To fully understand article 51 we must first listen to what
the lawyer said to us at the meeting.
We have paid a lot of lawyer money to get to the point where
we are on this subject. The town was high jacked in 2006 or 2007 when the water
department stopped declaring itself an enterprise system. It started to operate
under a different set of rules and regulation and ultimately cost us in state
revenue. It came at a time when Templeton was in need for more not less revenue
from the cherry sheet. The state calculates everything from debt and income
from the overall amount and balances of all town assets, liabilities and
figures out what we get. How much the schools get for help and other means of
financing. The water department has used and received money from grants and
other sources that would be even greater if the power struggle and greed for
control of town assets weren’t there by
them. The fact was tonight the water department
paid a lot for lawyers for their Defense and was to protect what they stole from us. Our lawyer
was honest and not a bit wrong. He has a remarkable background at this sort of
thing and when he was speaking it made me think the lawyer the light and water
commission is using may need to be put in his place. The light and water lawyer
scoobo charges 300 per hour and charged
us to do a tremendous amount of work for Dana ,and Greg to just say the law
says only legislation can change the acts of 2000 chapter 93. What I am trying to point out he also said if we pass
this article the attorney general will have the final say. That will be the
independent decision Templeton has
needed for a while now. Healing Templeton begins with the diagnosis of whats
wrong and the fact is light and water will spend endless amounts of our lawyer money
to fight the very people that own them. We may want to have the lawyers for
Light and Water be changed so they work for us and not for the 300 per hour for
them. When I look over the legal bills It seems to me the charges are
outrageous and when our lawyer can tell us the same thing on the spot honestly
do we think our money is being handled properly? Did I mention Light and water
have spent over 25,ooo.oo this year alone.
Do we think the Light and Water Department are working for
us or working to protect themselves.
I think the latter. “It is our Business”
Please attend the 4th night of town meeting on Monday 7PM and have
your vote count. Help us get to the bottom of the Light and Water lawyers intentions
and see what the agenda really is about. The Attorney’s Generals decision will
be the true answer we need. I think the attitude from the lawyer light
and water use may be where Dana get part of his from. They look alike!
Dave Smart
Fact - Water department is currently running a deficit
ReplyDeleteFACT - Commissioners voted to DOUBLE the customer charge per QUARTER from $28/quarter = $112.00 year to $56/quarter = $224 year ...this is In ADDITION to the cost for your water!
Running a deficit and then running up the legal costs and charging YOU the customer to make up for the shortfall!
Vote Yes to reconsider article 51 !
I am truly sorry to say this, but it is true. This is not your father's light and water company. Once we get that fact out of the way, it will be easier to see, through the fog of the Templeton Municipal Water Dept. and the true light of the Templeton Municipal Light Company. Dave and I, along with a small number of tax payers, did not go looking for trouble when we went to the first meeting on Bridge Street. We were nieve enough to think, these people would help the town out, because we were in such a financial bind. I will not go through the whole story, as many of you know it. For those who do not, nothing could have been worse than the treatment we received there. To put it in layman's terms, as Paulie would say, we could not have been treated any worse. These people have run loose for so long, they think this is "their business", and we have no business asking for any information. As for help from them, try when "Pigs Fly"!! The town's business and it's troubles have nothing to do with them, and they told us so. So much for thinking this is the Light Company from old. The only reason the town received 150,000 this year, from them was so we would shut up, and go away! The more that we asked questions, the deeper the problems were. Things they can not hide! The screw up with the wind turbine is a story all of it's own, one they do not want you to read. Now we get to the water part of the business. How much can they continue to charge you people, before you say something? Getting charged for legitimate reasons, is one thing. Getting charged big money because they need to find a way, to keep you from seeing the books is another. Every department in this town has to present it's budget to the town, so it can be voted on, and you can know what their financial status is. Why not them?? The budget used to be on the recap sheet, then they got away with not giving it to the Advisory Board, and nothing was done or said. Was it ok? I do not think so? If they have not done anything wrong, lets see it. Do we have to make them? It just may come down to that. Every tax payer in this town, has to work hard to pay their taxes. Where the money goes is our business. We can not allow them to give us a "snow job" any longer. With the problems with the school budget, people are going to be stretched to the limit. Some of these people will not be able to live here any more. That is the truth. I can not see any way that we can allow the Commissioners to do what the hell they want, any longer. To tell you the truth, I am sure it is not going to be a pretty picture, so brace your self. Bev.
DeleteBut....But.... I heard Dana say he was in favor of transparency in government. Don't you believe him ?
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with you ?
The Simple Solution is to let the attorney general give us the answer!
ReplyDeletePlease vote yes to pass reconcider and pass article 51.
"It is our Business" Why would the law we passed in 2000 say enterprise if it was not intended to be as we voted it?
Who changed the law and when did it start to be violated by the commission and managers?
We all need to know the amswer for the good of Templeton.
Please come monday at 7pm and vote to support our Business!
I want everyone to remember one thing, "Government is run, by those who show up". These guys will pack the room. The Commissioners have a lot riding on this question. If they win, they can continue to charge the water customers anything they want, for any reason. They may not charge me, but it is not the way our neighbors should be treated. Now that should make you think, because it is the truth. Bev.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I am ashamed to say I missed town meeting thus far. I have always had a problem with the way the Light and Water Department has been run and wonder when people in town will open there eyes and drink the cofee. I hope to make it Monday and help keep things above board. Like Baldwin Templeton says I remember Bob Young trying to tell us fluride was bad for us hopefuly we can vote this stuff out. I hope all the old timers will join me vote there conscience.
ReplyDeleteJust the idea that something is in the water that does not belong there, should be enough to stop this practice. If I had a baby, I would never give that child formula made with town water. If you need fluoride treatments, go to the dentist, use mouth wash with fluoride in it, or toothpaste with fluoride in it. Don't forget, you are not supposed to swallow! Just take it out of the water system. If you are sick of these fluoride questions on the ATM warrant, vote it our, then we won't have to do this again. What the heck, as some people feel,"The ends justify the means"!!My opinion, Bev.
DeleteI'm still wonderng why up until 2007 the "Water enterprise fund" appeared on the Recap sheet then in 2008 to 2013 it has not. the sewer enterprise in on it every year. what changed?
ReplyDeleteIn 1993 the town adopted Ch44 Section 53f1/2 for both water and sewer that was to go into effect in 1996, I believe I was on that committee. While a Sewer Commissioner many town employees would question why the Light and Water Department felt they could make up their own rules in regards to the water department not following town meeting vote concerning the enterprise system as adopted in 1993. Mr. Smart is correct there needs to be accountability and transparency at Light and Water and unfortunately it is slow coming. I have publicly spoken out concerning in what I believe is the fraudulent characteristics of Ch93 Acts of 2000. I believe I called it a "Scam." Following our town attorney's suggestion and sending this issue to The Attorney General's office for collaboration seems to make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteWe still have a good number of Echo Hill followers doing his bidding. It has nothing to do with what is good for the town. This is the same for making E.T. a town hall. The people have to get sick of being treated as a bank, before anything changes. Stand up for yourself! This kind of stuff is not ok!! Bev.
DeleteThe wording of the motion is to create a new bylaw.
ReplyDeleteAny and all by laws need to be reviewed by the Attorney General before they take effect.
The wording of the motion is different from the warrant posting, but is within the scope of the warrant article. It is within the 4 corners of the warrant posting.
The motion for this article would allow a resolution by a neutral third party (Attorney general) to resolve an on-gong issue in town at little or no cost to either the town or TMLWP.
Please support reconsideration of passing over Article 51.