so when the town gets the 100k for the emergency storm there will be plenty of money for a part sander and part body. No matter we needed both. I see about the info on grader. Are you sure 5 years will fit your needs. I may stick up for my dept but am not an oficial spokeperson. I try to inform the public like you when questions come up. Why didn't you asks about the Baldwinville rd project and how much was put up for water pipe plans by the water dept? That would be a surprise to hear.
Well, the town is eligible for $107,000.00 in reimbursement funds from FEMA from a snow storm back February of this year (2015) because of the state of emergency declared by the Governor. I believe I pointed this out in a previous post and that I hoped the Town would pursue this money. Rich Curtis did that and this was presented to the BOS at last night's meeting. The catch is this; the Town's people appropriated $125,000.00 for snow & ice for the winter season of 2014-2015 and that was spent along with an additional $110,000.00 for a total of $235,000.00 spent on snow & ice so far. The $107,000.00 will cover most of the deficit spending which will keep the town from having to fund it from other sources but true to form, Dave Smart says now there will be plenty of money for a combo body for the highway department? What kind of fiscal responsibility is that?
The Town administrator also stated the Town would be going after the $50,000.00 plus from the 30 million dollars for pot hole / pavement repair, with no excuses of why it can't be done or reasons of why it may come too late or any other reason to leave that money on the table.
Now at last night's meeting, a town resident told me after Dave Smart hit a light pole plowing, the Templeton Light dept. billed the highway / town for the pole and work. I take the resident at their word and perhaps that explains what was put forward by John Driscoll at last nights meeting; A water main break occurred during a really cold spell and when the water on the road froze, creating ice on the road and thus creating a hazard for the police officer working detail for the work, a hazard for the water dept. workers along with the motoring general public. When the police officer called for sand / salt to deal with this SAFETY Mr. Driscoll stated the officer was met with a highway worker asking what is this for, who is this for/ then the officer was told there will be no response, no sand / salt because I / we ain't helping the water dept. The police officer went through dispatch and after some time, sand/salt was brought out. It was not stated who the highway worker was but this situation was unbelievable to hear. A police officer was asking for material to make a situation SAFE for himself, town workers and the general public and an employee wanted to refuse! Hopefully the recording of this meeting will be put on here for anyone to watch and listen to and there is always the town's cable channel to watch the meeting on.
I am pretty sure there was a political angle in there for announcing this at a open meeting of the BOS but it never should have happened in the first place.
The other curious thing about last nights meeting was no one from the light dept. or the water dept. seemed able or willing to answer one simple question; what kind of fluoride does the Templeton water dept. introduce into the Town water supply. The question is/was not who approves it but what kind is it? So telling us all in attendance that the Health dept. the American water association or the American dental association approves of fluoride, that really was not the question asked. Perhaps they have to check with the lawyers before answering that question? The answer may lie in the financial records as the water dept. must have to buy fluoride from somewhere and there has to be a record of it which most assuredly contains what it is that they paid for.
To Bob M., I don't want the BOS to be in charge of Templeton Light either and nor do I think the selectmen want to do that as well. You might want to look at how and when the Light Commissioners came to be so I don't think it is possible nor advisable for the selectmen to do that. One just has to remember that the Light Commissioners became water commissioners by way of the acts of 2000 so in any attempt to split the water from light, which in my opinion makes complete sense so as to combine it over with sewer, the light commissioners have to be mentioned in the conversation because the light and water commission is one in the same.
Jeff Bennett
It is amazing that two people can attend the same meeting, and come out with different ideas of the importance of what went on during the meeting. It is all important when any subject is going to impact our tax rate, or the well being of the people employed and also the people living in our town. Walking in the door to our "new town hall", I went past a marble marker dedicated to the men who went to war, to fight for our country. One of those men was my greatgrandfather. In front of me sat our new Veterans agent, John Caplis and Jeff Bennett. It has bothered me all day, the way the meeting went when Mrs. Farrell tried to present a article to be voted on at Town Meeting. In my opinion, this was not a harmful request, to be sure that the Fluoride used by the Town of Templeton be the same grade as is used in tooth paste, and mouth wash. This would protect the people in our town that are on town water from the effects of any type of fluoride that is more harmful. No one like Jeff has said could answer what kind the town uses. Naturally there was the usual rant about the fact that the town has had this type of Citizen Petitions at town meeting before, and that this Article should not be presented. These are opinions, not etched in concrete, and not based on anything but individual opinions. So what bothered me, the fact that our Selectmen were placed in a position that gives them the the ability to make decisions on policy. That in my opinion does not give them the right to take my vote away. Voting on the question of if a Article should be put on the Town Meeting Warrant allows the question to be dealt with at the Annual Town Meeting. If the people attending vote for or against, it is up to them. No one has the right to take away the right to vote by myself or anyone else. If a person does not want to hear the discussion, they can leave the room. New people attend meetings all of the time, who is to say they do not have the right to hear the discussion ?? Not me ! So as some of our voting Selectmen smugly voted no, stop and think about what you have done. For the time being you stopped a question that was logical and had merit. Who is going to proudly raise their hand if down the road all of the things Mrs. Farrell has warned about come true ?? Personalities aside, and this is really what it is about, who in their right mind would make a new born baby formula with our town water ?? Oh yes, maybe a newcomer to town that has no clue as to what is in our water, because there is no warning on the water bill. Maybe a warning can be placed on the welcome sign. Thank you to Jeff, David and John for keeping our right to speak and vote free. Bev.
