Shedding
some light… on water
Annual
Town Meeting was continued to Monday night, May 20th at 7 p.m.
Please attend and bring a friend!
A
motion was made to pass over Article 51 as the last business item. The motion
to pass over can be reconsidered on Monday night. Please consider the
following:
Original
warrant posting:
Article
51: To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following bylaw:
Notwithstanding
any special legislation to the contrary, all funds identified as “Enterprise
Funds” shall operate under MGL Chapter 44 section 53 F1/2.
Link
to the motion as read. Please print it out and read it.
If
town meeting votes to adopt this new bylaw, it would need to be approved and
reviewed by the Attorney General…AT NO COST TO THE TOWN OR
TMLWP!!!
SO
WHAT?
If
the voters reconsider this article AND
successfully pass it, it will avoid a potentially costly lawsuit.
Chapter
93 Acts of 2000 states:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or
special law to the contrary, there is hereby established in the town of
Templeton, a water department, under the jurisdiction of the Templeton
municipal lighting plant. Upon the effective date of this act the Templeton
municipal lighting plant shall be known as the Templeton municipal lighting and
water plant, shall have all powers contained in chapter 164 of the General Laws
and otherwise, and all powers and duties now and from time to time vested by
general or special law and by by-law in the water department of said town; and
the department of water under the jurisdiction of the selectmen is hereby abolished.
The books of accounts of the light plant and water plant shall be kept separate
and the water plant shall operate as an enterprise
fund until changed by law.
The
successful passage of Article 51 will ensure a thorough review of the issue:
Is
the water department part of the town or NOT
? Should the water department operate under 53F1/2 as the sewer enterprise
does? Should the water department figures be included on the Recap sheet?
This
is a reoccurring issue that surfaces every year and will continue to be an
issue until it is resolved.
At
this point in time, town meeting followed the recommendation of the Advisory
Board – there has been no appropriation for the water department. What does
that mean? As of July 1, 2013 the water department has to be shut down. There
is no way to pay ANYONE for ANYTHING in the WATER DEPARTMENT!!!
As
a selectman, I can NOT sign anything
-payroll warrants or vendor warrants for the water department- until Town
meeting appropriates a budget for the water department!
I
am asking people to attend Monday night’s ATM so we as a town can begin to
address this issue!
A
special town meeting will be scheduled in June to make necessary transfers for
the town.
Light
and water commissioners – Please direct your manager to provide the Advisory
Board with a line item budget so that it can be reviewed and possibly adopted
at this STM! It is in your power to avert a costly lawsuit.
My
opinions…supported by FACTS !!!
Julie
Farrell
Here was a chance for Light and Water to bring both accountability and transparency to their department and they went in the other direction. What should have been a housekeeping article turned into drama made for television. With Ch93 Acts of 2000 being looked at by the State Attorney General for possible illegal creation and activity this opportunity to open the books up has been wasted by the Light and Water Commissioners.
ReplyDeleteI almost gagged when Dan stated that they were all for tansparency. Yeah right! Only when they want to. The lawyer said it, if the article passes it has to go to the Attorney General and if it is illegal the AG will let us know. I can't think of a better office to review it!
ReplyDeletesorry meant Dana
ReplyDeleteAnother good reason to go to Monday's meeting is to vote yes on the fluoride articles. The reason fluoride is in your water is because it is saving big corporations millions of dollars in processing fees and legal expenses. According to the experts drinking fluoride has little to no benefits while possibly causing a whole host of health problems. The head toxicologist for the EPA reported fluoride is both carcinogenic and mutagenic. Scientist at Harvard reported increase rates of bone cancer due to fluoride exposure. Harvard also showed the relation of decrease IQ to fluoride ingestion. We will hear that fluoride is safe and effective but this is turning out to be a big fib. When in doubt,get it out.
ReplyDeleteI think it is time the Light and Water Department come clean. What is the problem with having your water budget on the recap sheet, like all the other boards in town? I think I am right, when I say the Water budget was on the recap sheet until just a few years ago. It makes me think, something is very wrong at the Water Department! For a commissioner to say they want transparency, it is very hard for me to see that as true. You can not hide facts, withhold information, and call yourself transparent, all at the same time! You have some people believing in you, but that will not last long, and when they find out you used them, it is not going to be a pretty picture. Why not let the Atty. General decide who is right about Article 53F1/2? Oh yes, you would rather run up another big legal bill, and then charge it to the customers. Sooner or later these people will get tired of the games you play. It is time for you people to "do it right" for a change. My opinion, Bev.
DeleteRegarding the 3 fluoride articles, I hope this is the end of it, one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not have an opinion on the fluoride issue. There are good arguments pro or con.
ReplyDeleteBut, I believe it is abuse of the system to keep bringing back the question over and over until you get the answer that you desire. The voters have already spoken. Please give it a rest.
