Yes, as most of you know, we had another fact filled night at the Templeton Municipal Light Plant!! The only problem was, they lack the facts, and I guess we are only supposed to talk about what they have on the agenda. I have been doing so poking around different municipal light web sites. You do not have to look far to find a lot of information. Ashburnham and Sterling have great sites.. You will never believe what I have found out. First lets back up to say, last fall. Will Spring, had spent at least two meetings, trying to get our light people and Commissioners to agree to help out the elderly and people on fuel assistance. He asked about a deal on light bulbs, and power strips. The response was not warm and fuzzy, to say the least. These people did not want anything to do with providing help for any one. These are the meetings that I wish we had taped. They would have made you sick, along with the attitudes, they have put under cover for the camera the past couple of meetings. The new, news is that the Templeton Municipal Light and Water will deliver to the residents of our community, a baby!!!! THE WEB SITE IS COMING, THE WEB SITE IS COMING!!! Maybe we should hire a band !! Make the day a legal holiday!! .So back to Mr. Spring and his mission to find help for the people who need it the most. You will never believe it, Help is here, and it has been here all along!! Gee wizz, why didn't anyone tell us?? I found on the web site for Sterling, yes the town our wonder boy Shawn left for. On their web site, it says you can have a energy audit and rebate service information, this is all available through Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, (MMWEC) A phone number is available. A customer can order on line through the web site, up to (3) power strips, (6) compact florescent light bulbs, (2) light fixtures, and (2) led light bulbs a year, through this site. A purchaser must enter their electric utility acc. # and. delivery is restricted to zip codes served by participating utilities. All of these are sold at a reduced price. YES, YES, WE ARE ONE OF THESE PARTICIPATING UTILITIES!!!! It gets better still, do you know that Ashburnham has a page full of Rebate Incentivates and tax credits?? Yes they do. Some of these are Residential Renewable Energy Income Tax Credits. Did you know Ashburnham residents are offered rebates for clothes/dish washers, refriegrators, heat pumps, dehumidifiers, furnaces, and a big list of other things. All of this information is on Ashburnham's and Sterling's web site. Well, My question was why when we went around and around about light bulbs, didn't anyone bother to say these things were available, to us the residents of the Town of Templeton. ??? Why not put this information where people would actually see it?? Try the post office, the senior center?? Why should anyone have to go to the Light Company to get the information to save a few bucks?? My husband put a heat pump in the house and one at camp. I could have gotten a thousand dollar rebate.. A little late now!! This just goes to show they are so dam self centered at the Templeton Municipal Light and Water, the residents are not a prority. Did you guys know you could pay your light bill by direct payment?? I did not know that?? Why should I or you have to go out of your way to get the information that should be included on your bill. At least this is what I think. We will see what the new baby web site says when it comes out! I 'll bet it does not say" it is a not for profit municipal utility, owned by the citizens of town, dedicated to providing safe reliable energy and high quality service at the lowest possible rates!! If it does, then it is a lie. Bev.
Sorry this did not get on the web site until tonight! So, my computer skills suck, but the feeling and truth is still there. The saying, "this is a not for profit municipal utility, owned by the citizens of town, dedicated to providing safe reliable energy and high quality service at the lowest possible rates", is off the Ashburnham web site. Bev.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it time for Denise Andrews our State Rep to poke her head into our town. She campaigned on helping us with the Investigation of wrongdoings by the former BOS. She may also be able to help with the Light and Water Depts. Where is she?
DeleteWe have a senate docket number for the investigation. It will only move so fast, but it is in the works.
DeleteI contacted Rep. Andrews office for info regarding Chapter 164A. I'll keep you posted.
I know the bill is listed on her state webpage. Not sure if its automatically added or not. But, it is listed and its listed on Brewer's page too. I'm trying to figure out how to track a bill as it comes up for action. The state website says you can. I'd like to take a trip into Boston to see and hear the discussion with my own eyes and ears.
DeleteIt is really difficult to track when it's a docket number. The bill numbers are easier to track. There may only be a docket number for the investigation. I'll keep you/blog posted as I get updates.
DeleteIf we have to, we will rent a bus to take us to Boston. We all have worked to hard to have this pass without our input. Don't worry, we will know when it is time. Bev.
DeleteI have said it before....I am saying it again.
ReplyDeleteDriscoll needs to be FIRED !!!! End of Story. period. Someone from T4C should get elected to the board, then next year do the same, then a majority should give Driscol an ACTION PlAN to shape up or SHIP OUT. The commission DOES have that authority.
The problem with waiting for one election, then another year for another, is that it takes so long. Julie took nothing but abuse from these people, I think we need to look at other ways. Davids petition is one way. Going the route of elections, I am starting to think we still have a big problem even if we are successful. All of their funds,(the ones that we know about) are locked into long term contracts with Seabrook and MMWEC, leaving no money for natural gas. Natural gas is very cheap, and that is what the larger companies are using. Our rates are higher than theirs, and they will not go down. It looks like our windmill is on the way to dragging us to the poor house. Sad it say, this is the way it is.Bev.
DeleteAnon 10:26
DeleteI'll write a different blog to try to explain why replacing the commissioners won't work. The commissioners just don't get how to follow the rules everyone has to follow.
Did Mr. Driscoll work with Mr. Hamilton or Mr. Skelton at any other job before he took over as manager in Templeton?
ReplyDeleteyes he came from Littleton the same place Jerry came from. He does kind of look like a little Jerry. lol Seems the light dept people are telling everyone that if the the selectmen take over the L&W they will loose their jobs. here we go again more lies
ReplyDeleteSo, corruption happened a long time ago. First Skelton, then Hamilton, then Driscoll. All had relationships prior to working in Templeton. And what I've witnessed all have similar personality flaws.
