Fwd: Staples Meeting From Jeff B

• Fwd: Staples Meeting - for the blog‏

jeff (jpb01468@comcast.net)

3/29/13

To: cosentinosalvage@hotmail.com

From:	jpb01468@comcast.netThis sender is in your contact list.
Sent:	Fri 3/29/13 11:19 PM
To:	cosentinosalvage@hotmail.com

To the taxpayers;
Since all e-mail concerning public officials are considered public records with a few exceptions, I thought taxpayers would enjoy seeing how things work and sometimes not so much. What this email does show is that your town coordinator is and has been working for you and please take note of that $7,500.00 figure, just by putting a little time in and doing a little research. Guess that is what happens when one shows up for work at 7:00 AM when the office opens and one stays at least until closing time as in working a full day as you are paid to do.
I hope this is one more example of why we should get past some misconceptions and take the steps to make this position (town coordinator) and make it the more appropriate town administrator and the select board vote to give the position and Jeff Ritter a little more authority and leeway to do town business. The wording is already in the town personal policy that the select board can vote to direst the town coordinator to do many more things which probably allow for more things like what is discussed within the below e-mail to happen......it is call professionalism and in my opinion it is more eveidence of why the change at the town coordinator position that was made in 2011 was a good and correct decision.

Jeffrey Bennett

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From: "Town Coordinator"
To: krsonger@verizon.net, selectman@templeton1.org
Cc: templetonsewer@verizon.net, m129@comcast.net, tom200is@juno.com, rdennis5870@comcast.net, stewy5@comcast.net, gwvwtemple@aol.com, jpb01468@comcast.net, "Julie Farrell" , "patrick mullins 2012" , "MA Advisory Board' 'Templeton" , "'Kate"
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 5:34:08 PM
Subject: RE: Staples Meeting

Kent:

What we have here, is a failure to communicate. For that, I deeply apologize (…transparency in action).

First, my email is towncoordinator@templeton1.org .

Second, by sending this to the mailbox “selectman”, you are, in effect asking me (since all selectmen email dumps to me) to forward it to all selectmen. I will do so.

Third, the Sewer Department was invited months ago (last September?) to participate in a review process by which we would consolidate town office supply procurement (only, I hasten to add).

Fourth, we have completed that process, and have selected a virtual business—Staples Advantage—to receive any and all portion of our business that is web driven (ie. everyday office stuff you can source more cheaply over the internet).

Fifth, we (and I speak here for the taxpayers) will save approximately $7,500.00 dollars in FY14 (15% of our total town wide office supply expense budget) in the coming fiscal year if we all buy through a web portal, rather than off the existing contracts (naturally, this excludes those items not available through said portal, such as treatment plant chemicals, etc.)

Sixth, all existing contracts and buying systems remain in place, and you are welcome to continue to conduct your local business in the fashion you have always done so.

Seventh, should you choose option six (above), I hazard a guess that you might be asked to explain your decision to procure more expensive office supplies elsewhere (and you could well have some excellent arguments) to the Advisory Board, who oversee (and, yes indeed, second guess) all financial transactions of the Town, with the singular exception of the electric light plant.

Eighth, it is (no surprise here) ALL about the money.

Once again, my apologies if you did not know this was coming, and there is no need to attend if you don’t intend to participate in the portal. The email invitation should have said that more clearly, and it did not, for which I deeply apologize.

Regards,

Jeff

From: krsonger@verizon.net [mailto:krsonger@verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 8:06 AM
To: selectman@templeton1.org
Cc: templetonsewer@verizon.net; m129@comcast.net; tom200is@juno.com; rdennis5870@comcast.net
Subject: Staples Meeting

Hi Jeff and/or Kate:

What is the story of the "Staples" meeting next week? Are we going to be forced to buy from Staples? We price all items now between various vendors. Am I wrong to feel we should have received some input as to what the substance of this meeting was going to cover rather than just an order that we must attend?

Regards,

Kent