Back in 2010, Paul H. Cosentino sr asked a question of the Templeton Board of Selectmen, "what do I have to do to get your attention, go postal?" In the end, that resulted in the board of selectmen sending a letter to Paul banning him from all town buildings without a police escort for a period of time. That ban was eventually lifted. I filed an open meeting law complaint about the meeting where this ban was discussed, the Massachusetts Attorney General determined that the board did violate the open meeting law and the AG has this open meeting law violation listed on their website. Paul also filed an open meeting law violation against the board and again, the AG determined that the board did violate the open meeting law. For the record, I also filed an ethics complaint against Templeton chief of police David Whitaker. Dave lives in Winchendon and is on the conservation committee. Templeton shares conservation agent David Koonce with Winchendon. He was hired by Templeton in February, 2008 and then hired by Winchendon in March 2008. The chief eventually read a
statement from con com agent Koonce at a so called hearing held by the Templeton selectmen on Paul's question of going postal. My ethics complaint against the cheif revolved around the fact that the chief failed to disclose his relationship with Koonce and the con com of Winchendon. There was also a concerted effort by many members of Templeton conservation commission to have Paul not reappointed to the con com because Paul had failed to complete some courses that can be taken to benefit Paul during his service on con com. I sometimes wonder if that effort was aimed at the fact that Paul had raised many questions about the $1400.00 that had been given to Jo Anne Burdin by a vote of the members of Templeton con com, Paul voted against this. As far as I know, no reciepts have ever been submitted for this money. Paul rightly feels this money should have been put back into the town's general fund. And if you did not know it, town accountant Scot Sawyer informed the Templeton selectmen on Monday, February 27, 2012 that Templeton is facing a one million dollar budget shortage. Perhaps Paul was correct in that $1400.00 being put back into the general fund. Another issue Paul refuses to let go of is the pay issue of the con com Agent, David Koonce. According to the minutes of the selectmen meeting of May 24, 2010, Attorney Joe Fair of K&P opined that the agent has been being paid outside his grade. The agent was listed as a grade 6 on the personnel classification chart but had been paid as a grade 10 since July 2010. Again Paul tried to get this addressed but he was put off and ignored by many including former selectman Gerald Skelton and former town coordinator Carol Skelton. Again, perhaps the report of the Massachusetts department of revenue was not far off when they made mention of the fact the there was too close of a relationship of the town coordinator and at the time, chairman of the board of selectmen, husband and wife team of Gerald and Carol Skelton, the same team who sued the town back in 1995 or so, and apparently won a workers compensation settlement of $15,000.00 which after attorney fees was reduced to $12,500.00 (approximate) Paul was on this complaint for over two years and no help from the selectmen, unless you count Carol Skelton authorizing the agent to be paid at grade 6, top step for two weeks before a vote of the board of selectmen by vote promoted the con com agent to grade 6, top step. This is the help residents have received under the former town coordinator Carol Skelton, in my opinion. And by the way, I do have the minutes of the Templeton board of selectmen, con com and personnel board from November 2007 until May 2010. I also have newspaper articles from the gardner news along with some paperwork from Winchendon along with a copy of that DOR report. I also have a copy of an email from Shaun Grimley to Carol Skelton requestion a legal opinion to see if there is a way to keep Paul from attending a meeting of the con com because Paul voted against going into executive session. Again Carol failed to share that with the members of the board of selectmen when shaun was up for reappointment back in June of 2011. I found that e-mail perusing the computer used by the former town coordinator after she was put on administrative leave. One other sore spot for Paul is he talked with chief Whitaker and wanted the chief to help him with some documents and to arrange for Paul to be able to look at the computer of the con com agents office. The chief originally said he would help, I was standing in the kitchen of Paul Cosentino when that request was made and the chief said he would help only to leave and apparently recanted on helping. This may not justify calling the FBI but I hope it sheds a little light on the level of frustration growing in Paul Cosentino sr as he simply tried to get some questions of town business answered. In my opinion, as he tried to do this, Paul was meant at every corner with resistance, deception and lies and his frustration grew but he would not quit. My question is simple one, why did Jerry Skelton just admit a mistake when Paul brought it to his attention and deal with it. Why was the $1400.00 issue not dealt with. Why has it been so hard to get answers in Templeton? One answer may have been answered at the selectmens meeting held Monday, February 27, 2012. Bob Columbus apparently decided on his own to contact town council to get an opinion about an open meeting complaint. Why was there no vote by the board? Does Columbus intend to follow the pattern of the Skeltons for his brief time left on the select board? That is to ignore the residents and just do what the hell they feel like? In my opinion, it seems so. Perhaps that is why there are more questions than answers on 252 Baldwinville road. I hope Templeton taxpayers remember the million dollar shortfall when Jerry and his crew ask for a $400,000.00 override on May 7 election. The previous statements are my opinion only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Paul H. Cosentino sr. I thank him for giving the residents of Templeton where they can opine their thoughts and opinions and to share information, something the Gardner News seems to have a problem with, in my opinion. Jeffrey Bennett
