Now that the election is
over and the select board is set, I would like to take time to talk about a
subject that I believe is important. A town web site, as you may or may not
know, the person who was doing Templeton's website is going to be done this year.
So as of July 1, 2013, Templeton needs to have a plan to maintain and operate a
town website, according to our by-laws. I believe we should look to a
professional service, such as virtual town hall by Vadar. Kathy Matson did a
great job on the cheap, she was paid virtually nothing and is much appreciated.
However, moving forward and building on what we have, I think it would be money
well spent, about $4,500.00 to design, create and maintain a town website for
the first year and about $2,000.00 the year (s) after, as I understand it. The
money is available and if you look at surrounding cities and towns, Gardner,
Westminster etc., these cities & towns have a vast amount of information
that is well organized and laid out which helps when looking for town information.
Town reports, meeting minutes, departments and budgets, services all laid out
in a very organized manner. Thinking of just dollars & cents, if all town
records and information was on a website, then anyone could print out a public
record with no cost to them nor any additional cost to the town. Yes some
records have to be on paper and kept in certain locations, but those records
could also be on the website for all to view without leaving home. A very well
maintained and organized website can be a selling point for anyone looking at
or thinking about Templeton as a location. There are so many advantages and it
does not require an additional town employee and I believe we as a town need to
get past doing everything on the cheap. This would also do something very
important for Templeton as a town. It would take away the argument,
accusations, hearsay, water cooler talk etc. of this did not get put on the
site in a timely manner because he/she supports this person or that. Myself
included, I believe we may all be guilty of at least thinking about that and a
professional service would take that away and help Templeton heal, move on and
build on what we have, what we have begun as well as what we may do tomorrow
and the next day and so on. I would ask Templeton residents to support moving
forward with a professionally designed and maintained website. "Fact, Law
& Transparency"
Jeffrey Bennett
I understand the school department may try to pack town meeting and vote down the town budget line item by line item so they can get the money they asked for in an override. So what will happen when the town closes up its offices and only does town business bi-monthly. And here I thought the override was for the kids. Well kids, hope you or your parents don't need a police officer or your road plowed because the town laid all them workers off for lack of money. Perhaps the central office should not be asking for a budget increase of $55,916.00. janitorial up $22,787.00. When a school spends $668,620.00 on paraprofessionals but only $16,486 on text books, that override ain't for the kids. Time for the school districts to live in the same world as cities & towns do. Oh by the way, break the town financially and there will NOT be a new elementary school anytime soon because there will be no money to pay for it. Nice job if that is the plan of the school department.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that this is a emotional response to the supporters, not getting what they want. It is amazing that the adults, act more like the children, when they can not get their way. I hope someone has a clear head, between now and town meeting. Group dynamics, can do a job on anyone that strays away from what the group has as their objective! I can not believe every one of these parents can afford to raise their taxes. Can they come out and say that? No way! The children and the adults would be black balled, big time. It will come out in the wash!! Bev.
DeleteTaxes would go up about $15-$20 a month I think our youth is worth it! I Voted yes and would Vote YES over and over again! I'm a hard working American that knows you get what you pay for! I Support Gansett Greatness!
ReplyDeleteFor the people - The young people in this are worth way more than that. However, if the school department could show us taxpayers that the override money was going to the kids, the override probably would have passed.
ReplyDeleteAn elementary school principal making almost $200,000 a year, and she she can't be bothered to respond to my emails about me pulling my daughter out of school... Give me a break.
The override was never to help the kids in this district. Don't let anyone fool you.
Jeff Bennett, I'll bet Mrs. Brooks and the others appreciate the comment about being able to control a classroom. Stay safe in the sandbox.
Well Phil, it was not only those teachers who kept us in line, it was our parents as well. Those teachers also taught us how to read, write and do math. They also taught us about art and to be creative. They supervised us at recess and sometimes organized games to keep us busy. We did have a music "teacher" who came each week, Mr. Green, he taught us music notes, chords and showed us how they go on music sheets. We had to arrange the notes on the sheets to create a tune. Must have did something right for me to remember it so well after all these years. Our elementary school teachers taught us to read, we did not have an extra teacher for that. Those teachers did it all!
ReplyDeletePhil is right, if the money was "for the kids", it may have had a better chance of passing. The town departments had to level fund their budgets. I see no reason why the school departments could not do the same, in some of their departments. I do not think enough effort was put into looking for ways to be frugal. Two principals, give me a break! You would think we had kids from a inner city school, walking around with knives and guns. We are in this together, like it or not! Don't tell me "it is for the kids," again, until you make a good faith effort to cut the fat, at the top. I did not like Columbus and Ms. Miller, trying to say they did not want the money to be a over ride. Now they are trying to say, it should have been part of their budget. They tried to blame the selectmen. I don't think the selectmen had anything to do with that. Maybe Julie or one of the others, can set the record straight. Honesty on the part of the School Department would be a good thing..
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