Sunday, April 30, 2017

Audit Meeting

Audit Meeting

The Audit  meeting went well. The management letter will be posted in its entirety later. It seems some of the copies available to the public were one-sided copies, not double sided.

Some comments prior to the meeting:

  1. It's odd, but planning on attending the Audit readings feels more like going to a Crime/Mystery Theatre. Will anyone be led off in cuffs? Ok, so maybe I'm getting carried away.

    Im just hoping it is not painful to the taxpayers, detrimental to the towns near term future and that maybe, just maybe, we learn from mistakes made and come up with a workable small town financial plan to maintain the expected quality of life citizens deserve.

    Who in our local government is looking out for all the citizenry. Is anyone looking into the makeup of boards/committees/commissions to verify that no "appearance" of improper relationships/terms/conditions are occurring. Many last names seem to multiply in our little government and has anyone looked into the entire structure of our town government?
    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (Many last names seem to multiply in our little government and has anyone looked into the entire structure of our town government?)

      this is why i think Julie will have a hard time getting elected
      Delete
    2. I guess my concern is that unless we have a defined structure of management throughout our Administrator/Boards/Committees/Commissions and readily available whose to know. You cannot trust the information on the website to be accurate, but I'll give you an example of something that made me wonder.
      The other night at the CPC meeting. An agenda item came up regarding the Senior center siding. As it stands we just review and accepted the report without recommendation as it was more formality based on timing. Had we voted to recommend should Doug, have disclosed his position to us or recuse himself? I dont know Doug, but from a little research it appears he is deeply involved in elder issues "Friends of Templeton Elders" along with wife/relative as Director of Senior Center.
      Please dont assume I'm saying Doug or anyone is/has done anything wrong. It's just that this multiple offices, intermingled town government can leave taxpayers feeling that way...........hence the suggestion by the DOR to stop it!
      Delete
    3. I guess i misunderstood your earlier statement. yes to much family in government is bad news.
      Delete
  2. Was just doing a little reading. The 2009 DOR report.

    http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/mdmstuf/technical-assistance/finmgtrev/templetonoctober09.pdf



    Pretty damn interesting how they recommend to have elected or appointed members of boards,committees or commissions restricted to one position. How many slots would that open up on our town boards,committees and commissions.

    It appears to me that the BOS said, NOT US as they have inserted themselves on every board,committee or commission ...............

    Am I missing something?
    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes Mike the ratepayers paid over 12k to have a lawyer find out about our government.
    The General mgr of the TMLWP would not share it though.
    It was called the governance of Templeton and shared it with no one we were told not even the commissioners of the TMLWP.
    One who requested it was chairman of the Advisory committee.
    People wonder why i have a strong point for the TMLWP commission and the G.M.
    That's just one.
The meeting was like a Crime/ Murder theater. the management letter does provide a way to financial stability. Let's hope the selectmen will implement these recommendations. I know if I am elected, I will work to ensure these findings from the management letter are corrected. 

I'm not sure what conflicts of interest or appearance of conflicts of interest mike thinks I have.

First order of business if elected :

Hire a permanent Town Administrator.

Then hire a Treasurer/Collector who will maintain the books i.

It took over TWO to implement some of the recommendations in the 2009 DOR report.

Selectmen's Meeting January 2010 DOR in attendance.

 
The first recommendation implemented  was to adopt a town administrator form of government. That took a while! 

Let's hope the selectmen are able to hire a permanent TA in the very near future. As well as Treasurer/Collector!

Julie Farrell

Vote Monday May 1!

Vote Monday May 1!

Templeton Town elections; Support and elect Diane Brooks and Julie Farrell. I feel right now, the most important thing for the select board would be experience and experience comes from doing rather than theory. While we may disagree on some things, I feel there could be a good working relationship between the select board and the Advisory Committee which will be good for the Town. agree to disagree on things but remember the big picture, THE ENTIRE TOWN and I feel those two candidates fit better, right now rather than an unknown. It is my opinion that in order to progress, you must know and understand the mistakes of the past and I believe those two candidates fit into what Templeton needs now and for the next three to five years. (if elected, do not get to comfy, as I am not going anywhere, no matter where I sit!)


posted by Jeff Bennett

Saturday, April 29, 2017

252 Baldwinville Rd ...Revisited



252 Baldwinville Rd...Revisited

Management Letter

Some  information from the management letter regarding 252 Baldwinville Rd from page 15 of 31:

 "The Town has failed terribly in managing its capital projects and corresponding funding."

This should not be a surprise. For years, myself and others pushed to get an investigation into the purchase of 252 Baldwinville Rd and that entire project. I provided numerous primary source documents both on this blog and to the State. The issues to be investigated were "hot potatoes". NOTHING was done.

