The Great Divide
Insane?
Bob M May 16, 2016 at 7:21 PM
It
seems that the latest town meeting is yet another example of our need
to update our method of governing. 40 people show up. Elected officials
unprepared, lacking required info, reports MIA and anyone held
accountable?
We need change, but shuffling different people through the same disfunctional system doesn't work.
Just think about it. The same folks who couldn't manage a town report are managing to spend what $55,000,000 of borrowed money when we have no concept of our finances now!
Insane?
We need change, but shuffling different people through the same disfunctional system doesn't work.
Just think about it. The same folks who couldn't manage a town report are managing to spend what $55,000,000 of borrowed money when we have no concept of our finances now!
Insane?
The
Great Divide
In
my opinion, Chapter 93 Acts of 2000, created the great divide within the Town
of Templeton. Please review the information below:
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Information
Regarding
Chapter
93 Acts of 2000
Letter to Water Customers – 23 % increase for FY 14…more
increases planned to pay for prior projects that have been bonded for 40 years
Tighe & Bond Water Rate
Study – no
new capital improvements listed. Where is the capital improvement plan? Why
weren’t the 60 year-old water mains on Baldwinville Rd replaced BEFORE Baldwinville Rd was repaved?
Water Financial Statements – page 2 “We have audited
the accompanying statements of net assets of the Templeton, Massachusetts, Municipal Water Department (an enterprise
fund of the Town of Templeton, Massachusetts)…
Return
of Money to Casella from Water Department
On
November 13, 2008 a check was made out to Casella Waste Systems in the amount of
$369,681.40. This “settlement” was
never brought before town meeting even though it is significantly more than
$1,000. (See Bylaw Article VII – Legal Affairs section 2)
The
invoice itemizes the total as
$142,671.47 from account 29-3-350-000 (FB Zone 2 Delineation Water department)
and $227,009.93 from account 63-3-300-000 (Landfill Enterprise Account). There
was no explanation of how the water department came by this money from Casella.
There is no record of a town meeting vote giving any money to the water
department for the Zone II delineation.
Now
in December 2013 water rates have increased 23%...because there isn’t enough
money to run the water department.
Timeline
for Chapter 93 Acts of 2000
Transfer of
water department operations to Light department
July 6,
1999 Light Department minutes.
August 3,
1999 Light Department minutes . Sean Hamilton states the merger of Water
with light will be beneficial for Sewer department.
August 16,
1999 Water meeting (BOS)
September
7,1999 Light Department minutes.
Reference is made to a negative letter from Chris Ryan(town coordinator
at that time). “A motion was made by Sean Hamilton, seconded by Dana Blais and
unanimously voted to have Attorney Jack Ferriter review the proposal and draft
a legal petition for insertion in the town warrant or town ballot.” In my opinion this is where this proposal to
merge water with light goes from a friendly merger to a hostile takeover.
October 5,
1999 Light Department minutes.
November 2,
1999 Light Department minutes.
November
15, 1999 Water minutes (BOS)
December 7,
1999 Light Department minutes. On page 3 of these minutes is a reference to
PCBs in the river near the wells of the water system of which the Light
department is trying to take control. Gregg Edwards is listed as a
commissioner.
December
20, 1999 Water meeting (BOS)
January 10,
2000 Light Department minutes.
February 1,
2000 Light Department minutes.
February
14, 2000 Water meeting (BOS)
February
22, 2000 Water meeting (BOS)
March 7,
2000 Light Department minutes.
Meeting
attendance 84 total. 39 voters from Precinct A. 45 voters from Precinct B. the
warrant article to merge water with light passes Town meeting.
Timeline
Continued
April 4,
2000 Light Department minutes. Discussion of letter from Attorney John
Ferriter regarding how to operate
the water enterprise fund. “Presently the Selectmen submit articles for
any repairs or projects which is not necessary.” Bottom
of page 1.
May 2, 2000
Light Department minutes. Page 2 “ The manager [Mr. Skelton] told the
Commissioners that if the merger takes place we will have some serious work to
return the Water Department to a viable entity of the Town. The Commissioners
agreed but felt it can be accomplished.”
June 6,
2000 Light Department minutes. Discussion of ballot election for merger of
light and water now that the special legislation is approved.
June 20,
2000. Light Department minutes.
July 3,
2000 Light Department minutes. Ballot election set for September 12, 2000.
August 8,
2000 Light Department minutes.
September
5, 2000 Light Department minutes. Check out “Other Business”. Then go back
and read the paragraph beginning…” The Commissioners and the Manager discussed
a water meeting they attended at the selectmen’s office.”
September
11, 2000 Light Department minutes. “The Manager received a phone call from
the Town clerk informing the Light Department that the vote merge the Light and
Water Departments passed by a vote of 230 in favor and 83 against.” Departments to merge on January 9,
2001.
The Light department paid for the ballot election to merge
the Light and Water departments. Schedule of
Payments to Treasurer.
October 3,
2000 Light Department minutes.
October 30,
2000 Light Department minutes open session. Advertise for a water
superintendent.
Timeline
Continued
October 30,
2000 Light Department minutes executive session. In my opinion this is where the management structure of the Light and
Water department becomes unsustainable. Organizational structure – An
Electrical Superintendent, A Water Superintendent and the Manager oversees it
all. Old structure before “hostile takeover” one person – Harry Aldrich was the
Highway Superintendent, Water Superintendent and Sewer Superintendent. Bruce
Evans operated the treatment plant.
