Since an appointed person is not covered under the Templeton personnel policy. A similar situation was referenced in TGN, page 3, July 10, 2007. Just as Mr. Skelton stated in that article, so goes the situation with the town coordinator. The dismissal was a legal issue and was not a punishment, the personnel policy, personnel file had nothing to do with it. Contained in that article in the second column, there is a reference by Mr. Skelton about a meeting before the meeting concerning the subject of a non-reappointment of highway superintendent. Is this the way business was conducted at the BOS office prior to 2011? I ask where was the outrage of the citizens at that time? I also recall a meeting of the BOS where then Chairman of the BOS Gerald Skelton told local businessman Tom Royer that you don’t live in town and I don’t want any stuff out of you as Mr. Royer was trying to ask a question about a pay issue concerning Mr. Royer’s wife. I placed an article in TGN addressing that issue. Where were these citizens then? Ms. Matson is the webmaster for Templeton as well as working at the library and again I ask Ms. Matson where is her concern about the behavior of Robert Columbus who as a selectman has four complaints against him by female town employees/elected officials. Is Ms. Matson concerned about these actions possibly leading Templeton to become involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit? I have to ask myself if these citizens only came to be concerned when the 3-2 vote changed directions and their friends were no longer on the majority end of the vote. Could that be the personal power issue Ms. Matson spoke of in her letter? There did not seem to be any concern when the coordinator was reappointed by a 3-2 vote without much if any discussion, there was no big concern when K&P was reappointed by a 3-2 vote. The two selectmen named on a recall petition are the same two selectmen who were the 2 who voted against K&P, the reappointment of Carol Skelton and who raised questions about lack of public records access, legal costs, being left out of the proverbial loop of the information highway at the BOS office. These are the same two selectmen who have been asking questions about 252 Baldwinville Road (proposed town hall project) as in the 40 year proposed loan term from USDA, a move that will add to long term debt of the town along with the lack of an available loan application on file at the BOS office. Other concerns raised by these two selectmen have been the use of free cash to balance budgets. It appears to me that the only concern of the recall effort is the loss of personal power by their friends. When/if you vote on the recall issue, please remember that the two selectmen named in the recall effort are the same two who have been raising legitimate questions over putting the town/taxpayers into further long term debt . Remember, that 1.9 million dollar USDA loan for 40 years means you the taxpayer will be paying back around 4 million dollars. If the term is shortened, the way the additional funds to pay for the increased loan costs will be made available is to cut costs, thru layoffs, cut in service such as closing town offices one or two days a week, or by raising taxes. Perhaps the three individuals who signed off on the purchase of 252 Baldwinville Road, Dennis O’Brien, Bob Columbus and Chris Stewart can explain to us if $399,925.00 is the best offer they could negotiate and if 40 year loan was the best way to move forward on this project, as in adding to long term debt of the town. Perhaps the residents of Templeton should be asking these questions rather than trying to recall two selectmen who simply followed the law and voted to dismiss someone they had simply lost confidence in.
Jeffrey Bennett
Templeton
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