For a brief refresher consider below:
-->

252 Baldwinville Road



These documents relate to the Municipal building Project at 252 Baldwinville Road.  Please click on the “blue links” and the documents will open up in a new window.
General Ledger accounts  for total cost of 252 Baldwinville Rd $761,042 including interest
K & P checklist for purchasing a municipal building
Municipal Lien certificate assessed value $366,650
Appraisal – not done
Building Inspection – not done
Settlement Statement – what did the town purchase for $399,925? Why is it higher than                                   assessed value?
E-mail as an Invoice – Who allows the release of $399,925 on the basis of an e-mail?
This e-mail thread  - electronic correspondence regarding USDA loan and 252 Baldwinville Rd.
USDA loan application – When did the BOS vote to apply for a USDA loan?
The Obligation of funds  - also signed by GPS. On whose authority?
Columbus letter to USDA – all communication through BC w/o a vote by the BOS
Municipal sub-bids – total cost of project now over 3 million + invoice for desks
Phase II  21E – Why was this 21E done AFTER the purchase and by the Town?
Please take careful note of the selectmen signatures on these documents. Look at the email thread. Julie Farrell was a selectman at this time; her name did not appear on the Purchase and Sale Agreement. 


Look at the Obligation of funds document . How could someone who was not a member of the Board of Selectmen sign a document for funds for 252 Baldwinville Rd project?

 "The Town has failed terribly in managing its capital projects and corresponding funding."

Vote Monday May 1!

 

Vote Monday May 1!

Templeton Town elections; Support and elect Diane Brooks and Julie Farrell. I feel right now, the most important thing for the select board would be experience and experience comes from doing rather than theory. While we may disagree on some things, I feel there could be a good working relationship between the select board and the Advisory Committee which will be good for the Town. agree to disagree on things but remember the big picture, THE ENTIRE TOWN and I feel those two candidates fit better, right now rather than an unknown. It is my opinion that in order to progress, you must know and understand the mistakes of the past and I believe those two candidates fit into what Templeton needs now and for the next three to five years. (if elected, do not get to comfy, as I am not going anywhere, no matter where I sit!)


posted by Jeff Bennett

Friday, April 28, 2017

Communities Weigh Pros, Cons of Regional Dispatch Centers


Communities Weigh Pros, Cons of Regional Dispatch Centers


The state continues to encourage cities and towns to study formation of regional emergency dispatch centers, which are often viewed as a means to improve 911 services and save cities and towns money.
But one town in the region recently nixed the idea.
 
Regionalization at times comes at the hefty expense of individual police departments closing at the end of the business day, which has spurred the law enforcement term “going dark.”
Spencer had been part of a proposed five-town Central Regional Emergency Communication Center to be housed in Oxford. Charlton, Southbridge and Sturbridge also were part of the plan.
But last week, the Spencer Board of Selectmen voted to withdraw from the study.

Spencer Town Administrator Adam Gaudette said not wanting to close the police station, and consideration for the tasks dispatchers perform for the chief and department, weighed heavily on the board’s decision.

Dispatchers man the police station, and the Spencer board noted that Spencer’s lockup serves as a regional facility for smaller, surrounding towns. The board didn’t want Spencer to give up that responsibility, the administrator said.

The Spencer board suggested that regional dispatch would amount to no savings realized if it had to hire administrative help to pick up the tasks dispatchers perform, Mr. Gaudette said.

Southbridge Police Chief Shane D. Woodson said he remains supportive of the proposal, with the caveat that the Southbridge station remain open 24 hours, seven days a week.
 
“I agree with it,” Chief Woodson said of regionalization. “I’ve spoken with my town manager. He has assured me that we will not be closing the police department at all. The only way I’d agree and support this project is if my doors stay open. It’s a disservice to the community (to lock the department’s doors for parts of the day) and the people that we police.”

...

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Fluoride Lawsuit

Fluoride Lawsuit

It’s official: the Fluoride Action Network--along with a coalition of environmental and public health groups--has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to their denial of our petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) seeking a ban on water fluoridation.  This may be the lawsuit we have all been waiting decades for. 

According to FAN’s attorney, Michael Connett, “this case will present the first time a court will consider the neurotoxicity of fluoride and the question of whether fluoridation presents an unreasonable risk under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  And, in contrast to most other legal challenges of Agency actions, TSCA gives us the right to get the federal court to consider our evidence ‘de novo’—meaning federal courts are to conduct their own independent review of the evidence without deference to the EPA's judgment.”

Industry, legal, and environmental observers following the EPA's implementation of the new TSCA law have pointed out that a lawsuit challenging the EPA's denial of our petition would provide a test case for the agency's interpretation that petitioners must provide a comprehensive analysis of all uses of a chemical in order to seek a restriction on a particular use.  Legal experts have suggested that the EPA’s interpretation essentially makes the requirements for gaining Agency action using section 21 petitions impossible to meet.