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ReplyDeleteSnow and ice money has been in the past "your past" used for equipment if you remember the plow you had as a demo we purchased when you were chairman. Was that use then ok and is not now? You can put in the FOIA request and pay for the copies you need for the grader info as i'm unable to get this for you for free. I would think it would be less than the 12.50 refund you seek from the other issues you had.Yes your resident is correct about the pole and the billing for it. I would get the whole story before the print you just made though. If the issue included the police,highway and the water dept thats what the agenda should have stated. Was the highway ever mentioned and told of this to be talked about?
ReplyDeleteAs for the ice issue on the depot road water main talk to the people in charge and get the whole story from them. The cost to sand after a water department caused issue should be theirs. They borrow the sander from the sewer dept and come to the highway to get sand on other occasions why did that change for this one. Did in fact the officer call or were we just told he did when the water dept. asked him to. The point is the ice problem could have and should have been dealt with much sooner. Like when the water started to go in the road they had to know it would become a problem soon after. Did a car going by have to tell them it was getting to be a hazard? You did hear Driscoll say they were getting the equipment to do it on their own. The equipment they now borrow from the cash strapped town to run their departments. 1/2 the glass or 1/2 story straight from the Jeff Bennett Column.
True to form Jeff leaves out the important details so you would think the highway is in the wrong again and again. If he were to put all the facts out some he has no idea of it would be clear the highwaydept in the end has the safe in safety covered.
ReplyDeleteWith what we have to do what we do it with. I pulled 30 year old H7 out and loaded it to go to Depot rd and sand. when i arrived at 2:50 the crew was doing the work at the end of the former dines pit and the officer was there. No lites to warn or road signs of hazards. The hazards of road ice were from the old Dines pit all the way to railroad bridge and no signs to warn motorist till the work zone was in front of them. After taking a work zone day long class one would think the crew would know a little about it and protect the public and themselves both . The road was then sanded end to end heavy 2 times in case they again pumped the water in the road. With the fact the temp would allow the quick freeze of the water and the ability of the competent person in charge as per DPS being the water dept. Did in fact the public safety get put in danger by the water dept? They did not notify nor do they notify the highway when they open the roads as required by town bylaws so highway can be involved. Highway would Have equipment ready and on standby if needed prior to any problems caused by water dept crews work being done. So what we have here is failure to communicate again and again. It was nice to see the way they operate "Driscoll" and sidestep the way the highway was notified about the meeting. Freely offer up the police in the proccess as they rarely have training by DPS or the Work zone safety courses. The people in charge at the time were the ones not doing the job to the standards they were trained to. DPS requires a compenent person in charge and he was the one i wanted to hear from at that meeting not the desk jockey that we did. Jeff needs to start telling the whole story or don't tell it till he has the facts from more than one mouth. No names tells me the story is hearsay and should have "some" of it looked into. I hope Jeff isn't trying to get a job as a reporter.
Dave, Dave, Dave, enough with the excuses of ya'll do the best you can with what you have. On a motion from selectmen Farrell "to allow the highway dept. to buy a snowplow up to $$$" that was a motion at a selectmen meeting and your boss Bud Chase made the call which one to buy, which was bought from a company in Leominster. So were you the one who was on the other end of the line in the conversation with the Templeton Police Officer? You were at the meeting when John Driscoll pointed this out and you sat there and offered nothing. The fact is a Templeton Police Officer called for material for reasons of SAFTY and he got a run around from a Templeton Highway worker and that is all that matters. I commented on what was presented at the meeting and it is very easy to check through the police. Dave, I believe it was you who said highway does not always pack or tamp down cold patch because the public does not always stop for you. Do you guys put out signs and or have a police detail with you for safety? I like my current work hours so no reporter job but I did stay at a Holiday express.
ReplyDeleteDave can you enlighten us about some snow removal from the antique place in east Templeton about a week ago, then I can go talk to the owner after you give us your version and I can compare stories?
ReplyDeleteDave, perhaps you can complete your story and give us the exact by-law of which you speak.
ReplyDeleteThats your take and the DPS take is very different if you are the competent person in charge of the excavation it's up to you. You are the one responsible and then the General manager for knowing the crew is not doing the whole job to the standards required. Without prior notification to highway by them it's them you need to point at. When you are a moving hazard signs are not required or available as in lighted signs would be on high speed areas. We post on barre rd when we do pot holes and use 2 crews to quicken the job. When the grinding starts we will have less to do.The snow removal you watched take place was to insure the hydrant could be used and most of the snow came from the senior/COA areas. I think you knew that. As with all contractors a permit is needed to cut the roads and repair them to the likes of the highway superintendent. Prior notification would have a impact on the road safety after an inspection as this case has proven. Hopefully the water and light department will learn from their mistakes and avoid the DRAMA we saw Monday night. Looks to me like a DPW is needed more then ever.For sure things like a Capital plan would only help our future develop. Without the plan including water plans and light plans we are only doing a partial job. At least this board is moving in the right directions.JEFF JEFF JEFF did you hear Driscoll say they were planning to get their own equipment so they can do the jobs themselves? What he didn't say was the light + water borrow time after time the sewer dept. sander and truck. Year after Year so why now would they need to purchase one. Better question why didn't they buy one already.
ReplyDeleteHave it on the work area ready to go when they caused the ice conditions.
And no i never talked with whoever was on the other end of the line about the depot rd. condition.
Call the dispatch and i'm sure with a question you may get a answer of some type if you tell them who you are. Remember the ones you wanted to move them and their jobs?
Dave How long has the sewer dept. had a sander. I don't recall seeing it on their list of equipment that they own
ReplyDeleteGood question,I'll ask when i get a chance.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your question Mike is the truck is owned by the sewer dept. and the sander unit by the cemetery dept. Sorry for the mistake. I was told about it when i was talking to a blog reader who knew all the facts about it. Thank you Blog reader.
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