DeleteThat's pretty typical that they would begin spreading lies like that. Its all they know to do. If they were anywhere honest, they would lead with the truth and facts. I guess they're still operating under O'Brien's description of townspeople "stupid". I mean, come on. Trying to get their way through fear, lies, and intimidation is so 2010!
Duh, Skelton came from Littleton light (the ONLY other town with Light and water together), Hamilton came from Littleton light, Driscoll came from Littleton Light.
ReplyDeleteThings that make go HMMMMMMMM
So, really, the only thing that changed over 12 years is the manager's pants size. SSDD
DeleteDENNIS OBREIN ARE YOU GOING TO SHOVEL OFF YOUR INVESTMENT AT 252
ReplyDeleteBALDWINVILLE RD.MAYBE IF YOU DO WE WILL CALL THE $2000 THE LAST
TIME EVEN "SMART OR STUPID!
I think he is going door to door, looking to shovel his neighbors walks and drive ways, so he can save the money he will need for his fine. Oh well, "what you do comes back on you". It is very wrong for anyone to say all of the people at the Light Co., are going to be fired. I do not have a ax to grind with anyone that works on the lines or in the office. I don't think any of us in C4T does, but I really can't speak for others. The management is at fault, for paying their people much more than the people in our town offices. There are hard feelings, but who can blame them, the situation really stinks. There will be a resolution to all of this some day, sooner I hope,than later. I would like everyone to be on a level playing field, time will tell.
DeleteIts about time we cash in this so called ASSET of the town we call Templeton Light /water . Im sure National Grid would pay a very big number for this train wreck of Danas .This management is so out of control im not sure we can fix it . Dont forget companys like National grid have millions of customers to absorb the cost of a company with dept. like ours . It would also come with all the employees WOW what a bonus for both sides . It wont hurt to ask if there interested . BYE BYE fat pentions on the backs of the tax payers
ReplyDeleteThe first move to make is the Petition to be filed by the 19th high noon! 2nd push for support and get the discussion under way March 6 STM. when it passes we can now get the General to work for us and find out the answers that we need, to make the correct choise of action. I say fire him also but,only after he is sucked of all knowlege we need, when the information to do a sale and amounts to gain come to light we will know weather to on not to! National grid are large enough to surley purchase and would probably do so but we need to get out without getting burned in the process. With the petition getting passed the select board can form a committee to study the light plant and have a fact finding to better inform them and do this the right way, I'll volunteer my time. "Unless" it a conflict of intrest for starting the petition to abolish the commission of light and water. Let the people of Templeton make the choise for change or not.The "snow job" is over lets "make" it change.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the snow
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Dave Smart
Bev. The information you bring us is worth more than we will ever know. The facts are there and we catch the commissioners asleep time and time again. Funny reaction from the chairman Dana when you mentioned the heat pumps, your installer should have told you,i think is what he managed to answer you with.
ReplyDeleteThat was a clasic obtuse answer, the meetings are full of them and that fit in with the others well. They asked Driscoll did you know about these things,"duh", for the customers? But the real question about the low income and fixed income seniors and disabled were not even followed up on not mentioned after 3 meetings and said to us they would check, nothing!
your Commission had not a word brought to the meeting about it, Reclosers were again 10-15 minutes of wasted time. Seems were doing ok without them,Lets try to run the light and water without commissioners too.Try to get them to do anything is like makeing a fire with 2 sticks and no string or flint. My point is with the petition is to get something to change so Templeton has a municipal light dept that works for the ratepayers again, I'm sure they don't now and they have proved it to us time and time again. Wil didn't bring up the elderly rate for the simple fact that they show they don't care to bother with helping the seniors or low income,When 1st asked about the lower rate.We were told the other rate payers would have to pay for it. Higher pilot money would come from the rate payers. Raise the rates to pay for the higher pilot payment. I have yet to hear at a l+w meeting the extra money they get will go back to the rate payers. 3000k 1 year worth of Renewable energy credits they keep it, returned seabrook maintenance money they keep it. Loans for who knows what they get it. Long term debt.out of control and wind turbine cost unknown.The reasons to end the as is commission are growing bev and we will find more and more things as we look into the dark side of the LIGHT department's past and future, deals that won't work for the town now or in the future. The rumor that we are out to fire the help is smoke up the ass of the voters and when i hear that it makes me think of Danas answer to the question's about the income level of 60k to qualify for assistance, "STUPID" and out of touch. He trying to circle the wagons and take cover,send the girls and children out as shields to cover our asses,spread rumors,do what you can to hold our position's the raises are comming soon again. They can't come to the table with a running web site after 6 months and a audit result with 15% or less in 2 years? give or take 6 months? All facts they will need to answer to at STM. We will have a list that they won't even know about. Like the rebate offers we blindsided them with, we were told before that only the big co like mass electric and ngrid can offer them, The whole time they were available to the rate payers, poor job commissioners, guess the general didn't tell you either did he?Funny thing the girls in the office knew about the appliance rebate program. Not on the town web page for light dept,to help out the rate payers save money, nothing about saving anything for the ratepayers until the 1.00 less for being a abused customer, hold up that dollar and shield us from big bad C4T. The citizens do the voteing and will get their chance on March 6. Thanks for the lack of your awareness Dana,Your full of it and it shows. Templeton Light is ours and not yours.
My opinion and proud of it!
Drive carefully your view is limited!
Please if you see highway workers in the roads,Yield or stop,give us a break were there for you, Thank you!
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Dave Smart
Good job Dave !
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should send it along as a separate blog.
Thanks julie, time in the truck was well spent.
ReplyDeleteThank you Templeton.
Happy to serve
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Dave Smart