Background Information

On Nov 22, 2016, a coalition including FAN, Food & Water Watch, Organic Consumers Association, American Academy of Environmental Medicine, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, Moms Against Fluoridation, and several individual mothers, filed a petition calling on the EPA to ban the deliberate addition of fluoridating chemicals to the drinking water under provisions in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The full TSCA petition can be accessed here, a shorter 8-page summary here, and our press release here.

We presented the Agency with a large body of human and animal evidence demonstrating that fluoride is a neurotoxin at levels now ingested by many U.S. children and vulnerable populations. We also presented the Agency with evidence showing that fluoride has little benefit when swallowed, and, accordingly, any risks from exposing people to fluoride chemicals in water are unnecessary. We believe that an impartial judge reviewing this evidence will agree that fluoridation poses an unreasonable risk.

On February 27th, the EPA published their response.  In their decision the EPA claimed, “The petition has not set forth a scientifically defensible basis to conclude that any persons have suffered neurotoxic harm as a result of exposure to fluoride in the U.S. through the purposeful addition of fluoridation chemicals to drinking water or otherwise from fluoride exposure in the U.S."

As many independent scientists now recognize, fluoride is a neurotoxin. The question, therefore, is not if fluoride damages the brain, but at what dose. 

Elementary School ...Revisited

Elementary School ...Revisited

Where to begin? Let's begin at the end of this section of the management letter:
  
In Larger font:

"A project of this magnitude is very complicated to manage and continued mismanagement of this project could prove catastrophic to the Town. It involves several short-term, multi-million dollar borrowings all interlocked seamlessly and transitioning between each maturity; in addition it involves timely submission of reimbursement requests to the MSBA to assure cash flow is positive. Estimating cash needs on a monthly basis and comparing that to the projected receipts is critical."

We do not believe the current Treasurer or anyone in the Treasurer's office have the skillset necessary to financially manage  the largest project in the Town's history and bring it to a successful conclusion. Therefore, we strongly recommend that the Town utilize the services of a consultant familiar with school projects in Massachusetts to assist in the administration of this challenging process."

Okay.  That makes sense, but isn't there an OPM ( owner's project manager) for this project? You know, a consultant familiar with school projects in Massachusetts to assist in the administration of this "challenging process"? So okay then. WTF.

Bobcat that attacked dogs in Barre is shot, killed

Bobcat that attacked dogs in Barre is shot, killed

BARRE - Police shot and killed a bobcat after it attacked two large dogs, then lunged at the police chief and a sergeant Tuesday afternoon.

Sgt. William Recos said a family on Lane Road near Chamberlain Hill Road called to report a large cat was attacking their two Bernese mountain dogs on the porch of their home.
“She said the cat was on the back of one of the dogs with its claws dug in and its mouth on the dog’s neck,” Sgt. Recos said.

The bobcat weighed 25 to 30 pounds and was about a third the size of one of the dogs, he said.
The family called the dogs inside and the bobcat hid under the porch. The bobcat came back out when officers arrived and began walking toward them.
“When it was about 40 feet from us it started to sprint, and at 10 or 15 feet it jumped into the air with its paws outstretched,” Sgt. Recos said. “The chief was able to squeeze off a few rounds and it stopped.”

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

252 Baldwinville Rd...Revisited


252 Baldwinville Rd...Revisited

Management Letter

Some  information from the management letter regarding 252 Baldwinville Rd from page 15 of 31:

 "The Town has failed terribly in managing its capital projects and corresponding funding."

This should not be a surprise. For years, myself and others pushed to get an investigation into the purchase of 252 Baldwinville Rd and that entire project. I provided numerous primary source documents both on this blog and to the State. The issues to be investigated were "hot potatoes". NOTHING was done.

For a brief refresher consider below:


252 Baldwinville Road


These documents relate to the Municipal building Project at 252 Baldwinville Road.  Please click on the “blue links” and the documents will open up in a new window.


General Ledger accounts  for total cost of 252 Baldwinville Rd $761,042 including interest

K & P checklist for purchasing a municipal building



Municipal Lien certificate assessed value $366,650

Appraisal – not done

Building Inspection – not done



Settlement Statement – what did the town purchase for $399,925? Why is it higher than                                   assessed value?

E-mail as an Invoice – Who allows the release of $399,925 on the basis of an e-mail?

This e-mail thread  - electronic correspondence regarding USDA loan and 252 Baldwinville Rd.

USDA loan applicationWhen did the BOS vote to apply for a USDA loan?

The Obligation of funds  - also signed by GPS. On whose authority?

Columbus letter to USDA – all communication through BC w/o a vote by the BOS

Municipal sub-bids – total cost of project now over 3 million + invoice for desks

Phase II  21E – Why was this 21E done AFTER the purchase and by the Town?

Please take careful note of the selectmen signatures on these documents. Look at the email thread. Julie Farrell was a selectman at this time; her name did not appear on the Purchase and Sale Agreement. 


