response to Virginia Wilder's letter

1.       Our Town Counsel  was not “fired” they were not reappointed -  Talk about wasting money, K&P charges us for monitoring the bankruptcy of American Tissue Mill Inc. about $8,000. However American Tissue Mills of Ma Inc. the owners of 20 properties in Templeton is not and has never been part of the bankruptcy.  Also K&P let two (court ordered) Writs of Attachment in favor of the Sewer Dept. expire, the writs were for $3.7 million and $4 million. This can be verified at www.masslandrecords.com  search “American Tissue Mills. Also please note that the Treasurer always has had her own budget for tax taking. The truth as to what we have paid K&P is

             FY05 = $192,213.54
             FY06 = $124,221.42
             FY07 =   $88,573.35
             FY08 =  $114,935.84
             FY09 = $106,916.63
             FY10=  $83,639.26
             FY11 = $91,587.85
This can be verified by asking for a copy of the Vendor history of K&P under the Public Record Law.

2.       Personal vendetta?  In Massachusetts unless you are union or have a contract, you are an employee at will and can be let go at any time.  What about other town employees that have no black marks but have been bullied by Selectman C and former Selectman S?  I know for a fact that the employee that was let go did not give my complaints to some of the selectmen, but instead gave them to the person I was complaining about.  What else did she keep from the other selectmen? As the personnel administrator why did she allow certain selectmen to bully town employees and not address the issue with the personnel board or the selectmen?  And I believe we the people voted in Jeff Bennett, Julie Farrell and Bob Mitchell.

3.       This group is going to cost the town money – what about this former employee and her then selectman husband allowing the Conservation Agent to be overpaid over $13,000. Due to them allowing him to move up 4 grades without a town meeting vote.

4.       Okay what about all of the personal agenda of the former employee and Mr. Columbus. 

5.       Open and Honest government – we didn’t have it before – how much was kept from the public and the other selectmen by the former employee and certain other selectmen. And remember how the Town budget was always kept a secret until right before the town meeting.

6.       I personally don’t want to go back to how things have been run in the past 8 years – some employees getting raises when others didn’t, employees being bullied, jobs created for friends, people being questioned as how they voted at town meeting, different rules for different employees. etc.