I
would like to take this opportunity to thank all town employees for repairing
the numerous water main breaks this weekend. The residents of Templeton are
fortunate to have such dedicated and hardworking employees. It could not have
been easy working on the water breaks with old
equipment from the highway department, but the job got done.
As
a resident in town who is also a water customer, I would like a report on what
happened and why there were so many water breaks at one time. The Templeton
Water Report was recently mailed out to water customers. On the second page of
this report, there is a schematic
of the Templeton water system. I believe all of the breaks occurred in the area
identified as “Low Service Area”. I realize it may take some time to draft a
full report with all the financial details. I would hope there will be
information forthcoming about this unfortunate incident.
Electronic
communication of the water breaks would have been beneficial to many of the
water customers in town. There was an article in the most recent report about
contamination from cross connections and a link to American
Backflow Prevention Association which provides a lot of useful information.
Check out “Buster Backflow”…
Thank
you for reading
Julie
Farrell
It would have been very helpful if the water dept had a website that customers could go and see updates and information regarding emergencies like what happened yesterday. Like during the ice storm, it also would have been helpful for a website to get info. And when did the light dept say they'd get a website together? Was a target date given at the last public meeting? Usually, when a company or dept is proud of their work, they jump through hoops to get a website to show off their hard work. If L&W are proud of their work, then they should be more than happy and willing to do some good PR with their customers and encourage imput and interaction.
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What is going to be interesting is how bad the total bill will be, and under what rock they are going to find the money to pay for this. Some people are resistant to new ideas. That is too bad. The Templeton Light and Water need to join the real world, and Mr. Driscoll needs to stop being resistant to change. They need to make it easier to pay bills on line. Yes, that is how things are done in todays world. Good job guys! You need to know people really do appreciate the work you do. My opinion, Bev
DeleteHow many millions in reserve do the light and water commissioners have? The reimbursement to the town for all expenses incurred for the water emergency should come from that reserve. And yes there is always a way to do that. Since Rich Cutis declared a state of emergency, there may be money from other resources, MEMA, FEMA etc. I was out of town on Guard duty so I will check on the particulars for that and put answers on hear. Secondly, as manager of the light & water, mr. driscoll needs to come before the select board at our next meeting in a week or so and explain the hows and whys, since we do have a light & water commissioner on the select board, Chris Stewart, perhaps he can provide some information on this. What if anything is the commission prepared to do to get this situation fixed, as in the replacement of the water mains in Templeton. Chapter 90 money (road repair funds) can no longer be used to supplement the water department unless there is a change to a public works department. We can no longer run from better mamnagement of the town and getting the size and spending of governement down. I believe regionalization is the way or part of the way to do this. I believe if the animal control with gardner works, building department is the next place to look at. Our building commissioner already works for multiple towns so Templeton taxpayers may as well play this to their advantage for a change and move to using a shared inspector rather than providing the shared individual. Templeton taxpayers would keep the same service while not having to carry the whole load on retirement insurance and office expense. Check the annual report and see how the building department ran in the red again. Try to find the building inspector after 9:00 a.m. on days he is suppose to be available until noon, on the taxpayer dime but no where to be found. Time to make changes. The non union Templeton employees recently raised concerns that the budget was balanced on their backs, well regionalization and some administrative changes I believe can eliminate the need to do that again. Of course some of these nonunion positions may be eliminated by way of regionalization. Look for more on this topic on the blog, the place where residents can look for the sharing of information in Templeton
ReplyDeleteWhy was there no coverage of the water breaks in Templeton? In neither the Worcester telegram nor the Gardner news?
ReplyDeleteIs there a water ban because of all the water main breaks - ten water breaks and the water storage tank at Hospital Cottages was emptied out?
Is it true the water superintendent was on vacation at the time? Where did the first water break occur? Is the state of emergency over?
I recall last year, (sometime ago)when Bud Chase was speaking before the selectmen about paving a few roads in East Templeton, Ron Daven and John Driscoll speaking up about how the water mains on those roads were old and they would not hold up to the road work. Well Bud paved those roads and sure enough a few weeks back, a water main spilled a leak on Sawyer street in East Templeton and the water commissioners said we told you so. Now I do not recall any recent paving going on where these latest 7 - 10 leaks happened so is it possible that the same thing that caused all these leaks was the same thing that caused that leak. Perhaps rather than crying about some possible contaminated dirt that was already documented as being no problem at all, which after another $900.00 spent that very same conclusion was reached, perhaps the esteemed light & water commissioners, driscoll daven and the rest of the crew should start coming up with a plan to replace those water mains, start by coming up with the steps to move money from the light dept reserve to the town or water dept in some fashion, there is always a way and then perhaps using some of that money persue grant money to replace the aging water infrastructure of Templeton. Mr. Driscoll I guess works for Templeton after all since he used Templeton highway to repair those breaks in the mains. How soon they forget. The light & water commissioners are elected and subject to recall for say incompetent management, no plan, continuous interuption of peoples water supply, the wasting of a revenue resource, see the lates Templeton water report, that is what the water dept calls the Templeton water supply. This whole mess is another glaring example of the skelton management technique at work, it appears it is always about the sweet deal for gerry, no matter what other deals have to be made to get that done, as in clothing allowances for secretaries, created jobs for friends, the bridging of his wifes time which was voted on by selectmen who worked for gerry (Randy Brown) see the town report of 2004 see gerry signing off on his wifes pay raises (yes pauly I have that on paper) All of the issues Templeton is dealing with now center around one name, Skelton, no way around it. Law suits, complaints, financial issues, town meeting fiascals, recalls, complaints, overpayment of wages to town employee (con com agent payed out side of grade) (on paper, BOS minutes May 24, 2010,I have them) The one good thing out of all that was the creation of this blog, which after the recall began to expose all the goings on in Templeton (not all, sorry, most anyway) and the rising up of citizens to speak out for themselves finally! It has been a pleasure serving as a selectmen so far because the people learned so much and finally said things that were known by some (most) but seldom spoke of in public, until the blog!!