Look at the Obligation of funds document . How could someone who was not a member of the Board of Selectmen sign a document for funds for 252 Baldwinville Rd project?

 "The Town has failed terribly in managing its capital projects and corresponding funding."

Management Letter FY 13, FY 14, FY 15, FY 16


It's a lot to take in. Get comfortable and read it a few times.

Audit Meeting

Audit Meeting

The Audit  meeting went well. The management letter will be posted in its entirety later. It seems some of the copies available to the public were one-sided copies, not double sided.

Some comments prior to the meeting:

  1. It's odd, but planning on attending the Audit readings feels more like going to a Crime/Mystery Theatre. Will anyone be led off in cuffs? Ok, so maybe I'm getting carried away.

    Im just hoping it is not painful to the taxpayers, detrimental to the towns near term future and that maybe, just maybe, we learn from mistakes made and come up with a workable small town financial plan to maintain the expected quality of life citizens deserve.

    Who in our local government is looking out for all the citizenry. Is anyone looking into the makeup of boards/committees/commissions to verify that no "appearance" of improper relationships/terms/conditions are occurring. Many last names seem to multiply in our little government and has anyone looked into the entire structure of our town government?
    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (Many last names seem to multiply in our little government and has anyone looked into the entire structure of our town government?)

      this is why i think Julie will have a hard time getting elected
      Delete
    2. I guess my concern is that unless we have a defined structure of management throughout our Administrator/Boards/Committees/Commissions and readily available whose to know. You cannot trust the information on the website to be accurate, but I'll give you an example of something that made me wonder.
      The other night at the CPC meeting. An agenda item came up regarding the Senior center siding. As it stands we just review and accepted the report without recommendation as it was more formality based on timing. Had we voted to recommend should Doug, have disclosed his position to us or recuse himself? I dont know Doug, but from a little research it appears he is deeply involved in elder issues "Friends of Templeton Elders" along with wife/relative as Director of Senior Center.
      Please dont assume I'm saying Doug or anyone is/has done anything wrong. It's just that this multiple offices, intermingled town government can leave taxpayers feeling that way...........hence the suggestion by the DOR to stop it!
      Delete
    3. I guess i misunderstood your earlier statement. yes to much family in government is bad news.
      Delete
  2. Was just doing a little reading. The 2009 DOR report.

    http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/mdmstuf/technical-assistance/finmgtrev/templetonoctober09.pdf



    Pretty damn interesting how they recommend to have elected or appointed members of boards,committees or commissions restricted to one position. How many slots would that open up on our town boards,committees and commissions.

    It appears to me that the BOS said, NOT US as they have inserted themselves on every board,committee or commission ...............

    Am I missing something?
    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes Mike the ratepayers paid over 12k to have a lawyer find out about our government.
    The General mgr of the TMLWP would not share it though.
    It was called the governance of Templeton and shared it with no one we were told not even the commissioners of the TMLWP.
    One who requested it was chairman of the Advisory committee.
    People wonder why i have a strong point for the TMLWP commission and the G.M.
    That's just one.
 The meeting was like a Crime/ Murder theater. the management letter does provide a way to financial stability. Let's hope the selectmen will implement these recommendations. I know if I am elected, I will work to ensure these findings are implemented. 

I'm not sure what conflicts of interest or appearance of conflicts of interest mike thinks I have.

Unlike the 2009 DOR report which languished for over two years before I could convince a majority of the selectmen to adopt some of the recommendations in that report. The first one was to adopt a town administrator form of government. That took a while! Let's hope the selectmen are able to hire a permanent TA in the very near future. As well as Treasurer/Collector!

Julie Farrell

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Financial Information for Tonight's Audit Meeting

Financial Information for Tonight's Audit Meeting

At last night's selectmen meeting, the financial team presented the 3rd Quarter Report. That information is available HERE.

The last 17 pages of this report include the most up-to-date Budget vs. Actual Report.  3rd Quarter means most accounts should be expended at 75%. There are exceptions.

There are some interesting figures included in this report. 

On page 1of 17, the Reserve Fund  is showing a balance of $47,500 which does not seem to reflect the transfer to vehicle maintenance account.

On page 3 of 17, the Fire/EMS department expenses expended by 84.98 % reflect the concern of the Account in the 3rd quarter financial update.

On page 4 of 17, the Snow & Ice account has been overspent by $108,987.74 or 187.19 %.

On page 6 of 17, Principal on Long Term debt is expended by 87.84 % ; Unemployment is expended at 80.97 %; and Group Insurance is expended at 84.02 %.

On page 7 of 17, Ambulance Receipts Reserved expenses are expended at 82.06 %

On page 9 of 17, ZBA has been overexpended by $301.02 .

On page 10 of 17, COA Revolving MART  has been overexpended by $30,641.52 or 179.12 %. and Recycling Revolving has been overexpended by $983.67 or 218.11 %.