statement from con com agent Koonce at a so called hearing held by the Templeton selectmen on Paul's question of going postal. My ethics complaint against the cheif revolved around the fact that the chief failed to disclose his relationship with Koonce and the con com of Winchendon. There was also a concerted effort by many members of Templeton conservation commission to have Paul not reappointed to the con com because Paul had failed to complete some courses that can be taken to benefit Paul during his service on con com. I sometimes wonder if that effort was aimed at the fact that Paul had raised many questions about the $1400.00 that had been given to Jo Anne Burdin by a vote of the members of Templeton con com, Paul voted against this. As far as I know, no reciepts have ever been submitted for this money. Paul rightly feels this money should have been put back into the town's general fund. And if you did not know it, town accountant Scot Sawyer informed the Templeton selectmen on Monday, February 27, 2012 that Templeton is facing a one million dollar budget shortage. Perhaps Paul was correct in that $1400.00 being put back into the general fund. Another issue Paul refuses to let go of is the pay issue of the con com Agent, David Koonce. According to the minutes of the selectmen meeting of May 24, 2010, Attorney Joe Fair of K&P opined that the agent has been being paid outside his grade. The agent was listed as a grade 6 on the personnel classification chart but had been paid as a grade 10 since July 2010. Again Paul tried to get this addressed but he was put off and ignored by many including former selectman Gerald Skelton and former town coordinator Carol Skelton. Again, perhaps the report of the Massachusetts department of revenue was not far off when they made mention of the fact the there was too close of a relationship of the town coordinator and at the time, chairman of the board of selectmen, husband and wife team of Gerald and Carol Skelton, the same team who sued the town back in 1995 or so, and apparently won a workers compensation settlement of $15,000.00 which after attorney fees was reduced to $12,500.00 (approximate) Paul was on this complaint for over two years and no help from the selectmen, unless you count Carol Skelton authorizing the agent to be paid at grade 6, top step for two weeks before a vote of the board of selectmen by vote promoted the con com agent to grade 6, top step. This is the help residents have received under the former town coordinator Carol Skelton, in my opinion. And by the way, I do have the minutes of the Templeton board of selectmen, con com and personnel board from November 2007 until May 2010. I also have newspaper articles from the gardner news along with some paperwork from Winchendon along with a copy of that DOR report. I also have a copy of an email from Shaun Grimley to Carol Skelton requestion a legal opinion to see if there is a way to keep Paul from attending a meeting of the con com because Paul voted against going into executive session. Again Carol failed to share that with the members of the board of selectmen when shaun was up for reappointment back in June of 2011. I found that e-mail perusing the computer used by the former town coordinator after she was put on administrative leave. One other sore spot for Paul is he talked with chief Whitaker and wanted the chief to help him with some documents and to arrange for Paul to be able to look at the computer of the con com agents office. The chief originally said he would help, I was standing in the kitchen of Paul Cosentino when that request was made and the chief said he would help only to leave and apparently recanted on helping. This may not justify calling the FBI but I hope it sheds a little light on the level of frustration growing in Paul Cosentino sr as he simply tried to get some questions of town business answered. In my opinion, as he tried to do this, Paul was meant at every corner with resistance, deception and lies and his frustration grew but he would not quit. My question is simple one, why did Jerry Skelton just admit a mistake when Paul brought it to his attention and deal with it. Why was the $1400.00 issue not dealt with. Why has it been so hard to get answers in Templeton? One answer may have been answered at the selectmens meeting held Monday, February 27, 2012. Bob Columbus apparently decided on his own to contact town council to get an opinion about an open meeting complaint. Why was there no vote by the board? Does Columbus intend to follow the pattern of the Skeltons for his brief time left on the select board? That is to ignore the residents and just do what the hell they feel like? In my opinion, it seems so. Perhaps that is why there are more questions than answers on 252 Baldwinville road. I hope Templeton taxpayers remember the million dollar shortfall when Jerry and his crew ask for a $400,000.00 override on May 7 election. The previous statements are my opinion only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Paul H. Cosentino sr. I thank him for giving the residents of Templeton where they can opine their thoughts and opinions and to share information, something the Gardner News seems to have a problem with, in my opinion. Jeffrey Bennett
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to tell the facts,
Mr. Bennett, well written and very informative. Thank you! keep up the good work and remember that you do have a lot of taxpayers supporting you! if questions were only answered instead of ignored or dismissed, the town would probably not be in the mess that it is now. Taxpayers have every right to ask any question that they may have, especially when it is THEIR taxes that pay the salary of the elected officials. I too have to be trained in conflict of interest yearly at my place of employment and have always known that the husband and wife team was a conflict of interest, even though they said it wasn't....i find that ruling very hard to believe. has anyone read the disclosure information that was sent in for review? who signed off on the former town coordinator's annual performance review? or should i ask is that a requirement for town employees? if not, perhaps it should be.
ReplyDeleteagain, thank you Mr. Bennett, it is obvious to me that you do your research and only report on facts and have proof of your information/reports. Kudos to you! keep up the good work!