follows:

Item Agent to Expend Amount Purpose CPA Fund/Source

1.) Selectmen $35,000 Stone Bridge1 Open Space & Recreation

Special town meeting, October 2020 - Article 11: On a motion duly made and seconded the Town voted to accept the report of the Community

Preservation Committee and to appropriate the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($50,000.00) for various activities and special articles as follows:

Item Agent to Expend Amount Purpose CPA Fund/Source

1.) Select Board $50,000 Stone Bridge1 General Reserve

1 Phase 1 of development work removing the existing culvert and constructing bridge abutments for the re-use of the Stone Bridge on Stone Bridge Road for Open Space and Recreational use.

Passed/October 26th @ 6:41pm

 Small Town getting it right!!

Southwick Select Board backs crackdown on illegal roadside advertising signs

SOUTHWICK — Citing an unprecedented number of temporary private business signs along the town’s streets, Select Board Chair Doug Moglin said during the board’s meeting Monday he’s sending a formal letter to the building inspector to take action.

“There has been a mushrooming of temporary signs. They’re showing up everywhere,” Moglin said during the meeting.

The Southwick Select Board wants to crack down on temporary signs illegally placed on public property around town, like this lawn sign at the exit of the Town Hall parking lot.

 Once upon a time:

From: Holly Young <hyoung@templeton1.org>

Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2018 3:37 PM

To: 'jeff bennett'

Cc: 'townadministrator'

Subject: RE: information request

Jeff:

The public records request you sent would consist of approximately 362 pages copied at $.05/page = $18.10; Copying the DVD = $5; and labor at approximately 15 minutes for the lowest paid person in the office at $19.70 per hour =$4.93; Total of $28.03.

Upon confirmation from you that you wish to have it prepared and pay the fee of $28.03, I will get that ready for you and you can come in with your payment to pick it up. I will need approximately 2 days to prepare it depending on what else I have for work.

After receiving the cost estimate, I printed the law and went to selectmen meeting to inquire about the $18.10 for 181 pages (361 pages printed both sides + 181 and that is important) 

Public Records law states:

 Fees for Copies

In addition to the search and segregation fees, records custodians may charge

$0.05 for either single and double-sided black and white paper copies or printouts.

When the request is for materials that are not susceptible to ordinary means of reproduction, such as photographs or computer tapes, the

actual cost of reproduction may be assessed to the requester.27 There are also specific statutes that establish fees for copies of public records.

Since the law states 5 cents a page for either one sided or both sides printed, I had to attend selectmen meeting to explain the charge for 181 double sided copies should be $9.05 rather than $18.10. Yup, I got a refund and that is why you always have to check Templeton town hall math.

 A slight change in tune

Jeff Bennett

Adam D. Lamontagne

Where might one find those "guidelines" and when the town employees and many boards, committees and commissions start following policy and the law, I will gladly follow their lead.

From: Adam D. Lamontagne <alamontagne@TempletonMA.gov>

Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 7:22 AM

To: jeff bennett <j_bennett506@hotmail.com>

Subject: RE: records request

If it takes over half hour then there will be a fee in accordance with our public record guidelines of the Town. I know you are big on following policies, guidelines, bylaws, etc.

Adam D. Lamontagne, MPA, MCPPO

Town Administrator

TempletonSealFULLTRANSPARENT

Town of Templeton

Town Hall, Room 6

P.O. Box 620, 160 Patriots Road

East Templeton, MA 01438Phone 978-894-2778 Fax 978-894-2795

alamontagne@templetonma.gov

 July 18, 2023, I requested from Town Aministrator a copy in electronic form of the June 2023 monthly expenditure report.

Todays answer to my request.

Adam D. Lamontagne <alamontagne@TempletonMA.gov>

You

Good Day,

We have not received the final End of Year BvA from the Accountant.

Adam D. Lamontagne;Currie, Michael;Toth, Timothy;Griffis, Terry;Rivard, Matthew;Richard, Julie

To all concerned, I requested an electronic copy of June 2023 monthly expenditure report from Town Administrator (who is also RAO). After receiving his response, I checked the towns financial management policy and found the following:

H-3 Monthly & Quarterly Reporting Background:

Monthly reporting helps a community to determine whether sufficient funds are available to cover current obligations, any surplus can be invested, or shortfall exists requiring temporary borrowing. Policy: The Town Accountant shall produce and distribute monthly budget-to-actual reporting to evaluate the Town’s financial position per Massachusetts state law. These reports shall be submitted to the Board, user agencies, Town Administrator, and Advisory Committee, among others. This will enable the Town to take prompt management action in the event that fiscal problems are indicated or adjust spending behavior to meet financial challenges. The Town's Financial Team (Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, Principal Assessor) shall make a formal public presentation to the Board and the status of accounts, their activities, and concerns over negative trends each month following the ending of a fiscal year quarter together with any steps recommended by the Town Administrator to deal with such negative trends.

NOTE: I did not ask for end of year final, I asked for month of June expenditure report, which according to the TA, does not exist yet. This seems to be more of employees deciding what will be done and when rather than management and is another example of failing to follow policy.

regards,

Jeff Bennett