On page 14 of 17, it gets really interesting.


 There was no appropriation for School Feasibility, however $119,816.12 was expended on school feasibility.

And more interesting:


It's hard to see, but $106,465.29 was allocated for the elementary school (first column). $1,347,482.73 was expended. This account was overexpended by $1,241,017.44 or 1,265.65 % 

Yep.


 

Baby Boomers Borrowed $100BN In Student Loans For Their Children And Now Defaults Are Soaring

Baby Boomers Borrowed $100BN In Student Loans For Their Children And Now Defaults Are Soaring

 

America's snowflake millennials aren't used to being told 'no', especially by their parents.  Perhaps that's why, as we pointed out a few days ago, more millennials than ever are now living at home with mom and roughly one quarter of them don't even both to enroll in classes and/or find a job (see "A Quarter Of Millennials Living At Home Neither Work Nor Study").  But, when it comes to racking up massive student loans for their lazy, millennial, snowflakes, we suspect a healthy portion of about 3.5 million Baby Boomers are wishing they had a do-over to do just that.

Unfortunately, rather than making some difficult decisions about affordability and/or forcing their kids to pay for their own education, Baby Boomers have incurred nearly $100 billion in student loans so that little Johnny and/or Susie could get that Anthro degree they always wanted. 

In fact, as the Wall Street Journal notes today, so-called "Parent Plus Loans" have soared over the past 15 years as parents have increasingly found it impossible to cover college tuition costs.
Parent Plus, created by Congress in 1980, allows parents to borrow to cover tuition and living expenses—often after their children borrow the maximum in undergraduate federal loans, capped by law at $5,500 a year for freshmen, $6,500 for sophomores and $7,500 for juniors and seniors. There is no limit to how much parents can borrow. Supporters say the program ensures students can go to schools of their choice.
 

When it comes to federally subsidized student loans the underwriting standards put even the no-income, no-doc mortgages of 2005 to shame.  Just take the case of Sherry McPherson as an example.  Per the WSJ, McPherson was able to secure $100,000 in student loans for her son and herself to attend a trade school  despite "her shaky credit and unemployment."  Adding insult to injury, for taxpayers at least, McPherson has already refinanced her loans into one of Obama's "income-driven plans" which "sets her payments at zero while she is unemployed."
Sherry McPherson took out Parent Plus debt in 2006 so her son could enroll in a seven-month certificate program at a Seattle for-profit school that teaches commercial diving. She was an unemployed single mother with thousands of dollars in credit-card debt, a car loan and a subprime credit score. She had just retired from the Army after suffering an injury in Iraq.

The school, the Divers Institute of Technology, told Ms. McPherson she needed to borrow nearly $16,000 to cover remaining tuition after her son maxed out on undergraduate federal loans, she recalls.

Ms. McPherson, now 50, remembers telling the school’s financial-aid administrator she wouldn’t be approved because of her shaky credit and unemployment.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Look, all we need is your Social Security number,’ ” recalls Ms. McPherson. “They approved me in three minutes.”

She hasn’t worked since, partly because she attended college and graduate school herself. Her Parent Plus balance has more than doubled. Combined with her own student loans, she now owes more than $100,000 to the federal government.

Ms. McPherson has refinanced into an income-driven plan, which sets her payments at zero while she is unemployed.
And while it may sound outrageous, McPherson's story is hardly an anomaly with over 40% of student loans originated in 2009 - 2013 going to subprime borrowers, more than double the subprime mix of the mortgage market in 2005.




Audits. TONIGHT. NRSD Auditorium. 6:30 PM


Audits. TONIGHT. NRSD Auditorium. 6:30 PM

Tonight's meeting on the audit release is vital if you want to begin to understand "what went wrong!" .
 


Templeton Audits to Be Released 

The Templeton Board of Selectmen has announced that it will meet in a special public session to receive the long-awaited audits for Fiscal Year(s) 2013 through 2016 in public session next week. The presentation will be at the Narragansett Regional Middle School Auditorium at 460 Baldwinville in Templeton on Tuesday, April 25th at 6:30 pm. Mr. Tony Roselli, CPA, Partner with Roselli, Clark & Associates of Woburn, MA will take the lead for his firm in presenting the materials for this unusual exit conference. 

This presentation will include all the audit information for these four-fiscal year. It will also include an overview of the Management Letter which is the firm’s observations on the Town’s procedures and areas which need to be addressed by the Town going forward. John Caplis, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said that, “This is an extraordinary way for a Town to receive its audits but then it has been an extraordinary set of circumstances which led to such a delay in getting these four years audited. However, it was thought best, in the interest of public transparency, that the Board receive these materials in a manner where as many of our citizens may attend and hear the presentation first hand.” 