November 7,
2000 Light Department minutes open session. On page 2, “The Manager updated
the Commissioners in regard to meeting he attended with the Sewer Commissioners
to discuss the sewer billings and how the information would flow from
department to department.” On page
3 the Commissioners vote themselves a raise.
November 7,
2000. Light Department minutes executive session. Everyone gets a raise!
Not even legally in charge of the water department.
December 5,
2000. Light Department minutes. On page 2, …”The sewer commissioners voted
to contribute $25,000 toward phase I which is the replacement of 200 water
meters that are presently in stock at the Highway department.”
January 2,
2001. Light Department minutes.
Other
Supporting Documents
Legal invoices paid by the light
department to take over water department.
“Citizen Petition” signature sheets gathered
by the Light department to call for a special town meeting to request special
legislation to merge water department with the light department.
A
Letter from the Inspector General, Gregory Sullivan, dated December 6, 2007
promoting “accountability and responsibility in our public utilities.”
References
“An Investigation into the
use of certain bond funds by the North Attleborough Electric Department
(12/05).
**********************************************
There is a lot of
information to review.
Pointing
out the reasons for the Great Divide
in Templeton is not a vendetta. It is an explanation of why good governance is
difficult to achieve in Templeton. There are at least two different governments
in Templeton -the rules and regulations for TMLWP and the rules and regulations
for the rest of the town.
Recently
a citizen from Orchard Lane came before the BOS to request their road to be
repaired. Orchard Lane is a mess as are many roads in Templeton. As stated
above:
“Tighe & Bond Water Rate
Study – no
new capital improvements listed. Where is the capital improvement plan? Why
weren’t the 60 year-old water mains on Baldwinville Rd replaced BEFORE Baldwinville Rd was repaved?”
The
BOS has no access to the capital improvement plan for the water department. The
BOS does have authority over Chapter 90 money and can make decisions on which
roads to repair. The question remains: How do you know which roads to repair
when you don’t know which water mains may or may not be replaced by the water
department?
When
there is a water main break, the water department should follow the procedures
set forth in the Highway
Road Access Permit when they contract out to repair water main
breaks.The water department does not follow procedures set forth in the
Highway Road Access Permit process. After a water main break, the roads
deteriorate quickly.
Before
the Great Divide, when the water
department was part of the Town of Templeton, the highway and the water
department were one in the same. The BOS could vote to repair a road using
Chapter 90 money and if the water mains needed to be replaced, they were
replaced. Now, if the BOS vote to repair a road using Chapter 90 money, the
water mains are not replaced (Baldwinville Rd[Federal money TIP program],
Sawyer St.), the Highway
Road Access Permit procedures are not followed so the newly repaired roads
are at great risk of being torn up to replace broken water mains.
Chapter
90 money will only go so far. The rule of thumb is it costs $1 million dollars
to repair a mile of road.
Templeton has many miles of bad roads. If Chapter 90 money is diverted
to pay for a piece of equipment, there is less Chapter 90 money to repair
roads. If the equipment is not purchased, the roads can’t get repaired. On the state
level, Chapter 90 money has been held hostage to political whims. There have
been years when Chapter 90 money has not been released until late summer- well
into the construction season.
In
my
opinion, the only way to reunite the Town is to repeal Chapter 93 Acts
of
2000.We can't control the political whims on the state level. We can
take back control of our town. Please support the override on May 5th.
My
opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !
Julie
Farrell
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Letter from The Inspector General to TMLWP
By
on September 15, 2016 at 3:30 PM, updated September 15, 2016 at 3:36 PM
The office of the inspector general was created in 1981 with a mandate to "prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse in the expenditure of public funds," according to the agency's website.
"The office conducts investigations, intervenes in situations before fraud and waste occurs, disseminates lessons and best practices, and builds the capacity of public officials by providing technical training and assistance," the website states.
Back in April, the IG began reviewing South Hadley Electric Light Department documents prompted by concerns that former SHELD manager Wayne Doerpholz felt he was entitled to collect nearly $500,000 in accrued leave from the agency.
A letter Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha made public June 1 said Doerpholz had "exceeded his authority and violated his duties to the board and the ratepayers." The agency determined that the ex-SHELD manager was owed only about $15,000. Doerpholz's employment ended on May 31.
Holyoke Gas & Electric on Tuesday provided The Republican with a letter it received from the IG dated July 28. In it, the IG requested numerous documents and communications that include any payouts to employees exceeding $5,000 in the past six years, department operations and personnel policies, accrued leave balances of employees, collective bargaining agreements with staff, and the three most recent audited financial statements.
Contacted on Tuesday, a spokesman for
the IG said the agency does not confirm or deny whether it is
conducting an investigation and declined to comment.
“Concealment, alteration, destruction or mutilation of any responsive document may constitute a criminal violation."
There are 50 municipally owned electric utilities operating in the state.
Besides Holyoke and South Hadley, other Western Massachusetts municipal light departments are in Chester, Chicopee, Russell and Westfield.
Among the documents the IG requested from Holyoke Gas & Electric:
- A list of all current employees, their salaries, titles and years employed
- Names and titles of any employees with more than 10 weeks of sick time accrued
- Names and titles of any employees with more than 10 weeks of vacation balance
- Any leave time payouts since July 1, 2010, exceeding $5,000
The letter indicates that the IG request for documents does not constitute an "official investigation."
"Please take all necessary and appropriate steps to insure that all relevant original documents are preserved and protected in the event that they are required as part of an official investigation."