ReplyDeleteThat is of course my opinion but if you take the time or have the time I can show you the lawsuit, minutes, complaint (s) bills, budgets, MGL, rules etc etc so you can see for yourself. I even have printed out copies of let the people speak facebook pages so you can see for yourself the claims of recall supports such as ginny wilder! It may be my opinion but I believe I have the facts and they are all public records to back up my thoughts
ReplyDeleteRon water super was on the job till all were turned on and repairs ok, ron came in on his vacation to take care of his departments needs,ALL departments in town functioned with a seamless goal of restoring water asap. workers on last repair finished the 9th main repair at 11:30 sat. We are as devoted as you can get for humans. thanks to all who helped and worked with our departments safely! To bouchard's construction operator's and equipment,Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm 1 of many town workers that fixed Templeton's pipes.
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Deletelets try this again.....keep up the good work!!!i bet you are glad this did not happen in February ..did you guys get a beer or two after you guys deserved it ..
Deletei have a few questions what is going on with the fire chief position ????and there are a lot of ambulance calls being delayed and transported by woods during the day !!the town needs a chief with a emt to help out during the day and it should have a full time fire fighter with a emt to also can respond .when Templeton has way over 800 calls a year and ya look at phillipston with 120 calls they have two ff-emt on duty during the day ...this town is putting its residents in harms way by not providing timely medical responses during the day !!!!...just my opinion
ReplyDeletelarry said he's in training last bos meeting, press him on how its going and what has he left to do to get cert?Big question would be when? where he has been going to school?can/will we get a answer pete ?
ReplyDeleteWell he has been on vacation so who knows when the course actually began or begins...
Deletei heard a comment today and i almost puked!!!
ReplyDeletehere it goes ..
when Gerry s was in charge they never had these problems ....lol
When Gerry was in charge, people were either too scared or paid off not to speak up. Plus, with as much "dirty laundry" getting washed these days, it no wonder it was a strain on the water system! His britches are pretty big and they're pretty dirty. And there are many others who have dirty laundry yet to be washed.
DeleteIf there was a State of emergency and a water ban did someone forget to tell Mullins, he was out washing his wife's car in the driveway Sunday afternoon. (or does he have a well???
ReplyDeleteno he is still kissing her ars for stealing in winchendon and having her cover it up ...just my opinion #007
DeleteFired chiefs vehicle sat idle for over 2 weeks, I think we need someone who is serious about the job and will put in 110%. I say bring in an outsider, we surely do not need a chief who thinks Gerry Skelton is a "Good Person".
ReplyDeleteOne could reasonably view this interim post as a job interview for the permanent position, and I think the fact that an interim making $1,000 a week would be willing to take a vacation doesn't exactly show that he's serious about the job. I certainly would not hire someone in this situation, especially given the EMT certification issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they need someone with good peoples skill and not someone who is negative about everything.
ReplyDeleteWant to solvbe this problem, look at a contract for woods ambulance full time with Templeton still getting a piece of the action and not responsioble for all the training and costs of basic EMTs, no slam on guys but can the little town of Templeton justify this expense to have basic EMT then have to call woods anyway when some serious life threatening events happen. Yes we could pay for paramedic training and have fulltime fire fighter but at what cost and what benefit?? Interim employees do not get vacation or anyother benefits, so stated in personnel policy. Yeah when gerry skelton was in charge we did not have these problems because everyone was getting paid out of the till just like at light n water and we have no money in reserve or stabilization, just debt like the water department, of course gerry got his nice ppension so tell me again how him being in charge benefitted Templeton??? ( my opinion as always) My opinion id Bankowski oil is not exactly a blue chip stock so a grand a week and pension is a good move up, only problem is has he screwed up by taking vacation without selectmen knowing and it not provided for in interim status. I said it before, anyone who has been on job (supposedly or on paper) for 30 plus years and has not taken a basic EMT course is not there for the town, it was take take take for personal benefit, just like ole gerry skelton, remember carol skelto being interim town coordinator and she took the last few dollars out of salary account (1.25786 hours) I have it on paper if you wish to see it. They are / were there just for them and not the town. That is my opinion and if Tom Smith having to come from winchendon to take care of a fire in Templeton is not reason enough for selectmen to make a change, Then maybe we need to add a name to the recall list. Speak up at the July 23 selectmen meeting!!!! For the sake of your town.
ReplyDeleteLet me just say this.......education does not necessarilly come (on paper) as in degree, diploma, certificate. etc. Qualifications are not always based on how many years someone works at something, and dedication isn't summed up only in how many days you show up for paid work.My opinion: all of the above is gained through passion for simple accomplishments. Through this blog, I now know who is working for this town 24/7 to bring the truth that would not be known otherwise. Jeff, you are educated, qualified, and dedicated to the position of selectman. You are like the undercover agent this town has needed for a long time. Keep up the good work. The same goes to to Julie who continues to bring her research to the forum. And of course to Pauly, with his eighth grade education, had the creative idea to use technology instead of the "paper" to bring it on. Whaaaaaaat?
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