It has been reported that the Town and the audit firm have also met with representatives of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to ensure that the presentation is more than a set of financial reports but also lays out the action steps for the community to follow going forward. For those who cannot attend this special session, the meeting is being recorded by Templeton Community Television and will be available for viewing shortly thereafter. The actual published material will be posted on the web after the presentation and the Town will be issuing a special printed report compiling the materials to be made available to the public by June 30th of this year.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Election May 1, 2017

Election May 1, 2017


The polling location  has changed. Voting will be held in the Middle School Gym. The signs on the commons will be corrected.

My email to the Town Clerk:
 
Hello,

Some people have mentioned to me that the signs on the commons for the May 1st elections indicate the voting place as the high school gym.

I believe that the polling place has been moved to the middle school gym. Also, will there be parking by the football field for the election? Do we know where people are supposed to park in order to vote on May 1st?

Thanks for attention to this matter.

Julie

The Response from the Town Clerk: 

Good Morning Julie,
The signs on the common will be changed to the middle school gym, today.
Parking for the election will be out back by the baseball & football field.
Similar to what it used to be before we moved to the high school gym.

Thank you,

Carol A. Harris
Templeton Town Clerk, CMMC
160 Patriots Rd.
P.O. Box 620
E. Templeton, MA 01438
(978) 894-2758 phone
(978) 894-2766 fax


Please vote on May 1st at the Middle School Gym from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
 

Cost of a Police Officer

Cost of a Police Officer

At a recent budget workshop, a statement was made that the cost savings of combining COA/Library/Veterans/Recreation & Culture into the department of Community Services would generate roughly $20,000. One selectmen felt this amount would be enough to fund a police officer by the year 2019.

From the Gardner News article ' Debate split over merger of COA and library directors April 12, 2017:
 
"Selectmen Chairman John Caplis noted that although Dianna Morrison has performed her job well as Council on Aging director, selectmen “have to look at the entire community as a whole.” In addition, he said he “looked at the future. I said OK, it’s not just about today, or maybe tomorrow. It might be year from now or two years from now. What happens with the cost savings that reflects from that position back into the community? We’ve been talking about a police officer for how many years?”


Caplis said that based on the savings that would be created by combining the two positions, the town would have the potential by the year 2019 of hiring a full-time police officer who will have the opportunity to patrol the streets and “make us all safe.” "


If a savings of $20,000 were to be realized by merging departments, the above statement ignores the fact that the savings is on a one year basis. Something else will come along along the next fiscal year and gobble up that savings. It always does.

As an aside, the cost of a police officer is much more than $20,000. 
$20,000 might cover the benefit package for a FT police officer, but certainly not the salary and OT costs.



Survey!

Do you as a taxpayer get to see the town budget?

Please take the following short Survey .



This survey through SurveyMonkey does NOT collect information about the responders to the survey. It is not posted to social media because FB and others do allow the anonymous feature to be turned on. This survey will be active for a week - until April 27th.

Feel free to email this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/95H6VQZ 

to residents of Templeton who may be interested in filling out the survey.

Please fill out the survey once and feel free to leave comments. The results will be posted in a later blog.

Thank you for your participation.

Meetings the Week of April 24, 2017


Meetings the Week of April 24, 2017

Monday  4/24/17
Liars Club                        PCS Town Hall*             6:30 pm
 
Tuesday  4/25/17
AUDIT                  NRSD Auditorium          6:30 pm


Wednesday 4/26/17
Economic                      PCS Town Hall*             9:00 am     
Adv. Com.                     PCS Town Hall*             6:30 pm     

Thursday 4/27/17
TA Search                     Bridge St                           5:00 pm

CANDIDATE NIGHT     KAMALHOT
 
* Pauly Cosentino Sr. Town Hall

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Combustible mulch, cigarette butts a dangerous combination

Combustible mulch, cigarette butts a dangerous combination

Fire officials in the region spoke about the danger of mulch fires Thursday, in the wake of the possibility a blaze that destroyed an Ashburnham business earlier this week started in mulch.

Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal’s office, said her understanding is that a cigarette in mulch is suspected as the cause of the Ashburnham fire Wednesday, but the investigation is ongoing and the person on that case was at a fatal fire in Marlboro Thursday.

Mr. Mike’s, which includes a Dunkin’ Donuts, on Route 101 was destroyed by fire Wednesday. Firefighters contained it to the back of the building, keeping it from reaching the gas tanks in the front of the store and propane stored at a Roy Brothers Oil & Propane property next door, authorities said.

The building was deemed a total loss, but no one was injured. Fire Chief Jack E. Parow said at the time he believed the fire started in the rear of the building near the drive-up speaker for Dunkin’ Donuts, possibly in the bark mulch back there.

Ms. Mieth said the state was unable to supply statistics on whether mulch fires were on the rise in the commonwealth.

On Sept. 1, 2012, a mulch safety regulation took effect in the state in response to a rash of fires in Massachusetts involving mulch-wood products. It prohibits the new application of mulch within 18 inches around combustible exteriors of buildings, such as wood or vinyl.