Unfortunately the Mass Department of Public Health is able to promote fluoridation 24/7 365 days a year using public funds. These public agencies have kept profluoride messages going for the last sixty three years. Fluoride if it is effective at all works topically like suntan lotion. Drinking fluoridated water has little to no benefit on ones teeth. Drinking fluoridated water is like drinking sun tan lotion, not a very effective way to treat ones teeth. Like you Tom, my opinion on fluoride was up in the air until I spent the last four years reading everything I could get hold of. I now believe that fluoridation is one of the biggest frauds pulled on us by our Department of Public Health. In most cases the material used for fluoridation is a hazardous waste from the phosphate fertilizer industry and by putting this material in our water supply big corporations are able to save billions of dollars in treatment costs. I certainly understand everyone wanting to move on when it comes to these fluoride articles however when I think about the health effects this is having on my fellow townspeople and especially the very young I find it difficult to put this issue aside. I hope everyone will take the time to watch the documentary Fluoridegate An American Tragedy so that you will become somewhat informed on this subject. When William Marcus the head toxicologist for the EPA says he believes fluoride is both carcinogenic and mutagenic we all should give this some thought. When in doubt, get it out. Please vote yes on questions 54 55 and 56.
ReplyDeleteSeriously??? How many times are we going to have to go over the SAME issue?? If you don't like the water don't friggin drink it!! BUY BOTTLED!!
ReplyDeleteIt is not about me Townie. I have a reverse osmosis system that provides my drinking water with fluoride level below that of distilled water, I also bring my own coffee made with fluoride free water when I go out to eat. I spent years serving the town in many different capacities and feel that not everyone always has a voice, in decisions made, that effect them. In my opinion this issue has been around for 63 years and may be around for quite a bit longer. I would like to be a part of the solution. If my memory serves me correctly a current BOH Chairman told me that Templeton's cancer rate was 4% higher than that of the rest of the State and he had no idea why. Fluoride has been shown to increase Cancer rates from 4-10% by Burk and Yiamiayanis in two different court cases. Fluoride is called the Devil's Poison for a good reason as it effects so many different systems in our body. I realize many people are too busy to look into this poison but I have and now feel a responsibility to do something about it. Bob Young who ran the water department warned the town of the potential pitfalls of putting rat poison in the water. Bob has had to live with knowing his town was being poisoned by the professionals. Bob I have researched this matter and feel you were 100% correct. Let's vote this poison out of our water and move on with our lives.
DeleteDear Muppet Slaya, I am not sure you have done your assignment in regards to fluoridation. Have you taken the time to at least read the first fifty pages of The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson? Mr. Bryson believes and backs up his belief with documentation that the Military Industrial Complex is the main reason we have fluoride in our water. During the Grand Rapids and Newburg trials sodium fluoride was used to fluoridate, a more costly source of fluoride than the hazardous waste from the stacks of big industries using fluoride in their industrial processes. Give the book a read so we can have an informed conversation.
DeleteDear Muppet Slaya...1:07
DeleteYou seem a bit cranky. Must be the fluoride. I can't see any FACTS in your post. I will say it took you a while to figure out how to post without anonymous to hide behind.
See you later
Pete, I do not doubt your beliefs and commitment to this cause. I just don't feel you should continue this crusade at the town floor. People are tired of it. And to quote Shakespeare "Even the devil can quote scripture for his own purpose". Let's put our energy into forcing Light and water to play ball with the rest of the town.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall Mr. Blais at town floor last year--" We don't care what you vote on fluoride, we're not going to take it out" In his mind *every* vote is non-binding.....We need to show him otherwise.
Mr. Blais needs to be voted out! Next year is his turn to come up for reelection. He has no regard for the people of this town. He has been on that board so long, he no longer makes decisions with the good of the town in mind. My opinion, Bev.
DeleteTom, to further quote Shakespeare "All the world's a stage" and keeping fluoride front and center seems like a good idea to those who believe this enzymatic poison needs to go. I am with you bringing accountability and transparency to the Light and Water department. I have stated publicly that in my opinion Ch93 Acts of 2000 was done in a fraudulent manner. I will support the reconsideration and asking the Attorney General to decide on Ch44 Section 53F1/2.
ReplyDeleteI think we have a right to know how the Light and water are following the law we voted in. At odds we have two lawyers that have the same books to read the laws and we get two answers. I strongly believe the Light and water lawyers are focused to keep the power in the department from being invaded by the town or anyone else. It's hight time we get to the real truth and that way is through the attorney generals office.
ReplyDeleteThe DOR report has this as a enterprise and we have brought this up at commissioners meetings and were told it was not a enterprise.If the DOR thought they were doing anything wrong they would be told about it,but it is in the chapter 93 law and should be a seperate enterprise under chapter 44 sec 53f1/2 it is clearly stated and was what we voted on in 2000.
Did the muppet slaya eat some nasty pills? Sounds like it to me. If you do not want to vote on a Article, vote no, simple as that. We have the right to put a article on the town meeting warrant. If one person learns something new, there is nothing wrong with that. If flouride is so good for you, why does the mouth wash bottle tell you not to swallow it? It also says to get medical attention, if you accidentally drink it! If putting a warning on the water bill, helps one person to be aware that the water is treated, especially if they have a new born baby, there is nothing wrong with that. The choice is simple, vote yes or no, but don't think you have the right to tell anyone if they can put a article on the ATM warrant, or not. Bev.
Delete