Residential buildings with six units or less are exempted from the regulation, but the state said all homeowners may want to adopt the safety practices. The regulation applies to all other buildings including commercial properties.

Broken door, broken promise:...

Broken door, broken promise: Police renege on pledge to ask judges for permission in no-knock raids


 

WORCESTER – After a 2015 “no-knock” SWAT raid that found a shaken family at gunpoint instead of the targeted criminal, state police vowed to seek approval for raids from a judge instead of a clerk-magistrate.

With one exception, that critical judicial oversight is not being done in Worcester County, a review of court records by the Telegram & Gazette shows.

“Clerks are extremely experienced and competent,” Col. Richard D. McKeon replied April 15 when asked why the change, announced in a 2016 press release, was not made. In a statement Thursday, the agency did not answer detailed questions and made no reference to the initial pledge.

State Police assert that their protocols are now “among the most rigorous of any law-enforcement agency in the country,” adding that Col. McKeon, the superintendent, reviews the warrants before they are executed.

“There is a heightened sense of review on these types of warrants now,” Col. McKeon said April 15, noting all warrants are forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review.

Bringing the warrants to a judge, however, would have ensured that the ultimate arbiter of their legality scrutinized them before their execution. State police declined to say why they reversed course on the external control, and also declined to discuss an apparently ongoing practice of securing no-knock warrants to seize marijuana, which voters legalized last November.

The policy changes were prompted by an August 2015 SWAT raid in which police broke down the doors of an apartment in Worcester looking for a man and two illegal guns, but instead found a frightened family. It was the same type of high-risk raid that, according to a recent investigation by The New York Times, has led to the deaths of at least 81 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers since 2010.

“I was encouraged that something good would come out of this horrible thing,” Marianne Diaz, who was roused nude from her bed at gunpoint, said Wednesday. “I’m really afraid that someone is going to get hurt worse than us by the raids they’re doing.”

Impetus for change

Ms. Diaz was 23 when a Worcester SWAT team, serving a warrant obtained by state police, burst into her Hillside Street apartment on a steamy August morning. The target of the raid had moved months ago, but police were apparently unaware.

Ms. Diaz, who has filed a lawsuit, maintains Worcester SWAT, who made the initial entry, treated her harshly during the raid, swearing and waiting minutes before allowing her to cover up. They left without an apology, she says, leaving behind mental scars for her and her young daughters that outlasted the physical mess.

In the days after the raid, the warrant that authorized it came under scrutiny. It was approved by an assistant clerk despite the fact that its applicant, Trooper Nicholas E. Nason did not conduct surveillance on the home or attempt to explain in his affidavit why his research showed that Ms. Diaz, who he noted had no record, was listed as living at the address in both RMV records and electricity bills.

The warrant relied primarily on the word of a confidential informant to establish the target’s residency, along with noting relatives of the man were found there during a separate raid 11 months earlier.

Experts told the T&G the warrant, although not comprehensive, was legally sufficient. A state police review of the process released in January 2016 found Trooper Nason broke no policies, but suggested a number of policy changes that could be “implemented quickly across the agency to avoid situations such as the one under review here.”

One of the most prominent changes, announced in a state police press release in January 2016, was a requirement that any no-knock warrant be approved by a judge instead of a clerk-magistrate. The American Civil Liberties Union opined that while the changes did not go far enough, they were a step in the right direction.

“Many clerk-magistrates, although talented, are not necessarily attorneys,” Peter Elikann, a Newton criminal defense attorney who serves on the criminal justice section of the Massachusetts Bar Association, noted at the time.

A quiet reversal

Yet a T&G review of no-knock warrants in all 10 courts in Worcester County shows that of the 10 no-knock warrants issued to state police since 2016, only one was reviewed by a judge.

Brendan T. Keenan, first assistant clerk-magistrate in Worcester’s Central District Court, said last week he was never asked to accommodate the change.

“I read that in the paper,” he said of the pledge. “That’s the only place I heard it.”

Clerk-magistrates in Fitchburg and Leominster, the only other two courts that have issued no-knock warrants to state police since 2016, said they also had never been asked to kick the warrants up to a judge.

“I can’t answer questions on behalf of the trial court,” Patrick J. Malone of Fitchburg said.
The Trial Court, which oversees the courts, did not answer questions about whether it had anything to do with the publicly announced change getting scrapped. Spokeswoman Erika Gulley-Santiago confirmed state police met last year with the Trial Court to discuss the issue, but declined to say the outcome.

“By law, search warrants (no-knock or otherwise) may be issued by judges, clerks, or assistant clerk-magistrates,” noted the office, which does not track no-knock search warrants or who signs them.

The law also allows temporary assistant clerks to issue search warrants. Rahsaan D. Hall, director of the ACLU of Massachusetts’ Racial Justice Program, said it was concerning that such a shift in policy would be shelved without explanation.

“The fact that an assistant clerk-magistrate can sign off on a no-knock warrant doesn’t negate the fact that there was a perception that there would be a higher level of scrutiny given to these warrants by the judge,” he said. “There’s obviously a reason why they felt it was an appropriate thing to do, so to turn back on that without a determination as to why leaves a lot of questions.

“Sometimes,” he added, “people say things because of political expediency.”

But Daniel J. Hogan, clerk-magistrate of the Boston Municipal Court and head of the state professional association for magistrates and assistant clerks, said police did give the idea real consideration.

“They did make some efforts, but I think, after they had an opportunity to reflect, they said, ‘Maybe that’s not the best course of action for the purposes of public safety.’ ”

Mr. Hogan made a spirited case for why clerk-magistrates are just as qualified, if not more so, than judges to approve search warrants. He noted that assistant clerks, in particular, deal with warrants every day, as opposed to judges - particularly on-call judges - who might not deal with search warrants frequently.

“At night, some of the on-call judges might be someone who is in land court every day,” he said. “Wouldn’t you want someone who does this every day looking at these?”

Mr. Hogan said logistics may also come into play. Getting a warrant to a judge takes longer, he said, and at night, could require detectives to travel long distances to an available judge’s home.

“It took an arrow out of their quiver,” Mr. Hogan said of the shift.

Mr. Hogan said state police always have the discretion to go to a judge for a warrant if they wish; it’s not a decision up to the Trial Court.

Two judges in Worcester’s Central District Court did not return calls on the subject this week.

Isaac Borenstein, a retired Superior Court judge of 16 years, pushed back against the idea that clerks would be more qualified than judges to review search warrants.

“This is the day-to-day bread and water of judges,” said Mr. Borenstein, adding that it is not unusual for police to eschew judicial review.

“There have been major studies done over the years, and one consistent thing about the studies is that police like to avoid judges,” he said. “They’d rather go to magistrates.”

Mr. Borenstein said he could see logistical concerns as the cause, recalling times an officer would show up at his home and he’d tell them to get comfortable.

“Have a seat. Have some tea,” he would say, because he intended to scrutinize the affidavit as long as it took.

Mr. Borenstein also said there are judges who are on call 24/7, and that if a judge didn’t feel qualified to review a search warrant, there are other options that judge can call.

“For something this important, it makes sense for the state police to say, ‘We’re going to go to judges,’ ” he said. “Why they aren’t doing it, I have no clue.”

“When they change, we’ll change” 

Nine of the 10 no-knock warrants examined by the T&G were signed by assistant clerk-magistrates; in six of the cases, that person had no law degree.

The one case in which a judge was used was for a warrant related to a probe of the slaying of Auburn Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. Judge’s names appear on the bottom left of each warrant, but that is a legal technicality, the trial court said, and not an indication that a judge reviewed the document or even saw the warrant.

Mr. Keenan, who oversees Central District Court, said the clerks who touch search warrants in his court are trained and qualified.

“If I thought someone didn’t know how to do a search warrant properly, they wouldn’t be doing it,” he said.

Mr. Keenan said he did not go back and examine the Hillside Street affidavit but maintained his clerks follow the law. There are no requirements that police conduct surveillance on a home or determine whether children live there prior to serving a no-knock warrant.
“We just follow the court rules and the law,” he said. “When they change, we’ll change.”

Brenda Seaver, the assistant clerk who signed the Hillside Street warrant, declined a request for comment through a Trial Court spokesperson. Ms. Seaver has a law degree.

Edward W. McIntyre, a Clinton attorney and former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said he believes change in public policy is sorely needed.

“This is a community issue,” Mr. McIntyre said, noting an errant raid can impact anybody and has, in fact, lead to loss of life and property throughout the country.

Most of the 10 no-knock raids conducted by state police in the county since 2016 sought drugs. Mr. McIntyre said he is against the idea of SWAT raids to net drugs because he does not believe the ends – getting contraband or dealers off the street – are worth the risks.

“Do we put good people’s lives – and I’m talking about blue lives – at risk for some suspected drugs in an apartment?” he asked. “It’s not hypothetical, it’s a real issue across the country.

“We have dead police officers, we have ruined lives, we have widows, we have children without mothers and fathers ... because of some imprudent decision made by somebody who may be conditioned by the war on drugs.

“They haven’t stepped back and said, ‘What’s worked and what hasn’t worked?’ ”

Worth the risk?

Three of the 81 deceased civilians in the Times report were from Massachusetts, including Eurie Stamps Sr., a 68-year-old grandfather killed accidentally during a 2011 Framingham SWAT raid in which he was not the target. Framingham disbanded its SWAT team in 2013 and agreed to a $3.75 million settlement last September with Mr. Stamps’ family.